backtop

Print E-mail del.icio.us 33 comment(s) - last by mars777.. on Nov 2 at 7:47 AM
Its a good old fashion prison break--the iPhone and iPod Touch are freed from the confines of a locked file system.

The release of Apple's firmware v1.1.1 update was supposed to be an exciting event, which heralded the arrival of mobile iTunes and special promotions with Starbucks.  It turned out to be chiefly a dragnet by Apple to catch rogue unlocked iPhones and "brick" them.

Of course, despite Apple's best efforts, it was only a matter of time before someone cracked the new firmware's protection -- they did unlock the phone's protection in the first place after all.

One of the most dreaded parts of Apple's update was the fact that it locked iPhones and iPod touches from using any third party applications by locking the file system.  Some saw this as a death knell for the burgeoning iPhone homebrew community.

Undeterred, hackers plotted how to spring the iPhone and iPod touch from the confines of their new protection scheme.  The first development came from hackers dinopio and edgan, who discovered a hack to upgrade phones from v1.0.2 to v1.1.1 while retaining read/write access.  Unfortunately, the use of this hack was limited, as you still could not execute programs and you could install it on phones not already updated to v1.1.1 (or you would have to restore v1.0.2, then upgrade).  This hack is known as the Symlink Hack.

They continued plotting though and developed a new version of their hack which allowed the much desired execute privilege and included support for the SpringBoard (the application launcher) to recognize third party applications once again (this support was courtesy of the hacker pumpkin).

With this release in the works, setting to bust the iPhone and iPod touch free, another temporary solution has also been found.

Two other hackers, Niacin (aka toc2rta) and Dre have combined the Symlink Hack with the known TIFF file system vulnerability in the devices' Safari browser.  The result is that iPhones and iPod Touches already upgrade to v1.1.1 can simply load an image of the file to give full root system access.

In other words, their hack can full break the locked iPhone and iPod touch out of jail and let them use third-party applications. The hack has been tested and confirmed by online tech sources and is due out later today.

While this hack seems easier than the previous iteration of the Symlink Hack, unfortunately, Apple will likely be swift to patch the TIFF vulnerability, so edgan and dinopio's Symlink Hack will probably be more long lived.

Despite Apple's best efforts, it appears you just can't lock up an iPhone or iPod touch and expect its friends not to spring it within a week or two.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Why can't we all just get along?
By Misty Dingos on 10/10/2007 9:41:16 AM , Rating: 5
It would be nice if Apple took a page from other computer hardware manufacturers hand books. You know the one.

Once you buy our hardware we want you to use it. In other words if you want to put someone else’s software on it go ahead. If you want to use it to hammer nails with go ahead. If you want to use it to commune with the dolphins go right ahead. But just don't expect us to fix it if you break it because of the things you have done with your iTouch or iPhone.

Just how hard would that be for Apple to do?




By jskirwin on 10/10/2007 10:02:35 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
It would be nice if Apple took a page from other computer hardware manufacturers hand books.


Blasphemy! Heretic! Burn the witch!

I recently pulled out my old Power Computering Mac clone circa 1997 to tinker with. When Apple killed the clones in '98 it made its position clear to the Mac enthusiast community. A dang shame, because Power Computing, Umax and the other clone makers were fighting to gain market share for the Mac.


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By Proteusza on 10/10/2007 10:08:33 AM , Rating: 5
Anyone who says Microsoft is more greedy has no idea what they are talking about. MS bends over backwards to fix or replace XBox's affect by the RRoD.

Apple maliciously and purposefully disables phones that have been unlocked.

No thanks Apple, I'll just take a Zune 2.


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By FITCamaro on 10/10/2007 12:12:10 PM , Rating: 2
True. But they are adamant about preventing the 360 from being hacked like the original Xbox was. But thats more because they don't want people to be playing copied games. They've eliminated my need to hack the 360 by letting us stream video as it is. Now if they'll only add Divx support...


By Future145 on 10/10/2007 1:48:53 PM , Rating: 2
they are preventing ppl from playing modified games online like what happened to the original xbox and halo 2.


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By psyph3r on 10/11/2007 2:14:59 PM , Rating: 2
They send you back the same defective xbox? how is that bending over backwards? It'll just break again.


