jailbreaking
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Hackers make jailbreaking iPhones a thing again
In the iPhone's early days, hackers would "jailbreak" the iPhone in order to install third-party apps that weren't available through the App Store. It's been a while since anyone seriously needed to jailbreak their iPhone, as there are plenty of apps and more customizable operating systems to choose from. But this weekend, hackers dusted off their jailbreaking skills when a vulnerability was discovered in iOS 12.4. Security researcher Pwn20wnd released the first free public jailbreak for a fully updated iPhone in years.
Cydia's app store for jailbroken iPhones shuts down purchases (updated)
For years, people with jailbroken iPhones have turned to the Cydia Store to download apps that Apple wouldn't allow through its own portal. You might want to scramble for an alternative if you're one of those users, however. Service creator Jay Freeman (aka Saurik) has shut down purchases in the Cydia Store citing a combination of costs and security issues. It "loses [him] money" and, when there were multiple staffers, cost him a significant chunk of his "sanity." And while Freeman had already planned to close store purchases by the end of 2018, he bumped it up a week after learning of a security hole that let let someone buy apps through your account if you were logged in and browsing untrusted app repositories.
Older Apple TVs can get YouTube back, but it will cost you
A few months ago Google made changes to its YouTube app and pulled it from old second-generation Apple TV boxes (as well as some other older smart TVs). Now, if you're longing for the heady days of 2007 and aren't ready to upgrade (probably a good idea, with new hardware right around the corner), there is a way to get it back. Firecore has added a YouTube plugin to its aTV Flash (black) software for jailbroken Apple TVs. If you own a third generation Apple TV (on sale since early 2012, supports 1080p), then this doesn't apply to you, since you still have YouTube. But if your ATV2 is still in use, this will get it back... for a fee of $30. With Apple's big event just a few days away and a new $150 Apple TV rumored to be on the way we can see why this isn't the time to buy an upgraded model. You could buy a Chromecast plus whatever is announced on the 9th and do just as well -- or use AirPlay, if you also have iOS or Mac hardware. If you prefer the DIY route and want native YouTube playback, though, you can follow the instructions here. [Image credit: Associated Press]
iOS 7.1.2 still vulnerable to Pangu untethered jailbreak
Yesterday's iOS 7 update featured relatively minor tweaks and big fixes, but one of the more surprising things about it is what it didn't address; It appears that the Pangu jailbreak tool -- which can provide an untethered jailbreak using either a Windows or Mac computer -- was not on Apple's "To Destroy" list for the most recent update, as the software works on iOS 7.1.2 just as it did on 7.1.1. Pangu kind of came out of nowhere. For a long while after iOS 7.1, jailbreakers had pretty much accepted that the teams of iOS gurus working on breaks had turned their attention to iOS 8, and no further progress would be made for iOS 7. That all changed last week with the release of Pangu, so Apple likely didn't have a whole lot of time to work on patching out the vulnerability. That's great news for jailbreakers who want the latest Apple security fixes, and considering Apple is adding all kinds of features to iOS 8 that were previously available only via jailbreak, it might be the last time you're tempted to perform the workaround.
