IOS jailbreaking
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Jailbreaking is a process that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to run any code on their devices, as opposed to only that code authorized by Apple. Once jailbroken, iPhone users are able to download many applications previously unavailable through the App Store via unofficial installers such as Cydia; Icy; and Installer, as well as illegal pirated apps. A jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch is still able to use and update apps downloaded and purchased from Apple's official App Store.
Jailbreaking is distinct from SIM unlocking, which, once completed, means that the mobile phone will accept any SIM without restriction on, for example, the country or network operator of origin. Jailbreaking, according to Apple, voids Apple's warranty on the device, although this is quickly remedied by restoring the device in iTunes.
Cydia founder Jay Freeman estimates that 8.5% of all iPods and iPhones are jailbroken.[1]
History
The first jailbreaking method was released on July 10, 2007, which initially was meant to provide a way to use custom ringtones.[2] On August 6, 2007 the first third-party game was released for the iPhone and iPod Touch.[3]
On October 10, 2007, about 3 months after the original iPhone was released, another method to jailbreak the iPhone was discovered.[4] Apple and hackers then engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to patch up security holes and to exploit them. Hackers eventually released a tool to permanently jailbreak iPhone OS 1.0.
Upon the release of iPhone OS 2.0, a hacker group called the iPhone Dev Team released a jailbreaking application named PwnageTool that used a graphical user interface.[5]
In January 2009, the iPhone Dev Team commenced work on jailbreaking the iPod Touch 2G.[6] redsn0w lite was the code name for a tethered iPod Touch 2G jailbreak, and in April, redsn0w 0.1 was released.[7]
On March 10, 2009, the untethered jailbreak was released for the iPod Touch 2G utilizing an exploit found by the Chronic Dev Team, and developed with the help of iPhone Dev Team member planetbeing. It was released as a rough patch, and was not implemented into a GUI until next month, when planetbeing made redsn0w based on QuickPwn sources.
On March 17, 2009, Apple announced the release of iPhone OS 3.0.[8] Three months later, the iPhone Dev Team released PwnageTool 3.0 and redsn0w 0.7.2, which allowed users of the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch running the OS 3.0 to be jailbroken on both Macs and PCs.[9]
On September 9, 2009, Apple released iPhone OS 3.1, again disabling the ability to jailbreak the device. Once again the dev team released a jailbreak for all devices (except for the iPod Touch 3rd Generation), called Pwnage Tool 3.1-3.[10]
On October 11, 2009, George Hotz, known under alias geohot, released the tool blackra1n, which allows the jailbreaking of all iPhones (Up to 3GS) and iPod touch (Up to 3G) devices running iPhone OS 3.1.2 (although the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPhone 3GS are tethered; they must be plugged into a computer every time it boots).
On November 2, 2009 Hotz released a newer version of blackra1n, RC3, an update that was able to jailbreak the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS along with a tethered jailbreak on the iPod Touch 3G 8GB model. This included the most recently-manufactured devices that featured an updated boot ROM in which Apple had closed the 24kpwn loophole exploited by previous jailbreaks. Hotz also released blacksn0w an unlocking application for the iPhone which was capable of unlocking the newest baseband version, 5.11.07.
Greenpois0n, a jailbreak program not unlike PwnageTool is currently in development, but is being held back so that Apple cannot patch the exploit used before the 4th generation iPhone. Greenpois0n uses a type of jailbreak said to be different in kind from any earlier program, which would thus be effective for some time before Apple manages to patch up the exploit.
