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Apple: PDF security hole fix is already ready to go
JailbreakMe brought root to the iPhone 4-wielding masses, but also unearthed a nasty exploit in a PDF font. Thankfully for the rooted and those who never intended to root, Cupertino claims it has already patched the hole. "We're aware of the reported issue, we have already developed a fix and it will be available to customers in an upcoming software update," an Apple spokeswoman told CNET. We're not sure exactly when it will arrive, but we'd lay odds on soon -- in the meantime, don't open any PDFs you don't trust, don't do anything illegal or immoral, and hit up Comex's hack ASAP if your heart's still set on that shiny new unlock. [Image Source: F-Secure]
JailbreakMe using PDF exploit to hack your iPhone, so could the baddies; Apple looking into reports
As with any jailbreak or rooting of a handset, "hacking" a phone OS is usually exactly that: exploiting a weakness to get unsigned code onto a device. That means that any other hacker, be they sufficiently nefarious, could use that same exploit to mess with your phone in the bad, not-installing-emulators-off-of-Cydia sense. Early iPhone jailbreaks (back when installing your own ringtones was a wild idea) took advantage of a TIFF exploit, the recent EVO 4G root found a hole in Flash Lite, and the JailbreakMe exploit is stuffing its code in a PDF font. Until Apple patches this exploit (when asked, Apple told us it was "aware of the reports and looking into them") we'd be extra careful about which PDFs we open -- there aren't any reports of malicious use so far, but with Safari's seamless handling of PDFs, it wouldn't be hard for some hacker to hide a potentially phone-invading PDF behind some harmless looking hyperlink. The iPhone devteam points out that this isn't the only known exploit for Safari on iOS, so there's no need to start hyperventilating about this particular one... unless it's a slow day at your mainstream media publication and you're looking for something to hyperventilate about. Oh, and are you looking for a surefire way to steer clear of PDFs? Cydia has a PDF loading warner that lets you skip PDFs your browser is trying to load on a case by case basis. Of course, you'll need to jailbreak your phone to use it. Ironic, right?
Official: iPhone 4 jailbreak hits from iPhone Dev Team (updated with video)
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Official_iPhone_4_jailbreak_hits_from_iPhone_Dev_Team'; The Library of Congress made it legal, MuscleNerd showed us it was a go, and now Comex and company have delivered the long-awaited jailbreak to the fourth rendition of iPhone. According to their new page JailbreakMe, the hack works right on the iPhone 4 (or 3GS, or 3G, or iPad, or...) itself, using via the handset's Safari browser to reportedly break into most any iOS device. The servers are getting slammed pretty badly, and only a few Engadget editors have so much as seen the page pictured above so far, but rest assured we're testing this as we speak and will have more details up soon. Update: Sorry folks, we've tried repeatedly, but apparently the servers just can't handle the load -- Comex tweets that the purple screens we're seeing are evidence of server fail. Here's hoping for a Cydia celebration when the stampede is over. Update 2: Comex says you might want to reboot if you got stuck staring at that purple screen, and you could also try their backup server (click our second source link) to help the Dev Team divide the load. Update 3: We successfully got the jailbreak to start working, but it crashed Safari. Upon reboot of our phone we've got... nothing but the Apple logo. Take note, this can brick your phone, so proceed with caution! Video of the experience after the break. After a reset, our phone is giving us nothing but the Apple logo. (Update to the update, the phone has been restored). Update 4: Our intern Sam has successfully jailbroken his iPhone 4 according to this pic, so it can be done! Update 5: Comex reports that iPads running iOS 3.2.1 aren't presently working properly, and that MMS problems after jailbreak are a known issue. Update 6: Good news? Saurik (of Cydia fame) has pitched in to secure JailbreakMe some better hosting. Bad news? Reports indicate that FaceTime doesn't work after jailbreak, either. Update 7: Seven updates? You bet, because it's looking like there's already a fix for the missing FaceTime and MMS features. Head on over to Redmond Pie (in more coverage below) for instructions to install the Cydia package that brought video chat back to two of our iPhone 4 handsets. If you're just downloading JailbreakMe for the first time though, you shouldn't need to do a thing, as Comex claims both have been fixed in a new version of the hack that just went live.
iPhone 4 carrier unlock teased, not released just yet (update: video)
While we wait for a full, no-strings-attached jailbreak for the iPhone 4, let's turn our attention to the other important matter of unlocking, shall we? iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing is teasing the world with a picture of an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 being used way up north on Canada's Bell -- and while we don't have a timeline for a release just yet, this should be particularly exciting news for Canadians who don't have much interest in waiting any longer for their version of the phone to officially arrive. We'll update you just as soon as it's available. [Thanks, Brad] Update: Numerous readers have written in to remind us that the above image isn't proof of an unlock, since an AT&T iPhone can roam on Bell. True -- but considering how this is coming straight from an iPhone Dev Team member, we're going to stay optimistic. Update 2: Planetbeing has uploaded a video of the carrier unlock (embedded after the break), but he confesses that the existing build "sucks." A cleaned up version should be ready for mass consumption shortly, though. [Thanks, all!]
