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iOS hacker Comex no longer working for Apple
Nicholas Allegra, known by his online handle "Comex," will no longer be lending his talents to Apple. The noted hacker posted the news on Twitter, stating that after a year as an intern he is now no longer associated with the company, though not because he was outright terminated. In a second tweet, Allegra claimed that the reason for his departure was an overlooked email. Forbes reports that an offer letter to keep the hacker on board at Apple as a remote intern was overlooked by the 20-year-old. Allegra went on to say that the situation was slightly more complex than a simple inbox snafu, and that there is no bad blood between him and the company. Allegra first gained notoriety for his work in the jailbreaking scene, including releasing updated versions of the JailbreakMe tool.
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.
JailbreakMe creator Comex joins Apple as an intern
Allow us to extend our congratulations to Nicholas Allegra. He's more popularly known as Comex, the party responsible for crafting the infamous JailbreakMe and Spirit tools that's given Apple so many headaches recently. Starting the week after next, he'll be officially wandering around 1 Infinite Loop as a bona fide intern. We're not terribly surprised, since the skill level needed to give iOS engineers a run for their money can be a highly valuable asset to the company; hiring someone with the know-how to spot vulnerabilities in Apple's OS would only serve to make the platform more secure. It wasn't mentioned how Allegra's talents will be utilized by Apple, but -- given the programmer's extensive history -- we can make a few educated guesses.
JailbreakMe's Comex goes to work for Apple
Nicholas Allegra, aka Comex, aka the young man behind JailbreakMe.com, has been offered an internship with Apple, according to his recent Twitter update. "It's been really, really fun, but it's also been a while and I've been getting bored. So, the week after next I will be starting an internship with Apple." JailbreakMe.com has been around for awhile, and it's long been one of the easier methods of jailbreaking iOS devices. Over the years the site has gone through various iterations to get around Apple's attempts to plug the holes it exploited, but now it appears Apple has employed the greatest jailbreaking deterrence it can: a job offer. After Comex was profiled in Forbes, we speculated it wouldn't be long before Apple offered him a position. It looks like congratulations are in order.
Getting to know you: Comex, the boy behind iOS' JailbreakMe
See that kid above? That's Nicholas Allegra. He's the hackdom Harry Potter to Apple's Ye-Who-Shall-Not-Jailbreak-Our-Wares, and Forbes managed to sniff him out for a little bold-faced exposé. The 19-year old hero of the iOS community, better known as Comex, got his self-taught start with Visual Basic when he was still in single digits. After graduating through a venerable online forum education, the precocious coding lad set his smarts to homebrew Wii development, and the rest is JailbreakMe history. The self-described Apple fanboy admits his background is atyipcal of the cybersecurity industry, but with a former National Security Agency analyst praising his work as years ahead of his time, we don't think he should worry. For all the trouble his code has caused Cupertino, Allegra's not trying to be the embedded thorn in Jobs' side. Rather, the iPhone hacker claims "it's just about the challenge" and plans to keep on keeping ol' Steve on his billion dollar toes.
JailbreakMe fix available for stuck Verizon iPhones
A fix has been released for Verizon iPhones stuck after jailbreaking with JailbreakMe 3.0. Some users found their Verizon iPhones stuck at the white Apple logo after applying the jailbreak. Not to worry, as Comex has provided the following instructions to get you back on track: "A bug in JailbreakMe 3.0 could cause iPhone 4 (CDMA, i.e. Verizon) to get stuck at the Apple logo and be unable to boot. If you are in this situation, there are two options: 1. Hold down the home and power buttons until you see "Connect to iTunes", then use iTunes to restore to the latest firmware. This will lose data stored on the phone. 2. Apply a quasi-experimental fix using redsn0w. Download: redsn0w 0.9.6rc19: Windows / Mac (do not use an earlier version) Fix bundle, depending on firmware version: 4.2.6 / 4.2.7 / 4.2.8 IPSW for your firmware version, if you don't have it: 4.2.6 / 4.2.7 / 4.2.8 Open redsn0w, select your IPSW, choose 'Install custom bundle', and select the fix bundle. Then follow the directions. If it works correctly, after installation your phone will boot normally." That should do it. Also note that the JailbreakMe 3.0 tool has been updated and is now ready for Verizon iPhone owners to use as-is. [Via Gizmodo]
Apple iOS 4.3.4 software update may fix iPhone hole, block PDF jailbreak
Remember that PDF exploit from last year that JailbreakMe 2.0 was using to unlock your iPhone with just a few taps? Well, Apple patched it. And now it's apparently back. According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple acknowledged the exploit, and is working on an update at this very moment. In addition to the JailbreakMe 3.0 hack that came to light last week, the hole can also be used for some not-so-noble efforts, like grabbing your contacts database, accessing saved passwords, or activating your iPad or iPhone's built-in camera. And nobody wants that. For one reason or another, German authorities have taken the lead on encouraging Apple to investigate, and have also warned all users to avoid opening PDF docs from untrusted sources. And we're happy to echo that rather solid advice, given the implications. Ironically, JailbreakMe includes a patch for the very hole that allows it to function in the first place, so if you're terrified that rogue PDFs will take over your devices, that's an option to consider in the meantime.
