If the device is bricked, only an official service center with authorized servers can re-sign the secure boot chain to work with the blown fuse state. 4. Hardware Level Bypass (Test Point)
Tools like , DFT Pro , or Pandora Box often have built-in exploits for specific models.
Switch your tool's setting from "BROM" to or "VBO" mode.
In practice, the error appears in the logs of flashing tools after the tool has successfully initialised the chip, but just when it tries to gain deeper BROM access: brom disabled by efuse 0x146
Replace SoC or mainboard
MediaTek chips previously had a massive vulnerability (the Kamakiri exploit) that allowed users to bypass BROM protection using simple Python scripts ( mtkclient ). In response, manufacturers pushed firmware updates that permanently blew the 0x146 eFuse on newer batches of phones, physically locking out the exploit. Can You Fix or Bypass "eFuse 0x146"?
Launch your preferred servicing software (e.g., , Chimera , or Pandora ). If the device is bricked, only an official
Flashing boxes and software tools heavily rely on this emergency BROM mode to bypass the operating system. It allows technicians to: Repair hard-bricked devices. Write full firmware dumps. Bypass FRP (Factory Reset Protection) and screen locks. Read and write directly to physical memory partitions. 2. What is an eFuse and Hex Code 0x146?
MediaTek chips contain an array of eFuses, each associated with a specific bit or configuration value. When a manufacturer an eFuse, it permanently locks out certain functionalities—including, in this case, access to the BROM.
A few persistent myths circulate around the eFuse 0x146 error: Switch your tool's setting from "BROM" to or "VBO" mode
: It acts as the "Level 0" bootloader. When a device is completely dead, bricked, or blank, BROM activates to communicate with a PC via a USB connection.
The list is not exhaustive; new models are added regularly as manufacturers adopt the security feature. Affected chips often include the (Helio P35), MT6761 (Helio A22), and newer MediaTek SoCs.
When a flashing tool outputs , it means:
If you work in smartphone servicing, custom ROM development, or advanced Android forensics, encountering the error is a major roadblock. This error indicates that a hardware-level security mechanism has permanently blocked the device's low-level emergency flashing interface.