Category: Unlocking


Apple patches serious security holes in iOS devices

Filed under: 3G, 4G, Apple, Applications, Cybersecurity, Exploit, iOS, iPhone, iPhone Repair, Jailbreak, Repairs, Security, Software, Technology, Telecom, Unlocking, Wireless by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
May 7, 2012

Apple has shipped a high-priority iOS update to fix multiple security holes affecting the browser used on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices.

The iOS 5.1.1 update fixes four separate vulnerabilities, including one that could be used to take complete control of an affected device.

Here’s the skinny of this batch of updates:

  • A URL spoofing issue existed in Safari. This could be used in a malicious web site to direct the user to a spoofed site that visually appeared to be a legitimate domain. This issue is addressed through improved URL handling. This issue does not affect OS X systems.
  • Multiple security holes in the open-source WebKit rendering engine. These could lead to cross-site scripting attacks from maliciously crafted web sites. These vulnerabilities were used during Google’s Pwnium contest at this year’s CanSecWest conference.
  • A memory corruption issue in WebKit. Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This issue was discovered and reported by Google’s security team.

This patch is only available via iTunes. To check that the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad has been updated:

  1. Navigate to Settings
  2. Select General
  3. Select About. The version after applying this update will be “5.1.1″.

Ryan says: As always, do not update to 5.1.1 if your iPhone is unlocked or jailbroken already or if you plan doing this in the future.

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HTC tool unlocks bootloader on some Android devices

Filed under: Android, Applications, Bootloader, HTC, Technology, Telecom, Unlocking, Wireless by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
December 31, 2011

Last summer, phone maker HTC raised eyebrows by announcing it would enable users to unlock the bootloaders on some of its most popular phones, enabling technically-inclined customers to root the devices and install custom operating systems or, really, any darn thing they like. Now, HTC has come through, releasing a tool to unload the bootloader on phones launched after September 2011. HTC also says it is working to make the bootloader operational on phones launched before September 2011.

The company has offered a complete list of devices currently supported by the tool. HTC notes some devices may never be supported by the unlock tool due to operator restrictions.

HTC had previously gone to some lengths to lock down bootloaders on its Android devices—partly as a defense against malicious software—but reversed course in the face of strong feedback from technically-inclined customers who feel that the ability to install their own custom operating systems is a key element of Android’s “openness.” (HTC says it was “overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of our fans.”) After all, what’s the point of an operating system being available as open source if programmers can’t download it and install it on devices?

For ambitious users, unlocking the bootloader may be a quick way to get Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich onto HTC devices without waiting for official updates.

HTC is clear that it not officially supporting devices that have been unlocked with the bootloader, merely allowing users to unlock their devices at their own risk—and may mean they’re no longer covered by device warranties. HTC also notes that it’s possible unlocking devices may have unintended consequences, including overheating.

Ryan:  Ultimately, the main reason why I sold my HTC Desire Z and went back to BlackBerry was because of the buggy HTC Sense interface.  I am glad HTC is giving its customers more choice by allowing them to use a bootloader, “at their own risk” of course.

Source: DigitalTrends

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Jailbroken iOS 5 devices: No OTA updates for you

Filed under: 4G, Apple, Applications, Cydia, iPhone, Jailbreak, Technology, Telecom, Unlocking, Wireless by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
July 24, 2011

The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad crowd got understandably excited with the word that the next version of iOS, iOS 5, will finally usher in over-the-air (OTA) updates for the platform. Android device owners have been enjoying OTA updates from the beginning, and finally Apple is cutting the cord for device updates. Folks are already using beta versions of iOS 5 even though it won’t officially appear until later this year, and the early adopters discovered that the first iOS 5 beta update just released OTA will not work on jailbroken devices.

Android device owners are already familiar with the lack of OTA updates on rooted devices, the equivalent to the jailbroken iOS device. Rooting or jailbreaking is the process owners go through to allow unofficial software to be installed to serve functions the official OS doesn’t support. It has long been understood that rooting an Android device ends OTA updating, and it is now clear the same will apply on the iOS front for jailbroken devices.

Those using beta iOS 5 report you can still apply Apple updates by connecting to a computer via USB cable, so all is not lost. Getting OS updates OTA is a much better alternative to cabling up a device, so those with jailbroken iPhones may need to rethink that once iOS 5 is officially released.