Time Warner Cable iPad app hates jailbreaks, loves gratuitous quotes (updated)
If you're one of the proud and the brave who have sampled the latest wares of the crew behind JailbreakMe on your iPad, you'd be well advised to not update your TWCable TV app. We received the above screenshot from the latest version of said software, an update that apparently serves no purpose other than to prevents it running on jailbroken tablets. What do to? Well, you could restore your device to "factory defaults" -- or you could watch a little Netflix or Hulu instead and use this as yet another reason to "cut the cable." Update: Time Warner has posted a full rundown of what's new in Version 2.0 of TWCable TV. This is the version we'd heard about a few weeks ago, which does indeed add quite a bit of functionality. Channel listings have been expanded to 100, users can now tune their cable boxes from within the app, and Remove DVR Manager has been added to let you schedule things whilst away. All useful additions if you're still rocking stock iOS. If not, you can see what it really looks like in the image below. Update 2: Well, that didn't take long! Here's a bypass for you troublemakers. [Thanks, Chris]
Comex releases jailbreakme v3, now supports iPad 2
iPad 2 owners who have been longing to jailbreak their units can finally do so using Comex's jailbreakme. The jailbreakme.com site relies on an exploit that crashes Safari, allowing custom code injection to create the iOS jailbreak. The site was first used way back in 2008, and again in 2010, to provide an incredibly user-friendly approach to jailbreak. Jailbreak allows users to gain full root access to their devices, letting them install third party software outside of Apple's app store system and to leverage full Unix command line access. While not for everyone, the Library of Congress has affirmed that jailbreaking is legal. Jailbreakme exploits inevitably patch themselves, so the device becomes (admittedly, somewhat ironically) more secure after the exploit than before. To perform the jailbreak, visit jailbreakme.com from an iOS device.
JailbreakMe for the iPad 2 is finally live / not live, just keep refreshing (update: video)
We just mashed our refresh button about a million times to get the screenshot you see above, but it was worth it. JailbreakMe 3.0 with support for the iPad 2 is finally live, and we're already getting word from tipsters who claim to have successfully jailbroken their iPad 2s running iOS 4.3.3, as evidenced by the pseudo-blurry jailbroken Verizon model below. Thankfully, all of this suggests we're not dealing with the dodgy release that was leaked previously, but let us know in the comments how it's working for you this time around and hit the break for another screenshot.Update: Austin wrote in to tell us about a new jailbreaking tutorial from YouTube user Duncan33303 -- head past the break to watch it for yourself.
JailbreakMe 3.0 could be released today, hints at iPad [Updated]
Update: False alarm, folks. JailbreakMe 3.0 will not be released today. Stand down. Razorainfly reports that Jailbreak Me, the browser-based jailbreak solution for iPhone, could be updated to version 3.0 today. Plus, a tantalizing iPad hint was briefly published earlier today. An image at jailbreakme.com (as of this writing) depicts a ski slope and a sign warning of a black diamond, which denotes a difficult path in skiing parlance, and "PDF" further down the slope. The "PDF" could refer to a PDF exploit used by the service last year, but that's speculation. redsn0w posted an image that supposedly that appeared on jailbreakme.com early this morning, showing the iPad (below). There is little detail for now, but we'll monitor the site See update above.
Apple releases iOS 4.0.2 for iPhone and 3.2.2 for iPad, fixes PDF vulnerability
Bad news, jailbreakers: as promised, Apple's just released iOS 4.0.2 for the iPhone and 3.2.2 for the iPad, both of which close the PDF exploit used by JailbreakMe. That appears to be the only change -- it's definitely good news for anyone concerned about iOS security, although we're guessing the Dev Team is hard at work finding a new way to crack iOS open once again. We'll let you know if we find anything else -- won't you do the same?
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?
Visualized: iPhone 4 jailbreak makes itself at home
Sorry folks, we don't think this one falls under "fair use." Nice try though.
iPhone devteam releases browser-based 4.x jailbreak
Have you been waiting for an easy-to-use jailbreak for your iOS 4.x device? Well, you may have to wait a little longer. Last we checked, the just-announced browser-based jailbreak (a return of jailbreakme.com) was so swamped that the server stopped responding. Jailbreak expert Comex tweets that he is working to restore the site from heavy loads. Once that happens, you should be able to jailbreak your iDevice by browsing to jailbreakme.com in your mobile Safari application. There you'll be presented with a simple slide-to-jailbreak screen. So far, TUAW has been unable to reach the jailbreakme site to test out the new jailbreak but is looking forward to trying it out when the server gets back in business.
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.
