Rooting detection is a technique used in Android secure coding to determine whether a device has been rooted or not. Rooting is the process of gaining privileged access to the Android operating system, which allows the user to perform actions that are not normally allowed, such as uninstalling system apps, modifying system settings, and accessing sensitive data.

Rooting can pose a security risk, as it can allow malicious apps to gain access to sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions on the device. Therefore, many Android apps and security frameworks use rooting detection to prevent certain functions from running on rooted devices or to alert the user that the app may not be secure on a rooted device.

There are several methods for detecting whether a device has been rooted. Here are a few common techniques:

  1. Checking for the presence of su binaries: Many rooting methods install a set of binaries, including su (superuser) and busybox, that provide privileged access to the system. Therefore, checking for the presence of these binaries can be a good indicator of whether a device has been rooted or not.
  2. Examining system properties: Rooting may change certain system properties such as "ro.debuggable" or "ro.secure". These properties can be checked to see if they have been modified from their default values, which may indicate that the device has been rooted.
  3. Analyzing the device's file system: Rooting can also involve modifying the device's file system. Therefore, scanning the file system for known root-related files, such as the Superuser.apk file, can be a useful method for detecting whether a device has been rooted.
  4. Using third-party libraries: There are several third-party libraries available that provide rooting detection capabilities. These libraries often use a combination of the above techniques to determine whether a device has been rooted.

It's worth noting that while rooting detection can be an effective way to detect many common rooting methods, it is not foolproof. Some advanced root methods can bypass detection techniques, so it's important to use rooting detection as one part of a comprehensive security strategy.