Ryan:  I say disable Automatic Updates in iTunes (Apple only seems to be updating iOS when new Jailbreaks are released), and stop tethering completely!

Source: ZDNet

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Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 Now Available

Filed under: Apple, Applications, Cydia, Exploit, iPhone, Jailbreak, Mac, Unlocking, Windows by Ryan Boese — 2 Comments
May 6, 2011

If you recently upgraded to iOS 4.3.3 that fixed Locationgate woes, you’ll be delighted to know that untethered jailbreak and unlock for iOS 4.3.3 is now available. The iPhone Dev-team have updated their PwnageTool and redsn0w programs so it’s now possible to jailbreak iOS 4.3.3 using Mac and Windows in a way that doesn’t require connecting the device to a computer each time it’s rebooted.

The iOS 4.3.3 untethered jailbreak is based on the exploit created by @i0nic for iOS 4.3.1. The updated redsn0w tool also allows you to turn on multitasking gestures, the team noted in a blog post. If you wish to unlock your device for use with any carrier, there’s an app for that.

To unlock an iOS 4.3.3 device, use the ultrasn0w tool. Remember that ultrasn0w at the time of this writing only worked with iPhone 4 baseband 1.59.00 and iPhone 3G/3GS basebands 4.26.08, 5.11.07, 5.12.01, 5.13.04 and 6.15.00. Use a custom IPSW to update to 4.3.3 in order to avoid updating your baseband. You may wanna use excellent ipswDownloader for Mac to easily find and download any iOS firmware build. This app also figures out your baseband version and tells you whether your iOS version can be jailbroken and unlocked. If you’re on Windows, download the f0recast app that checks whether your device is unlockable or tethered with a USB connect.

If you just want to perform an untethered iOS 4.3.3 jailbreak, I recommend handy step-by-step guides for redsn0w or PwnageTool. The below video shows how easy it is to perform an untethered jailbreak of iOS 4.3.3 via redsn0w 0.9.6rc15. For newbies, iClarified.com provides a wealth of jailbreaking and unlocking guides. And if you need a reason to jailbreak, Cydia creator Saurik has a few.

As for the iPad 2 jailbreak, it’s still pending per a note over at the iPhone Dev-team blog.

The iPad2 jailbreak remains under development. As you may know, the original exploit @comex developed in the first week of the iPad2 release was mysteriously fixed by Apple within days of its development. Partly because of this, don’t expect much public discussion of the iPad2 jailbreak until it’s actually finished and ready for release (and please avoid asking about it). In all liklihood, it will be a userland exploit like the first (unreleased) one, not dependent on bootrom dumps. The first one can’t be released even for those with the original 4.3 firmware due to legal (distribution) reasons.

 

Download the Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 Mac OS X version, here.

Download the Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.3.3 for Windows XP/Vista/7 here.

The PwnageTool Official BitTorrent Release, via BitTorrent, here.

Source: 9 to 5 Mac

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Latest Version of Redsn0w Jailbreaking Software Released

Filed under: Android, Applications, Cydia, Exploit, iPhone, Jailbreak, Technology, Unlocking, Wireless by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
April 4, 2011

As exciting as the recent release of the newest version of Redsn0w may be, there is one glaring issue: It does not support iPad 2. The popular jailbreaking software was recently released by Dev-Team, sending ripples of excitement across the Internet. Since jailbreaking a phone is no longer illegal, the practice is more widespread and popular than ever.

Within minutes of being debuted, the software was being downloaded by iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Apple TV owners around the world. Due to heightened security features on the newly released iPad 2, though, Redsn0w is incompatible with the device. Those who upgraded to the latest Apple tablet, then, are sure to be highly disappointed. There’s little doubt about a work-around being developed fairly quickly, though, so iPad 2 owners probably just need to sit tight.

The first successful jailbreaking of the iOS happened in 2007, when hackers from the #iphone IRC channel gained complete access to the iPhone’s file system. Initially, the only perk of jailbreaking an iPhone involved adding custom ringtones and wallpaper, which had been unavailable in earlier models. Apple imposes strict limitations on the types of software that its devices can and cannot support; by jailbreaking a device, it’s possible to install third-party apps. Jailbreaking also allows a person to use the iPhone with a carrier like T-Mobile, instead of being restricted to AT&T or Verizon, which are the two authorized carriers for the iPhone.

