iPhone Atlas is reporting that a jailbreak to allow the recently released iPhone 1.1.3 firmware to run unofficial apps could be released soon.
Hackers have apparently identified three different techniques. One technique requires a hardware modification, limiting it’s utility. The current plan is to keep one of the software techniques secret until after Apple releases the official iPhone SDK in the hope that Apple won’t have a chance to close it.
We’ll have to see how this all turns out. With any luck, an unlock will come along soon too so that people using unlocked iPhones on T-mobile, or an international carrier, can take advantage of the firmware update (I wonder if the Google maps cell tower triangulation will work).
Last week at Macworld, Apple officially released the latest update to the iPhone firmware which added some features (the improvements to the map app are my favorite). The firmware had been leaked a few weeks before, which gave hackers a head start at unlocking it’s secrets.
Nate True posted his interesting analysis of the iPhone 1.1.3 firmware’s behind the scenes changes. He found obvious signs that the iPhone is now ready for official third party applications. Applications now run as the “mobile” user, rather than “root.” This improves the security of the iPhone (so much for all those “experts” who thought Apple had blown security-wise it by running apps as “root” in the early releases). He also found extensive changes to the application frameworks, which will break a lot of existing 3rd party applications.
He also noted that the $20 software upgrade for the iPod touch demonstrates the application installation infrastructure is already in place. It may be that Apple won’t have to do another firmware release before they ship the official Software Development Kit next month.
Apple has started pushing out the v1.1.2 firmware to existing iPhone users. The obvious changes bring better support for international users in preparation for the European release in just a few hours. There is also an update to the radio firmware. This may also be targeted at international users, but it might also bring fixes related to call reliability and quality to US users. Time will tell.
This release also fixes a buffer overflow bug which clever hackers have been using to “jailbreak” the iphone so we can install 3rd party apps. This is a good thing, since it’s only a matter of time before someone exploits the bug for malicious reasons. On the other hand, it is also a setback in that it makes jailbreaking the new version more difficult. However, there is some good news, a team of hackers have already figured out a way to jailbreak the iPod Touch using 1.1.2 firmware, which should work identically to the iPhone in this regard. No details on the exact method they used are available yet, but it is only a matter of time before simple tools that make it easy for the rest of us are released. We may never have something as simple as the web-based AppSnapp method though.
Hackers discovered a security flaw in the iPhone software when they were trying to figure out how to install unofficial 3rd party apps. Now some of them have created an exploit that takes advantage of that flaw to jailbreak your phone and install 3rd party apps just by visiting a website.
I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand, I appreciate the simplicity. On the other hand, I’m not thrilled that an exploit for the TIFF image security flaw has been released into the wild. On the other foot, it’s cool that this hack patches that security flaw. Of course, all this means that Apple will be releasing a security fix soon. I’m just hoping that it doesn’t block other methods of jailbreaking the iPhone.
If you want to try it yourself, visit Jailbreakme.com to add 3rd party apps to your iPhone or iPod Touch
- Jailbreaks iPhone/iPod Touch on 1.1.1
- Patches Springboard to load third party apps
- Activates non-AT&T iPhones automatically, while leaving already activated phones alone
- Fixes YouTube on non-AT&T iPhones automatically, while leaving already activated phones alone
- Installs Installer.app v3.0b5 on the iPhone/iPod Touch
- Fixes Apple’s TIFF bug, making your device MORE secure than it was without AppSnapp!
Published in Uncategorized
.
The Wall Street Journal is claiming that Google will announce it’s gPhone within the next two weeks. The phone itself will be manufactured and sold by hardware partners like HTC. T-mobile is the most likely carrier partner in the US. The expectation is that the phone and service will both be priced cheap, underwritten by advertising delivered to the phone at appropriate moments.
With any luck, this will put some pressure on Apple and AT&T regarding pricing for iPhone hardware and plans.