iPad hacksugar: iPad 3G hacked to send native SMS
Here's a cool little find for a quiet Sunday. MuscleNerd of the iPhone dev team has managed to allow his jailbroken 3G iPad to send command-line SMS text messages. This hack only works with SIM cards that have already paid for an SMS plan, in this case a T-Mobile SIM that was downsized to microSIM dimensions. (More about using T-Mobile SIMs here.) The 3G iPad was jailbroken using Spirit. The hack works by communicating directly with the iPad baseband, using standard AT commands. As of yet, Apple's MobileSMS application, the SMS application that normally appears on iPhone home screens, has not worked on the iPad. Will standard phone call service be next? Using minutes from a downsized SIM? Wait and see. [via RedmondPie] Thanks, Steven Kappler.
iPhone Dev Team's MuscleNerd shows off VNC on iPhone OS 4 beta, hints at jailbreak
We can't get a straight answer on the exact jailbroken status of iPhone OS 4, but MuscleNerd of the iPhone Dev Team (and recent iPad hacking fame) is sure hinting heavily. He's got Veency (a VNC server) and Cydia running on iPhone OS 4 on video, something he claims "you'll only find on JB 4.0." Of course, he also has the dev tools at his disposal and all the bugs and loopholes of an early beta, so we can't be exactly sure what's going on. There's also not much point to releasing an OS 4 beta jailbreak to the public, and MuscleNerd himself recommends not bothering with the betas, as they're "very buggy." Still, it's fun to see these tools alive and well on the newfangled multitasking OS. Check out the video after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPad jailbreak demonstrated
This didn't take very long. Above is a video demonstrating the so-called "Spirit" jailbreak of an iPad. Note that the software breaks iPhone OS 3.2, currently only available on the iPad. It also works with iPhone OS 3.1.3 for the iPhone and iPod touch. In the video above, the user gets root access to the iPad and launches the Maps application. iPhone owners typically jailbreak their devices to use other carriers. Of course, the 3G iPad scheduled to be released this month will be sold unlocked, but it's 3G frequencies will be limited to AT&T in the US. Good work, MuscleNerd. You're fast! [Sorry for the duplicate news, miscommunication in the edit bullpen. –Ed.]
MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart
Let's be clear upfront that this isn't for the casual iPhone jailbreaker, but if you feeling like living on the edge, you can give your original model an added boost of MMS capability, or any device with OS 3.1.2 the power to tether. Highlighted in a series of tweets today by iPhone dev team lead MuscleNerd, whiterat (for MMS) and two-bit (for tethering) will get the job done, but both require tinkering with the baseband, which is exponentially more advanced and brick-inducing than, say, installing Cydia. Venture forth with the instructions beyond the read links below. [Via 9 to 5 Mac] Read - iPhone 2G MMS Read - OS 3.1.2 tethering
Pwnage Tool for iPhone OS 3.0 now live, ultrasn0w still on standby
That iPhone OS 3.0 jailbreak we saw the iPhone Dev-Team pull off earlier this week? It's out now, or at least, part of it is. Pwnage Tool is now flooding torrents, but there's lots of caveats here. Most importantly, this isn't Ultrasn0w, which means if you're wanting to use your toy on T-Mobile or another unofficial carrier, be patient -- it's also worth noting that the jailbreak doesn't jibe with yellowsn0w, so those who rely on it should stay away for the time being. No compatibility with the 3G S, or at least, it probably hasn't been tested... we wouldn't recommend anyone setting the precedent here. You'll need Mac OS X to run it, with QuickPwn for Mac and Windows coming further down the line. Ultrasn0w is also due out at some indeterminate future, so that all said, if you're just needing right now a jailbroken device with spotlight functionality, hit up the read link for all the pertinent details. It should goes without saying, but they're might a few negative side effects to it, and one of the big ones we heard is that YouTube might be fubar'd at the moment.Read - trois, drei, три, három! (Pwnage Tool released)Read - No YouTube On Jailbroken iPhone 3.0?
iPhone 3G running OS 3.0 unlocked, ultrasn0w release coming Friday
The iPhone Dev-Team (no relation) have been teasing us for a little bit now with what they've been saying is an iPhone OS 3.0-compatible version of yellowsn0w, and tonight in a video presentation they unveiled ultrasn0w, which should let you unlock any iPhone on the market, running any version of the firmware from 3.0 on down. The trick to how they're getting the jailbreak hasn't been revealed yet for fear of Apple making a fix at the eleventh hour, but if everything goes according to plan, the new hacking software should be out Friday in time for the iPhone 3G S (no guarantee it'll work on the new device). Hit up the read link to watch the magic happen right before your very own eyes.