The latest version of Redsn0w, 0.9.6rc9, jailbreaks Windows and OS X devices in just a few clicks. Not surprisingly, there have been rumblings of a few glitches since its release. When run on Windows 7, for instance, Redsn0w might freeze up during ramdisk. If that happens, users should restart their devices. They then need to right-click on the Redsn0W app on their PC, select “Properties” and set compatibility to “Windows XP Service Pack 3.” Upon running installation again, it should work. It’s also important to note that, although it’s not illegal, jailbreaking a device does void its warranty; evidence exists that increases the risk of malware infections, too. For the thousands who jailbreak their devices successfully, though, such warnings are understandably disregarded.

Download Redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 for windows, here.  The Mac OS X version can be downloaded here.

Source: Yahoo! News

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Cydia Blocked by Carriers in 3 Countries

Filed under: Apple, Applications, Exploit, Hackers, Jailbreak, Mobile, Technology, Telecom, Unlocking by Ryan Boese — 2 Comments
February 13, 2011

There has been reports coming from 3 different countries that Cydia was blocked by carriers, making it impossible to load Cydia over 3G. So far, only 3 countries and 2 carriers have been reported to be blocking access to Cydia: 3 Ireland, 3 UK, and China Unicom.

When trying to load Cydia over 3G, iPhone users in these countries get an error message saying the page cannot be loaded. Cydia does work fine on wifi though.

I’m not as surprised by the blocking of Cydia as I am by the timing. It seems that the blocking from the carriers started at the same time, which leads me to believe this is an operation that has been discussed and planned in advance…

Did Apple request the blocking of Cydia from certain carriers? Could be.

Update: According to TUAW, it seems this was a mistake from a third-party service that 3 uses to filter content. Apparently, Cydia was accidentally blocked and should be back up shortly in UK and Ireland. It still doesn’t explain why China Unicom is blocking Cydia as well.

Update 2: @Pablo_Diablo tells me on Twitter that he had the same problem on 3 UK. He simply called 3 and had them remove the restriction.

Source: iPhone Download Blog

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Greenp0ison Untethered Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1

Filed under: Exploit, Jailbreak, Unlocking, Wireless by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
February 9, 2011

The greenp0ison jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 got a Windows release over the weekend, and the influx of new jailbreakers put a strain on top app sources.

Last last week, Chronic Dev Team hacker Joshua Hill announced the release of greenp0ison RC5, the long-awaited untethered jailbreak for Apple’s iOS 4.2.1, which was released for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in November of last year. Hill indicated that the release of a Windows version of the Mac-only jailbreak was imminent, and his team delivered on that promise Saturday evening.

The jailbreak is functionally identical to previous greenp0ison versions. You plug in your iDevice, close iTunes and fire up the software. You then follow on-screen instructions which tell you to press the device’s Home and Sleep buttons in a specific time and sequence combination. The jailbreaker takes over from there, spitting reams of scary-looking code onto the screen before rebooting to a freshly jailbroken iThing. Installing Cydia is the next step, accomplished easily enough with the jailbreak-provided Loader app. It was here, however, that jailbreakers ran into problems over the weekend.

Cydia was running slower than usual yesterday and into today, with intermittent access to several of the app store’s most popular “sources.” Put simply, Cydia “sources” are where the content that you download comes from. Two of the app’s default sources in particular — apt.modmyi.com and BigBoss — were coming back with error messages indicating they were non-functional. Since many of the apps available from those sources must be paid for, you can start to see where this might be a problem.

It seems that the influx of fresh jailbreakers may have been the root of the issues. The ModMyI twitter feed offered the following update: “To rephrase the last tweet – TON of traffic coming from the new jailbreak. We can patch, not “fix” – repo will be hit and miss today.” So fear not, brave jailbreakers. Especially you first-timers who don’t necessarily understand what’s going on. Things are wonky right now because of the newly released, highly anticipated jailbreak… and it’s all your fault.

REMEMBER: Start with a newly restored version of 4.2.1 (via iTunes) before Jailbreaking.