iOS 8's silent war against jailbreaking
Apple isn't dumb. The company knows users jailbreak their devices, but more importantly than that, they know exactly why. There are those who jailbreak to use apps that simply would never be approved for sale on the App Store -- and that's a group that Apple has little chance of luring back to the "vanilla" side of iOS -- but there's also a huge segment of the jailbreaking community that voids their warranties for much more innocuous reasons. That's where iOS 8 comes in. Apple plugged some crucial jailbreak holes with iOS 7 and its updates, effectively shuttering widespread jailbreaking on devices updated to 7.1.0 or 7.1.1. Top jailbreakers have instead turned their attention to iOS 8, hoping to have better luck with the big annual update that everyone will be downloading. But along with taping off any remaining vulnerabilities that Apple's team might already know about, it's doing something even more crushing to the jailbreak movement: replicating the most popular jailbreak features and thereby giving many would-be jailbreakers no reason to even consider it. For starters, third party keyboards are a huge addition. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people say that the only reason they jailbreak is because they can't stand the iPhone or iPad keyboard. But rather than just introducing its own variations on the theme, Apple is giving developers the chance to do whatever they want with the phone's text input. SwiftKey is already on board, and many more developers are sure to follow. Next are widgets, which Apple revealed will appear in the pull-down notification center. This is a feature many Android users tout as a reason to devote themselves to Google's OS, and one that jailbreakers have adored for a long time. No, the widgets won't appear directly on the home screen -- which may still be a sticking point for some -- but Apple embracing them at all is certainly a big win for anyone who has installed a jailbreak specifically for that feature. And there's plenty more: The new QuickReply feature makes jailbreak tweaks like Auki and Couria essentially obsolete, allowing you to instantly reply to messages from the notification without navigating to a specific app. Opening up Touch ID for third party apps means that jailbreak-only password fillers like iTouchSecure -- which autofills passwords based on Touch ID input -- are now dead in the water. Giving Siri the ability to keep an ear open for a command (when plugged in) without tapping the home button mimics the jailbreak-only OkSiri tweak. iOS 8's battery usage breakdown by app is a feature of many jailbreak tweaks, but will no longer require you to void your warranty. So is jailbreaking dead? Of course not! There will always be users looking to get just a little bit more out of their devices, whatever the cost, but those people aren't who Apple is targeting. iOS 8 is made to appeal to the portion of the iDevice population that has become dependent on one or two long-standing tweaks. Apple has long embraced features from outside its own walls, making no bones about appropriating great ideas from wherever it sees fit. The jailbreak community is a great place to draw from, since it's essentially a free testing ground to see what works and what doesn't. Now, by taking the most popular jailbreak tweaks and making them its own, Apple is silently fighting the jailbreak movement by using its own weapons against it. [Photo credit: David Bleasdale (locks)]
Wii U allegedly hacked, Nintendo addresses would-be pirates (updated)
While some people associate the word "jailbreaking" with prison riots or smartphone hacking, the most mainstream of cracking subcultures also takes on video game consoles. A mod chip developer known as WiiKey is now claiming to have reverse engineered the Wii U's disk encryption, making it possible to play "backed up" copies of games via a USB drive. The group says its "WiikeU" optical drive emulator is region free and compatible with all Wii U console models. So far the hacking brood has yet to furnish any proof of its claims, but Nintendo is very much aware of the situation. Nintendo is aware that a hacking group claims to have compromised Wii U security; however, we have no reports of illegal Wii U games nor unauthorized applications playable on the system while in Wii U mode. Nintendo continuously monitors all threats to its products' security and will use technology and will take the necessary legal steps to prevent the facilitation of piracy.
JailbreakMe hacker Comex let go by Apple after failing to respond to offer letter
After developing JailBreakMe, cracking such devices as the iPad 2 or iPhone 4 and finally scoring a paying intern gig with his nemesis, hacker Comex tweeted that he's no longer working at Apple. Also known as Nicholas Allegra, the talented coder's Cupertino situation apparently came asunder when he failed to respond to an email offer to re-up with the company, though he also told Forbes that the situation was more complicated than that. He added that "it wasn't a bad ending," and that he has fond memories of his Apple experience, but if you're hoping the Brown University student will have an iOS 6 jailbreak soon, don't hold your breath -- he's concentrating strictly on his studies, for now.
Newest version of ultrasn0w unlocks iPhone 4, 3GS on iOS 5.1.1, RedSn0w 0.9.12b1 also released
Are you one of those folks who depends heavily on an iPhone 4 / 3GS unlock, but made the unsafe trip toward iOS 5.1.1 territory? Worry no more, as the hard-working Dev-Team's come through yet again, delivering its newest version of ultrasn0w to help alleviate your carrier lockdown problems. Version 1.2.7 of the unlocking method is friendly with iPhone 4s (nope, not the 4S) on baseband 01.59.00, while the older 3G / 3GS slabs will have to be on 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01, 05.13.04 or 06.15.00. To go along with the latest ultrasn0w release, the Dev-Team also outed a fresh copy of RedSn0w (0.9.12b1) for both Windows and Mac, making it easier for devices sporting Cupertino's A4 chip -- and other earlier ones -- to adopt and restore using an untethered solution. All in all, we'd say it's a pretty good day for the jailbreak scene. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Absinthe 2.0 used to jailbreak nearly one million iOS devices in a single weekend
973,086 iOS devices were jailbroken in a single weekend thanks to Absinthe 2.0, which was released on Friday. Chronic-Dev, one half of the Jailbreak Dream Team tweeted the announcement yesterday, adding that 211,401 of those freed were third-generation iPads. If you want to loosen your own Apple-branded handheld from the clutches of Cupertino's control, then the warranty-worrying software is still available -- with the promise that it's so easy, your grandma could do it.