Firmware
Firmware | Device | Jailbreak available | Circumstances |
---|---|---|---|
1.0 - 1.0.2 | iPhone | Yes | (none) |
1.1 - 1.1.5 | iPhone and iPod Touch 1st Generation | Yes | (none) |
2.0 - 2.1 | iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod Touch 1st Generation | Yes | (none) |
2.1.1 - 2.2.1 | iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch 1st Generation, and iPod Touch 2nd Generation | Yes | (none) |
3.0 - 3.0.1 | iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 1st Generation, and iPod Touch 2nd Generation (non-MC model) | Yes | (none) |
3.0 - 3.0.1 | iPhone 3GS (with iBoot-359.3.2) | Yes | Tethered (Device must be re-jailbroken every time it is restarted.) |
3.1 - 3.1.2 | iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 1st Generation, and iPod Touch 2nd Generation (non-MC model) | Yes | (none) |
3.1 - 3.1.2 | iPhone 3GS (with iBoot-359.3.2) and iPod Touch 3rd generation | Yes | Tethered (Device must be re-jailbroken every time it is restarted.) |
3.1.3 | iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 1st Generation, iPod Touch 2nd Generation (non-MC model), iPhone 3GS (with iBoot-359.3.2) and iPod Touch 3rd generation | Yes | Device must be jailbroken on 3.1.2 before upgrading. Note: Once an iPhone 3GS is upgraded to 3.1.3 it cannot be jailbroken since downgrading to 3.1.2 is not possible unless the device's SHSH file has been previously backed up. |
3.2 | iPad | No | Not publicly available. |
Devices
Device | Jailbreakable | Firmware Jailbreakable | Jailbreak first available | Device release date |
---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone | Yes | 1.0 - 3.1.3 | July 10, 2007[11] | June 29, 2007 |
iPod Touch 1st Generation | Yes | 1.1 - 3.1.3 | July 10, 2007[11] | September 5, 2007 |
iPhone 3G | Yes | 2.0 - 3.1.3 | July 20, 2008[12] | July 11, 2008 |
iPod Touch 2nd Generation (non-MC model) | Yes[13] | 2.1.1 - 3.1.3 | March 11, 2009 | September 9, 2008 |
iPhone 3GS | Yes | 3.0 - 3.1.3 | July 3, 2009[14] | June 17, 2009 |
iPhone 3GS (with iBoot-359.3.2) | Yes (tethered) | 3.0 - 3.1.2 | November 4, 2009 | June 19, 2009 |
iPod Touch 2nd generation (8GB MC model) | Yes (tethered) | 3.1 - 3.1.2 | November 2, 2009[15] | September 9, 2009 |
iPod Touch 3rd generation (32 and 64GB models) | Yes (tethered) | 3.1 - 3.1.2 | October 11, 2009[16] | September 9, 2009 |
iPad (Wi-Fi model) | — | N/A | N/A | March, 2010 |
iPad (3G model) | — | N/A | N/A | April, 2010 |
Software used
Old (2.0 - 2.2.1)
Software Name | Platform | Hardware | Firmware | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|
QuickPwn (replaced by redsn0w) | Windows, Mac and Linux | iPhone, iPod Touch 1st Gen, iPhone 3G | 2.0 - 2.2.1 | iPhone Dev Team[17] |
redsn0w 0.3 | Windows, Mac and Linux | iPod Touch 2nd Gen | 2.2.1 | iPhone Dev Team and Chronic Dev Team[18] |
redTool | Windows | iPod Touch 2nd Gen | 2.2.1 | Crizh4x[19] |
Quick Freedom | Windows | iPod Touch 2nd Gen | 2.2.1 | Dancool999[20] |
Pwnage Tool 2.0 | Mac | iPod touch 1st gen, iPhone 1st gen, iPhone 3G | 2.0 | iPhone Dev Team |
Pwnage Tool 2.1 | Mac | iPod touch 1st gen, iPhone 1st gen, iPhone 3G | 2.1 - 2.1.1 | iPhone Dev Team |
Pwnage Tool 2.2 | Mac | iPod touch 1st gen, iPhone 1st gen, iPhone 3G | 2.2 - 2.2.1 | iPhone Dev Team |
Current (3.0 - current)
Software Name | Platform | Hardware | Firmware | Publisher |
---|---|---|---|---|
PwnageTool 3.0 | Mac | iPhone, iPod Touch 1st Gen, iPhone 3G | 3.0 - 3.0.1 | iPhone Dev Team[17] |
PwnageTool | Mac | iPod Touch 1st Gen, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS | 3.1 - 3.1.2 (3.1.4), 3.1.3 (3.1.5) | iPhone Dev Team[17] |
redsn0w | Windows, Mac and Linux | iPhone, iPod Touch 1st Gen, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, & iPhone 3GS | 3.0 - 3.0.1 (0.8), 3.1.2 (0.9), 3.1.3 (0.9.4) | iPhone Dev Team [18] |
purplera1n | Windows and Mac[21] | iPhone 3GS | 3.0[22] | Geohot [23] |
blackra1n | Windows and Mac | iPhone (all), iPod Touch (all) | 3.1.1 - 3.1.2 | Geohot |
sn0wbreeze | Windows | iPhone (all), iPod Touch (1G & 2G) | 3.1.2 - 3.1.3(with older boot ROM) | iH8sn0w |
Viruses/worms
The first iPhone worm appeared in early November 2009, created by 21-year-old Australian technical college student Ashley Towns of Wollongong. He told Australian media that he created the worm to raise awareness of security issues.[24] "When people jailbreak their phone, it allows them to install a service on their phone called SSH... Generally you should always change your password after setting up on the iPhone as all iPhones use the same password by default. This worm exploits people's laziness to change their password", adding that "it basically only changes their wallpaper to Rick Astley. Although the worm is harmless, the source code, initially released to the public, can become the basis for more malicious code. This virus was called iKee. As the source code was released for the virus, many new viruses have appeared although these ones are more harmful.