Dev Team releases free iPod touch 2G jailbreak
Well, that didn't take long -- hot on the heels of the $15 NitroKey Slipstream iPod touch 2G jailbreak, the Dev Team's released their free version. Apparently they'd been hoping to keep the jailbreak-enabling security hole a secret until the next version of the iPhone came out so Apple wouldn't be able to fix the flaw, but NitroKey is apparently based on their code and they didn't want people paying to use it. It's not all packaged up into PwnageTool or QuickPwn just yet, but it should be soon, and there are options for the impatient -- hit the read link for more.
iPhone 3G unlock demoed on video
We can't unlock ours for a few days yet, so why don't we sit back, relax, and watch the boys and girls at the Dev-Team shoehorn their iPhone 3G onto T-Mobile while we wait? Follow the break for all the nail-biting action!
iPhone 3G finally unlocked by the Dev-Team!
Well this has been a long time coming. It seems that the iPhone Dev-Team has finally done the impossible -- they've gone and unlocked the iPhone 3G. The hack isn't out yet (the team says they're shooting for a December 31st release), and it requires that you've got a baseband of 2.11.07 or earlier, but when it drops, the crew seems fairly confident it will result in freedom from carrier oppression. The team is packaging the app -- formerly codenamed "yellowsn0w" -- into a user-friendly app a la PwnageTool and QuickPwn. Of course, you know how this cat and mouse game goes by now, so don't be surprised when Jobs and company come calling with an update that adds toast making to the official menu, but breaks your breaks all over again.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Linux hits the iPhone!
We knew this day would eventually come, but somehow we're still misting up a little -- Linux has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Dev Team member planetbeing is the mastermind in charge of bringing everyone's favorite open-source OS to Apple's handhelds, and while it's a little rough around the edges (read: no touchscreen drivers, sound, or WiFi / cell radio support), it's definitely the first step on the road to hacking nirvana. The team is hard at work, and it even sounds like they're thinking about porting Android in the near future (!), so hit the read link to try it out and lend a hand if you can -- or just head on past the break for a quick vid of the port in all its text-scrolling glory.[Via iphone-dev.org; thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone Dev Team teases with 3G unlock video
Wondering where your iPhone 3G unlock's at? Rest assured, the delightful world of hackery hasn't been standing still in the months since the 3G was released, and to prove it, the iPhone Dev Team has slipped out a little teaser video (only with an iPhone 3G unlock could a 55-second video of terminal commands be called a "teaser video," by the way) showing some talented son of a gun having his or her way with the phone's baseband. An unlock isn't publicly available just yet -- but it looks like they're getting close. Any T-Mobile USA execs wryly smiling right about now? Check the full video after the break.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PwnageTool 2.0.3 released, jailbreaks iPhone 2.0.2
Still no baseband unlock, but if you've been dying to feel the marginal improvements of iPhone OS 2.0.2 while still rocking those crazy homebrew apps, the Dev Team has come through again with PwnageTool 2.0.3. A new Windows version of the QuickPwn tool is also out, with a Mac version to follow within the week -- you know the drill, if you're brave enough to update let us know how it goes in comments.[Thanks, David]
iPhone Dev Team unleashes Pwnage Tool 2.0
Sort of. Pwnage Tool 2.0 can't handle 3G iPhone SIM unlocks just yet, though jailbreaking should work just fine, and we're also faced with the teensy little problem of the Dev Team's server being totally destroyed by downloads already -- mirror please? -- but the friendly little jailbreak app has finally been unleashed upon the earth. We'd never suggest trying out software like this right out of the gate, but, um, let us know how it goes, yeah?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: We're seeing mixed results so far in the comments, but no bricked phones to speak of. Always a good thing. Oh, and plenty of mirrors to be found in the comments, thanks guys!Update 2: Looks like 2.0.1 is already out with a few fixes!
iPhone Dev Team says Pwnage Tool won't unlock iPhone 3G (for now)
iPhone unlocking is a little more cash-intensive now that Apple and AT&T are all contract-happy with the 3G, but it looks like would-be unlockers will have a little more time to save up those pennies -- the erstwhile hackers on the iPhone Dev Team say that while a forthcoming version of the sadly-named Pwnage tool will activate and jailbreak the iPhone 3G, unlocking is taking a little longer than expected, and they don't want to release the code until it's exactly right. The tool still unlocks first-gen iPhones running 2.0 and allows jailbreak apps to co-exist with the App Store, so if you're desperate to unlock right away, we'd say a first-gen unit is your best bet.
Dev Team shows off video of 'world's first' jailbroken iPhone 3G
We can't say this is a surprise... but it is sweet to see. The iPhone Dev Team has added a video to their blog showing off the latest version of their upcoming PwnageTool 2.0, along with a video of what they claim is the "world's first" jailbroken iPhone 3G. Check the video after the break, and hit the read link to see how their progress is coming on the new case-cracker.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Found Footage: Dev Team Posts Video
If you've been thinking the iPhone Dev Team (the team behind the jailbreaking applications) would die out after firmware 2.0, then think again. That's because the dev team has just published a video showing the jailbreaking process for a 2.0 iPhone.Update: We are currently uploading the video, in the mean time you can view the video on the iPhone Dev's website.