Greenp0ison can be found here:

Alternatively,
Mirror 1
Mirror 2

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iPhone iOS 4.1 Update: Don’t Download say Jailbreak Team

Filed under: Apple, Exploit, Technology, Telecom, Unlocking by Ryan Boese — 1 Comment
September 10, 2010

We have some information for those of you who often use your iPhone 4 for ‘other’ activities, as the iPhone Dev Team have warned against updating to Apple’s forthcoming iPhone iOS 4.1 update – due to land shortly.

As reported from Pocket-Lint, the Dev Team have identified Apple’s iPhone iOS 4.1 update as a ‘trap’ and strongly advise everyone not to update, unless they want to lose all jailbreak and unlock features.

Here is a portion of the statement from their website: ”Today you’ll likely start seeing iTunes innocently offer you a new version of iOS…version 4.1. Don’t accept it…it’s a trap! There’s currently no known way to revert your baseband — if you update your baseband you’ll lose the ultrasn0w unlock, possible forever.”

Furthermore, they advise iPhone owners to hold on, until a solution is released, which probably won’t be long given the speed of their previous projects.

For those of you who don’t touch jailbreaking, your decision is simple. But for those who have got used to the likes of Cydia and other apps – what do you do?

Source: Product Reviews News

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How to Downgrade iPhone 4.0.2 to 4.0.1

Filed under: Apple, Unlocking by Ryan Boese — 5 Comments
September 6, 2010

This step by step guide will show you how to downgrade your iPhone iOS 4.0.2 to iOS 4.0.1. These steps are pretty simple but there is one major requirement: you must have your SHSH files saved on Saurik’s server. There is absolutely no way around it. If you don’t have your SHSH, you won’t be able to downgrade your iPhone.

In this tutorial, we will see how to downgrade the iPhone from 4.0.2 to 4.0.1 but the steps are the same if you want to downgrade to iOS 4 or even 3.1.3.

There are several methods used to downgrade the iPhone. We will learn the method that uses TinyUmbrella. No file editing will be necessary.

How to Downgrade from iOS 4.0.2 to 4.0.1

Step 1: Let’s download your SHSH blobs from Saurik’s server to your computer. To do so, download TinyUmbrella and plug your iPhone in. Select the “Advanced Options” box. Also select the firmware version to which you wish to downgrade. Finally, select “Cydia” under “Request From”. Then hit “Save My SHSH”. This will grab your SHSH files from Saurik’s servers and save them on your computer.

Step 2: Download the firmware to which you wish to downgrade to from our iPhone downloads section. Save it to your desktop.

Step 3: Put your iPhone in DFU Mode. To do so, launch iTunes and plug your iPhone in. Press and hold the Home and Power button together for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, release the Power button while still holding the Home button until iTunes pops up and says it has found an iPhone in recovery Mode.

Step 4: Run TinyUmbrella and click the “Display SHSHs” button to make sure your SHSH blobs were downloaded to your computer. Once done, click “Start TSS Server”.

Step 5: Now we’re going to restore to the firmware you want. To do so, launch iTunes and plug your iPhone in. Hold to SHIFT key (Windows only) or ALT/Option key (Mac only) while clicking on Restore. Make sure you hold the key while clicking Restore. A window will open. Simply select the firmware you downloaded in step 2.

Step 6: Your iPhone will start the restore process. You will most likely get several errors (error 1011, 1013, and 1015) but that’s ok, don’t worry about those.

Step 7: Finally, we need to get your iPhone out of recovery mode. To do so, simply click “Kick Device Out of Recovery” in TinyUmbrella.

Done!

You should now be back on a previous iOS, giving you the ability to jailbreak and unlock.

Source: iPhone Download Blog

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iPhone 4 unlock available now (update: video!)

Filed under: Apple, Unlocking by Ryan Boese — Leave a comment
August 4, 2010

It’s the moment that many of you have been waiting for: the Dev-Team’s ultrasn0w carrier unlock for iPhone 4 is out. You’ll find version 1.0-1 of ultrasn0w in Cydia on jailbroken devices. If not, just add the repo666.ultrasn0w.com repository. It works for iPhone 4 baseband 01.59 and 3G/3GS basebands 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01 and 05.13.04. If none of this makes sense then you’ve got no reason unlocking your device in the first place, buddy.

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