On 22 November 2009, F-Secure reported on a new malicious worm compromising bank transactions from jailbroken phones in the Netherlands.[25][26]
USA Legal issues
The legality of jailbreaking an iPod or iPhone remains unclear, particularly in the context of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. As part of the 2009 DMCA rulemaking, the Electronic Frontier Foundation asked the US Copyright Office to recognize an exemption to the DMCA to permit jailbreaking in order to allow iPhone owners to use their phones with applications that are not available from Apple's store.[27] In response to this, Apple filed comments opposing this exemption and indicating that they do consider jailbreaking to be a violation of copyright (and by implication prosecutable under the DMCA). A ruling on this proposed exemption has not yet been made, but a decision is expected sometime later in 2010.
iPhone Dev Team
The iPhone Dev Team is a group of hackers in the iPhone OS community who have developed many hacking (jailbreaking) and unlocking applications for Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPod Touch devices. These applications provide owners with the ability to sidestep the limitations placed on devices by the manufacturer, allowing for activities such as deep customization and SIM unlocking. Although they are not always the first to create jailbreak tools for new versions of the iPhone OS and new models of iPhone and iPod, their releases are widely considered[by whom?] to be the most reliable and bug-free - and often also boast the most customization options.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.iphonesavior.com/2009/08/cydia-app-store-reports-huge-traffic-surge.html
- ^ Ricker, Thomas (2007-07-10). "iPhone Hackers: "we have owned the filesystem"". Engadget. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Topolsky, Joshua (2007-08-06). "First third-party "game" app appears for iPhone". Engadget. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Wilson, Ben (2007-10-10). "Official iPhone 1.1.1 jailbreak released with easy-to-follow instructions; does not require TIFF exploit". CNET.com. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "PwnageTool 2.0 (2.0.1) to JailBreak Unlock iPhone 3G or 2.0 and iPod Touch Free Download". My Digital Life. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "Dev-Team Blog - Thermonuclear pop!". Blog.iphone-dev.org. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "redsn0w in june". iPhone Dev Team. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ Topolsky, Joshua (2009-03-17). "Live from Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 preview event". Engadget. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "Dev-Team Blog - trois, drei, три, három!". iPhone Dev Team. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ^ Everything You Wanted to Know About iPhone 3.1 But Were Afraid to Ask
- ^ a b Wilson, Ben (2007-10-10). "Official iPhone 1.1.1 jailbreak released with easy-to-follow instructions; does not require TIFF exploit | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews". CNet. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Wilson, Ben (2008-07-20). "Jailbreak for iPhone 3G released: how to use | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews". CNet. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ http://chronic-dev.org/blog/2009/03/rough-untethered-released/
- ^ "On the iPhone: I make it ra1n". Iphonejtag.blogspot.com. 2009-07-03. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "Blackra1n Jailbreak". Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ "Blackra1n Jailbreak". Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ a b c http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/74278878/close-the-stable-door
- ^ a b http://www.redsn0w.com
- ^ http://www.redtool-dev.org
- ^ http://quickfreedom.com
- ^ "On the iPhone: purplera1n...for mac". Iphonejtag.blogspot.com. 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ "purplera1in and 3.0.1". blogspot. 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
- ^ http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-make-it-ra1n.html
- ^ Australian admits creating first iPhone virus, Brigid Andersen, ABC Online, 2009-11-09, accessed 2009-11-10
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8373739.stm
- ^ http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001822.html
- ^ "Apple Says iPhone Jailbreaking is Illegal | Electronic Frontier Foundation". Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2009-02-12. Retrieved 2009-07-17.