By mars777 on 11/2/2007 7:47:41 AM , Rating: 2
It like saying:

Great Microsoft makes crappy hardware but is willing to spend Your time to fix it.

Time is money...

Making me call a courier to send the package back for repairing costs 20-30$ (depends on time spent). Microsoft should send me 20-30$ when they repair the Xbox...


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By Awax on 10/10/07, Rating: -1
By Locutus465 on 10/10/2007 10:17:48 AM , Rating: 2
yes well, same thing can be said for my Windows Mobile phone... Yet I've got a 3rd party chat application installed and pocket mahjong installed.


By Proteusza on 10/10/2007 11:09:57 AM , Rating: 5
There is no reason that unlocking your phone via software should brick it. No reason at all. Its a firmware/software change, not hardware. ie, its not permanent.

I dont believe that upgrading an unlocked phone would brick it unless Apple went to some lengths to make it so. During an upgrade, the upgrade should overwrite the system software, and thus revert the change. How could an upgrade possibly brick a phone otherwise, unless Apple instructed it to?

Face it, this is malicious code, and there is no good reason for it.


By SoCalBoomer on 10/11/2007 12:53:16 PM , Rating: 1
BAH - and your car can't be upgraded with aftermarket parts or a better sound system, your stereo system can't be hooked up to better speakers. . . .

bet that kool-aid tastes good.


By Razgriz20 on 10/10/2007 11:26:11 AM , Rating: 3
I'll just quote the ad from Nokia...

quote:
Phones should be open to anything. The best devices have no limits.


=)


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By bplewis24 on 10/10/2007 3:17:19 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
If you want to use it to hammer nails with go ahead. If you want to use it to commune with the dolphins go right ahead


I'm pretty sure that would infringe on their forthcoming products: The iHammer (not to be confused with the iMCHammer Touch) and the iPhin. The iPhin is very versatile as not only can you communicate with the dolphins with the iSonar feature, but you can take 2.2 megapixel photos of them, and even videos of them that can be directly put on youtube!

Brandon


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By kextyn on 10/10/2007 4:18:42 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
iMCHammer Touch


Oxymoron?


RE: Why can't we all just get along?
By dsumanik on 10/10/2007 7:05:30 PM , Rating: 2
Ingenius my friend, ill confirm the oxymornic context if his pun hehe

u cant itouch this


By KaPolski on 10/11/2007 7:33:22 AM , Rating: 2
maybe not quite the same topic but same pun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE


Poor Apple
By jhinoz on 10/10/2007 10:10:23 AM , Rating: 3
So, the phone and touch are unlocked again, and they're also facing civil a civil lawsuit in California over their wonderful product policy?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/apple-hit-with-...

I'm surprised no-one has thrown an iBrick through their office window yet...




RE: Poor Apple
By AlphaVirus on 10/10/2007 10:15:29 AM , Rating: 2
I was thinking the same thing, go to the Apple headquarters and throw your bricks through the windows of their cars and office building.

Good thing I dont own any Apple products, dont have to worry about watching my back when I install someone elses products on it.


RE: Poor Apple
By marvdmartian on 10/10/2007 10:27:35 AM , Rating: 3
ROFL Yeah, I can see Steve Jobs, sitting on his throne in his office, when all of a sudden, behind him, a mighty THWONG!!! reverberates off his window. He spins around, suspecting that perhaps an errant pidgeon has bounced off the pane of glass.....

...but is aghast when, looking out the window, he spots the pneumatic cannon being loaded with another iBrick, ready to assault the kingdom of Apple, as the not-so-adoring hoards of ticked off Mongols (iBrick owners) surround his castle!!


RE: Poor Apple
By rtrski on 10/10/2007 12:16:45 PM , Rating: 2
Why would he care? You PAID for that brick, then destroy it by bouncing it off his window? He'd probably be relieved...

"that's one less piece of potentially-serviceable-during-the- warranty-period junk I've got to carry on the balance sheets as a potential debit...hope they're VERY well loaded!"


RE: Poor Apple
By dflynchimp on 10/10/2007 10:17:19 AM , Rating: 2
or put it in a juicer, like that one commercial...