It's really hard to imagine XDA without SuperSU. The most popular and essential root application has been providing root access and management on Android devices for years. Unfortunately, the latest versions weren't working entirely properly, so XDA Senior Recognized Developer Chainfire made a statement to shed some light on the problem.

Over the last couple of days, some of SuperSU's users have reported that version 2.80 and 2.81 caused issues on their devices. To be more specific, the latest versions of the app caused bootloops on Xperia phones and tablets. Additionally, devices that run KitKat may have lost root access after installing version 2.80. This was a huge deal, as such issues were very rare in the past. Finally, some of the forum members reported that AdAway wasn't able to update the hosts file.

Chainfire and Coding Code Mobile Technology LLC (CCMT), which acquired the project in late 2015, acted swiftly and started to work on the fix. To resolve these problems, developers released two bug fix versions. The first was unsuccessful but the second managed to fix some flaws. Now, SuperSU v2.82 is rolling out on Google Play Store. The latest release brings back stability on non-Xperia devices, but users of Sony devices are advised to stick to version 2.79.

Starting at version 2.80, SuperSU requires new permissions. Their introduction has alarmed some users, though these are used for the bug feedback screen. Chainfire admitted that those permissions do seem a bit excessive, and the permission model will be reviewed after fixing the Xperia issue.

SuperSU has two versions: one is compiled for devices without Play Store in China, while the second is the well-known app from the Play Store. The Chinese version uses analytics and does not transfer any personal information, while international version does not use analytics at all. The new permissions used in the build were required by the feedback screen that is available on the bottom of the settings. Once again, Chainfire assured users that no personal information and analytics are transferred by the international version.


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