[Guide]Xperia KitKat 4.4.4 Rooting - Locked Bootloader/NO OTA Method topic

I managed to successfully root my Xperia M2 with KitKat 4.4.4 without unlocking the bootloader. Since the procedure is quite generic (and straightforward) I thought it would be useful for people with other Xperia devices if I post it here. Please take it as a guideline, since it may vary slightly between different Xperia devices. I'm quite confident it will work also for the phones that will upgrade to Lollipop (as long as they had a Jelly Bean ROM available).

One can find the full procedure with all steps detailed and links to the SW needed in my original thread for the Xperia M2:

[Q&A][Root]Rooting with Locked Bootloader - NO OTA Method

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Be sure to have the full FTF for the stock ROM you are currently running


• Flash with Flashtool only the kernel from a Jelly Bean FTF for your phone (no wipes are needed)


• Reboot the phone: The phone should bootloop, but it doesn't matter. The Linux kernel and adb are alive and thus the "Towelroot" vulnerability is exploitable by rootkitXperia


• Run rootkitXperia. After the rooting it should get stuck when trying to reboot the phone(*). Interrupt it with CTRL-C


• Flash back the kernel for the ROM in your phone


• Reboot the phone


• Manually run the command to have the RIC permanently disabled:
  
  
  

  Code:

  
  

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  adb shell "su -c /data/local/tmp/install_tool.sh"

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• Reboot and enjoy your rooted phone!

(*) In some phones (Xperia Z?) rootkitXperia may not get stuck. If the phone reboots the rooting should be complete. Just flash back your original kernel and it should be done (untested).


Xperia Phones confirmed working:

• Xperia M2 D2303


• (to be expanded)