Redsn0w 0.9.11b1 now allows post-iPad 2 devices to downgrade to an older firmware
Per usual, the Dev-Team whiz-kids have been hard at work trying to make your jailbroken iOS life a tad bit easier. This time around, MuscleNerd & Co. have outed their latest revision of RedSn0w (0.9.11b1), allowing folks using the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPhone 4S to downgrade to lower firmwares for jailbreaking purposes -- a feature others have been enjoying for some time now. As expected, you'd still need those saved SHSH blobs from the previous firmware in order to do so, and if your device depends on an unofficial unlock, it's recommended (with a few exceptions) to steer clear since this method will upgrade your baseband. Speaking of, the Dev-Team also notes you should stick with an earlier version of Redsn0w unless you must have the new tidbits. Those of you eager to give it a try can head over to the Dev-Tem Blog to grab yourself a copy.
iOS 5.1 untethered jailbreak gets a video demo, not yet ready to meet the public
Moving along a similar path to his previous untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0, hacker pod2g has followed up announcements of an untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 4 and iPad 3 running iOS 5.1 with a quick demo video (embedded after the break) as evidence. The video shows a jailbroken iPad 3 that manages to stay that way even after a reboot, the key difference from the current tethered hack already available. There's still no word on when the community at large may get a crack at the software, although tweets mention "stabilizing the payload" before taking a crack at the recently released iOS 5.1.1, and that the new Apple TV may not be able to come along for the ride.
Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already
Plugged your iDevice into an iTunes-equipped machine lately? You should. Apple has just let loose iOS 5.1.1, a seemingly minor point update that actually promises to fix quite a few (potentially) substantial quirks. Coming two months to the day after the iOS 5.1 software update, the extra 0.0.1 is said to improve reliability of the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut, address bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks and solve a few issues that were affecting AirPlay video playback "in some circumstances." There's also improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List, and Apple has purportedly fixed an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase. Sucked the update down yourself? Let us know how it goes in comments below, and peek the full changelog just after the break. Update: Looks like iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken. Huzzah! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
DingleBerry 4.0 cancelled, open-sourced in search of PlayBook OS 2.0 root exploit (updated: ok, maybe it's not cancelled)
DingleBerry arrived with an awesome name and even better functionality: the ability to root a BlackBerry PlayBook. For the moment, however, it seems the utility is little more than dust in the wind. We've received news that development of the famed exploit has been halted. If it's any solace to super users, the project may find new vigor, because the source code for DingleBerry 3.3.3 is now available for all to improve upon. Perhaps the cat and mouse game with RIM's security team was simply too burdensome for DingleBerry developers, as PlayBook OS 2.0 has remained impervious to root exploits. Whatever the case may be, if you'd like to take a swing at a new root method, be sure to hit up the source below.[Thanks, Joao]Update: DingleBerry dev Chris Wade reached out to us to clarify that version 4.0 is not cancelled -- regardless of what the official changelog says. Where exactly the confusion comes from we're not entirely sure, but we've been told the project was open sourced so that others, perhaps those with more free time on their hands, could take a crack at the PlayBook OS and not because it's dead.
