A Rooter is a Hacker (computer security) who searches for exploitable web servers and hacks into their root directory, allowing for remote access (or rooting ). This is used for creating unauthorized user accounts, accessing the logon information of system users, and can even be used to cut off access to basic System administrator folders and tools to prevent removal of the new account.

Rooted accounts are often used to distribute Warez, cracked applications, and other pirated software. Before peer-to-peer software, rooting was also a popular way for people otherwise not involved in hacking to spread fandom copies of movies, music, or other hard to find Media.

Rooters distribute the login information to friends and in some cases, places readily accessible by thousands of Internet users such as newsgroups or IRC. In some cases, auto-rooting software is used to test for known exploits, in others, internet bots or computer viruses like computer worms are sent out to automatically access the root and send and receive information. This allows rooters to exploit the bandwidth of dozens or hundreds of servers, and to provide constant availability of warez as each server is either overun or cut off.

Like any hacking ability, rooting can be used for white hat purposes as well, and is often used in cases where a server needs to be accessed for repairs and the passwords have been lost.

Large scale, poorly guarded systems, such as university servers, are especially vulnerable to rooting. Internet service providers usually restore service to the affected customers within days, but often not before considerable amounts of data have been exchanged and significant bandwidth has been used. In most cases, keeping security patches up to date and correcting obvious backdoors keeps casual rooters out of systems.

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