Back in March, Justin Case released a root tool called WeakSauce for HTC's flagship lineup on Verizon. Unfortunately, a steady procession of updates to each handset has patched the original exploit, leaving many without root. Now there's a new version of WeakSauce, and it can root just about every HTC phone on Verizon running Android 4.4.4 and below.

Named WeakSauce 2: The Habanero's Revenge, this tool works just like its predecessor, and it's completely free. Just install the apk from this thread on XDA and run it to attain root. Once it has finished, just install SuperSU from the Play Store and you're ready to go. Also like the previous version, this is a non-permanent root method, and it will re-root after each reboot. Just keep in mind that it can take up to a minute for root to take effect.

There are two known issues in the current release.

Right now, the superuser (su) binaries are out of date and it's not possible to replace them using any automated method. This shouldn't affect functionality, but it will show an occasion warning message. Justin says this will be fixed in the future.

The other issue is with ART, which doesn't play well with WeakSauce. Unfortunately, this probably won't be fixed, so rooters will want to switch back to the Dalvik runtime before running the app.

For now, the Sunshine bootloader unlocking tool is still not compatible with the latest firmwares on Verizon's HTC phones . A new version of Sunshine is scheduled for early 2015 that will support all versions of KitKat, and possibly through the current releases of Lollipop. In the meantime, WeakSauce 2 should be a suitable stand-in for many modders. Just remember that you'll lose root again if you update to Lollipop, so be careful not to jump the gun until you're ready.

Update: It turns out that rooting with WeakSauce 2 can allow Sunshine to unlock Verizon's HTC One M7, and possibly the Droid DNA (still unconfirmed). In some instances, the M8 can also be unlocked, but it's hit-and-miss. The best way to find out is to install the Sunshine tool and let it check for compatibility.

WeakSauce 2: The Habanero's Revenge