Untethered jailbreak for new iPad shown on YouTube, not quite ready for download
Are we shocked to see an untethered iOS 5.1 jailbreak for the new iPad? Not so much. Are we surprised to see it arrive so quick? Hell, yes. The iPad 2's untethered jailbreak took an eternity, whereas this new tunnel seems to have been dug during one fleeting Friday night. The hacker to thank is i0n1c, aka Stefan Esser -- a man who moves so fast his YouTube clip reportedly had 28 likes before it had even finished uploading. Just leap that final fence, Stefan, by releasing your jailbreak to the public, and we shall re-christen you bi0n1c. (Unless you want to keep your current handle, which would also be fine.)[Thanks, Brad]
WWJC (JailbreakCon) brings freedom fighters to San Francisco on September 29th
Chances are a grand number of you have gratefully used, or heard about, the tweaking tools supplied by the iOS jailbreak community. Last year's MyGreatFest gathering in London brought together Cydia's creator along with members of the Chronic Dev Team, but if you were hoping for something this side of the pond, you'll have another shot at rubbing elbows with them. During its 2012 edition, the WWDC WWJC, also known as JailbreakCon, will be rolling out the red carpet in San Francisco on September 29th. Those interested in trekking toward the Golden Gate Bridge can book their way into the keynotes and workshops by unleashing anywhere from 65 to 155 bucks per ticket -- the cheapest of the bunch being an "Early Bird" deal through June 29th. Feel like joining the jailbreak connoisseurs? You can find the rest of the deets, as well as as the hub to grab your tix via the source link below.
iOS 5.1 gets tethered jailbreak for non-A5 iPads, iPhones and iPods
We've got good news for anyone intrigued by the new (largely incremental) features of Apple's latest mobile OS update. MuscleNerd, famed iOS meddler, has confirmed that iOS 5.1 can be jailbroken to the original iPad, iPhone 4 and 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touch devices. Unfortunately, it's still a tethered jailbreak which means you'll need to "just boot" the device using redsn0w whenever it powers down. However, we're sure those iOS hackers are already working on that minor niggle. Get the full instructions and those ever-important warnings over at Think iOS, which also links to the required iOS 5.1 files. [Thanks all]
The Engadget Interview: the EFF's Mitch Stoltz talks the legality of jailbreaking
The work of a non-profit advocacy group is never done. It seems like just yesterday that the Electronic Frontier Foundation was waging a battle to put jailbreaking rights into the hands of consumers, much to the chagrin of manufacturers intent on maintaining control over their devices after they leave store shelves. With the looming expiration of an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that has made such hacks legal, the organization is once again taking up the cause. And this time, it's added tablets and gaming consoles to its proposal. We sat down with EFF staff attorney Mitch Stoltz to discuss the state of the law and how users can help in the fight.
Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads
Rounding out the honeymoon period with that freshly jailbroken iPad 2? Well now we have some new apps for you to play with, and you may already be acquainted. iOS hacker Ryan Petrich's most recent project, dubbed Belfry, lets you install stock iPhone apps that are otherwise absent from both versions of Apple's tablet including Clock, Voice Memos, Stocks, Calculator, Compass and Weather. As to why these aren't included already is beyond our knowledge, but at least there's an alternative. Users can install Belfry directly within Cydia for free from the BigBoss repository. If you're looking for proof to seal the deal, you can catch the bashful Belfry and his silent film antics after the break.
Living la vita hacker: PS3 firmware exploit expands Vita Remote Play options
Those gosh-darned hackers just refuse to get off Sony's lawn, serving up yet another exploit for the outfit's latest baby, the PlayStation Vita. Well, sort of -- the Vita's own code hasn't been breached, but it sure plays nice with PlayStation 3 custom firmware 3.55. The PS3 tweak apparently recognizes the Vita as a mobile phone, which somehow allows it to Remote Play a wider assortment of PS3 games than normal. It's not all unicorns and double rainbows, however, as input lag appears to be an issue -- but it should help tide over enterprising Vita owners until Sony officially expands its list of Remote Play-compatible titles. In the meantime, those on the straight and narrow can console themselves with the Vita's recently updated 3G data plan. Hit the break to see the trick cram Battlefield 3 onto the small screen.
Untethered jailbreak now available for pre-A5 iPhones, iPads and Touches
It's just a few weeks since pod2g revealed his untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 and -- boom -- all of a sudden it's up for the DL. The exploit has been incorporated into redsn0w 0.9.10, the Pwnage Tool and Chronic Devteam's Cydia package, and it works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (including the CDMA version), iPad 1, iPod Touch 3G and iPod Touch 4G, so long as they've been updated to iOS 5.0.1. Meanwhile, pod2g is reportedly now looking for a way to snap the shackles on A5-based devices too, but hopefully only after he's taken some rest -- a burned-out jailbreaker is no good to anybody. Full instructions are at the source link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
