How to Unbrick Any Mediatek Phone Without Auth File

If you’re a smartphone user, chances are you’ve heard of Mediatek, a prominent player in the smartphone manufacturing industry. Mediatek produces a wide range of devices with different chipsets and features to cater to diverse user bases. However, like any other smartphone, Mediatek chipset smartphones are not immune to issues, and one common problem users face is bricking their devices. A bricked smartphone refers to a device that is not booting up, stuck in a boot loop, and essentially useless. This can happen due to various reasons, such as failed software updates, custom ROM installations, attempts to root or unlock the bootloader, or flashing custom-made scripts for Android development.

In the past, it was relatively easy to flash a bricked Mediatek (MTK) smartphone and bring it back to life. However, with the advent of modern security practices, many smartphone manufacturers have implemented special authentication measures on their devices. This has made it increasingly difficult to unbrick Mediatek phones without an auth file. Smartphone manufacturers like Oppo, Realme, Oneplus, Xiaomi, and others have set up authentication rules that make it challenging to access these devices in brick mode or download mode. But fear not, because in this article, we’ll explore different methods that can help you unbrick your Mediatek phone without an auth file.

Understanding Mediatek Phone Auth File

To understand why unbricking a Mediatek phone without an auth file can be challenging, it’s important to know what an auth file is. Devices with Mediatek chipsets have different download modes, including the BROM (Boot Read Only Memory) mode. This mode typically loads the preloader file, which helps the device boot the Android operating system. The BROM mode also initiates the OEM download mode, which is intended for OEM servicing and can be used to flash stock firmware or firmware upgrades.

However, access to this mode is restricted to OEM service center professionals because device manufacturers have implemented special authentication measures. These measures involve a special authentication or auth file, which is a specially signed download agent provided by the corresponding OEM manufacturer. This means that you cannot flash or unbrick your Mediatek smartphone unless you have permission from the manufacturer.

Is it Possible to Unbrick Any Mediatek Phone Without an Auth File?

Many Mediatek smartphones come with an Emergency Download Mode, which means that these devices can always be unbricked if you have the right tools and firmware. However, smartphone manufacturers have implemented special measures to revoke this access by using auth files. These auth files can only be used by OEM service representatives to gain access to the hardware memory of your smartphone. Despite this, several developers from the XDA Developers community have discovered exploits that can bypass the auth file requirement.

There are currently several exploits available on the market, but most of them are built on a boot ROM exploit discovered by XDA senior members and developers. This exploit involves a generic bypass mechanism that can bypass the authentication while flashing custom firmware or stock ROM. In simpler terms, this technique uses special bypass address codes designed for Mediatek smartphone chips. These auth bypass codes help override the authentication requested by a flashing tool like SP Flash Tool before flashing the phone firmware.

Methods to Unbrick Mediatek Phones Without an Auth File

Now that we understand the challenges and possibilities of unbricking Mediatek phones without an auth file, let’s explore some methods that can help you in this process.

Method 1: By Not Flashing Auth Images

When you try to flash the boot image files on your bricked Mediatek device, you might receive a warning stating “SEC IMG TYPE MISMATCH.” This warning indicates that you need to download a verified image for the firmware. In most cases, only two files named “oplusreserve2.img” and “cdt_engineering.img” can trigger this error. To bypass this issue, you can simply exclude these files from the flashing process.

Method 2: Using MTK Bypass Utility

MTK Bypass Utility is a powerful tool developed by chaosmaster and Dinolek. This Python command-line tool can easily bypass the SLA (Serial Link Authentication) on various Mediatek devices. Here’s how you can use this tool to bypass MediaTek SP Flash Tool SLA and DAA (Download Agent Authentication) for supported Mediatek SoCs:

1. Go to the MTK Bypass tools folder and press the Shift key + Right-click on the mouse to open up the context menu.
2. Select “Open PowerShell Window here” from the list.
3. Copy and paste the following command line:python main.py
4. Press Enter to run themain.py Python file.

Once the tool is executed, you should receive a notice or popup stating “Protection Disabled, Press any key to continue.” Simply press any key to continue and then open the SP Flash Tool to proceed with the flashing process.

Method 3: Using MTK Auth Bypass Tool

MTK Auth Bypass Tool, also known as MABT Boot, is another reliable tool in the Android community. It offers an advanced set of instructions for tasks such as preloader dumping, OPF extracting, and disabling auth for Mediatek smartphones. Follow the steps below to bypass the auth file using this tool:

1. Open the MTK Auth Bypass Tool and click on the “Disable Auth” button.
2. Connect your MTK device in BROM mode by pressing all hardware buttons (Volume Up + Volume Down + Power key) and wait for the tool to detect the device.
3. Once the device is connected, the MABT will bypass the authentication, allowing you to flash your device with SP Flash Tool.

Method 4: Using MTK Client

MTK Client, developed by bkerler, is another reliable tool that can bypass auth and enable the installation of apps, scripts, and kernel image files on Mediatek devices. Here’s how you can use MTK Client to bypass the auth file:

1. Download and extract the MTK Client folder.
2. Press the Shift key + Right-click on the mouse to open up the context menu.
3. Select “Open PowerShell Window here” from the list.
4. Copy and paste the following command lines:

• pip3 install -r requirements.txt
• python setup.py build
• python setup.py install
• python mtk payload

Connect your MTK device in BROM mode by pressing all hardware buttons (Volume Up + Volume Down + Power key) and wait for the tool to detect the device.

Once the device is connected, the MTK Client will bypass the authentication, allowing you to flash your device with SP Flash Tool.

Method 5: Dissecting BootROM

If none of the above methods work for your particular Mediatek device, it’s possible that you have a newer model with the latest MTK chipset that isn’t vulnerable to previous exploits. In such cases, you may need to generate your own exploit by dissecting the BootROM. However, please note that this method is complex and not recommended for inexperienced users. It’s best to search for custom exploits on various GSM or XDA forums instead.

To create your own MTK exploit by dissecting BootROM, you can follow these simplified steps:

1. Dump the BootROM of your device using a command-line MTK tool.
2. Open the dumped file using a binary ninja tool or similar software.
3. Edit the function names “bitissla()” and “isdaapassed()” to bypass authentication.
4. Save the modified file and flash the custom DA (Download Agent) file on your phone.
5. Boot your device into download mode and flash custom firmware using SP Flash Tool.

Conclusion

In conclusion, bricking a Mediatek phone can be a frustrating experience, but there are ways to unbrick your device without an auth file. We discussed various methods, including not flashing auth images, using MTK Bypass Utility, MTK Auth Bypass Tool, MTK Client, and dissecting BootROM. It’s essential to exercise caution and ensure you have the correct firmware and tools before attempting any of these methods. Additionally, please note that tampering with your device’s hardware components may void your warranty or even permanently damage your device. Proceed with caution and seek professional help if you are unsure.