Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

iPhone 4 jailbroken

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes | August 2, 2010, 3:54am PDT

OK, first the good news - iPhone 4 owners can now jailbreak their handsets.The hack, called JailbreakMe 2.0 (alternative link), runs through the built-in Safari browser on the iPhone (4, 3GS, 3) running iOS4.

OK, what’s the bad news? Well, there doesn’t seem to be any! When the hack was first released a few hours ago there were problems such as MMS and Facetime not working, but these problems have now been resolved.

To add salt to Apple’s wounds, this hack obviously relies on an unpatches Safari mobile vulnerability to be able to work.

Note: This hack does not seem to be compatible with iPads running 3.2.1 update.

Update: Fix for iPads running 3.2.1 should be available shortly.

Update #2: iPhone 3GS jailbroken … no sweat!

So, if you’ve given Steve Jobs hundreds of your hard earned dollars, you can go stick it to him by jailbreaking your shiny new handset, given that it’s legal and all.

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Apple iPhone, Apple Safari, Hack, Smart Phones, Text Messaging/SMS/MMS, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Online Communications, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

jmiller1978 10th Aug 2010

I'm assuming if I do this, that I can "undo" this?

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The flip-side of the coin

keebaud@... 2nd Aug 2010

If an iPhone can be jailbroken by visiting a website, can it not also be compromised in the same way? I have no desire to jailbreak my iphone so I don't know how interactive this jailbreak has to be, but if the technique allows 3rd party software to invade the phone without user intervention then that somewhat concerns me. Is browsing still safe on the iPhone?

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Pete "athynz" Athens 2nd Aug 2010

@keebaud@... While I have not used this particular method to jailbreak my iPhone I can tell you that in order to use this website to jailbreak you HAVE TO interact with this website - it's not a case of entering the URL, going to this site, and having your iPhone automatically jailbroken just by visiting. Also there is no more of a chance that jailbreaking using this method or any other method allowing a 3rd party app to be installed than there is with the standard stock iOS. So to answer your last question yes browsing is as safe on the iPhone as it ever was.

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Except...

GoodThings2Life 2nd Aug 2010

@athynz ... People are stupid. People can be convinced to anything given a pretty facade to present what the hacker wants you to see. So yes, safe as it ever was, which is to say... not really very safe at all if you're gullible.

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Question for you

NonZealot 2nd Aug 2010

@athynz
you HAVE TO interact with this website

I understand what you are saying but the question is: do you have to interact with the website because the authors coded it that way out of consideration for their end users or is it because the security vulnerability that they are exploiting requires user interaction? After all, these developers aren't trying to PWN your iDevice so the fact that they have coded in some user interaction does not in any way imply that the vulnerability required them to.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Pete "athynz" Athens 3rd Aug 2010

@NonZealot - I'd say both - because in order for there to be a jailbreak there obviously has to be be some sort of exploit...

@GoodThings2Life True - and that is one of the major issues with any sort of tech... the iPhone is not the exception to that.

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AKH: Can you explain your statement?

NonZealot 2nd Aug 2010

if you've given Steve Jobs hundreds of your hard earned dollars, you can go stick it to him by jailbreaking your shiny new handset

How is giving Steve Jobs hundreds of your hard earned dollars and then jailbreaking it hurting Steve Jobs in any way? You've given him your money. He's got it. It isn't like jailbreaking your iPhone somehow makes that money disappear.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Michael Kelly 2nd Aug 2010

@NonZealot

It can keep you from giving him more money via the App Store.

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Can you use App Store after jailbreaking?

NonZealot 2nd Aug 2010

@Michael Kelly
If so, I would be curious to find out how many people continue using the App Store after jailbreaking?

Either way, to suggest you are "sticking it" to anyone by giving them $600+ is quite silly.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Pete "athynz" Athens 3rd Aug 2010

@NonZealot I'm one of those who uses the Apple App Store after jailbreaking. There ARE ways to get hacked apps but that would be piracy - and I personally do not condone piracy and do not have ANY cracked apps on my device. Also such an act would not "screw over Apple" but screw over the devs who created the app.

What Michael Kelly is getting at is that there are alternatives to some of the paid apps in the app store that are available via Cydia.

And where are you getting the $600+ figure? I paid $300 for mine...

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@athynz: thanks for the answer

NonZealot 3rd Aug 2010

And where are you getting the $600+ figure? I paid $300 for mine...

Not without a contract you didn't. One way or another, approximately $600 is coming out of your wallet and into Apple's. I just paid $160 for my iPhone but I'm under no illusion that Apple isn't getting a piece of the monthly bill I'm going to be paying Telus for the next 3 years. So I get the $600+ figure from how much it costs to buy an iPhone with no plan.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

David.Chiles@... 2nd Aug 2010

Sick of hearing about piracy! Jailbreaking is NOT piracy! It is a way to allow CHOICE on a phone. For example, new keyboard input methods, new home screen types, more info on the lock screen. All things that Jobs will not allow because it 'duplicates functionality' oh read "better than Apples!"

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Pete "athynz" Athens 3rd Aug 2010

@David.Chiles@... I agree - although there are some unscrupulous bastards who do hack paid apps from the app store... and that is stealing money from the hard working devs who made those apps.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

rhonin 2nd Aug 2010

Worked like a charm.
Wife took her 3GS, went to the website, flicked the arrow and a couple minytes later - jailbroke.
She likes Cydia and all the options..

Nicely done.

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RE: iPhone 4 jailbroken

Mavtech 2nd Aug 2010

Very easy jailbreak. Thanks for the info. But, MobileTerminal (to change the root password) is crashing and I get a Gateway error when I refresh Cydia. Anyone else? I'm guess their servers are hammered the past couple days.