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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,288
30,363


Jon Johansen (DVD Jon) has posted a method that allows users to take a new iPhone and activate it without connecting to AT&T servers or supplying any personal information.

The method allows users take an iPhone and activate it to allow iPod and Wifi functionality, but without signing up for mobile telephone service with AT&T.

This has also be accomplished by canceling AT&T service in the first few days after activation.
 

Wingdings

macrumors newbie
Aug 10, 2005
6
0
These guys have also succeeded in this (using their own method), and are going for several other achievements such as unlocking it and installing an SSH server on it, as well as getting third-party applications to run on it. I think it's nice that they share all their findings and how the manage to do these things.
 

iJon

macrumors 604
Feb 7, 2002
6,586
229
Keep it coming, I want to see all the neat things the hackers can do.

Plus they've already cracked the root and administrator password.

jon
 

Compile 'em all

macrumors 601
Apr 6, 2005
4,130
323
About time!! I think we will see soon an unlocked iPhone. And that is when the iPhone won't be At&t-exclusive anymore :cool:
 

(L)

macrumors 6502
Nov 12, 2005
482
0
No
Big Question

The big question for me, and hopefully also shared by a genius hacker, is if the iPhone can be made to work with Skype (for free internet calls and for paid Skype calls to normal phones). I don't even use Skype now, with a computer, but as wireless internet becomes more common, this kind of thing should be inevitable.
 

Compile 'em all

macrumors 601
Apr 6, 2005
4,130
323
Major updates: iPhone Filesystem cracked

The encrypted dmg file with the iPhone filesystem files was broken TODAY. The complete file list can be viewed here.

[04:19] <Omikron> Second, the encrypted 39.dmg image was recently cracked, and the contents of the system files have been dumped. The files are currently being explored for additional information and possible attack vectors.
 

Music_Producer

macrumors 68000
Sep 25, 2004
1,633
18
Great work by these chaps. I wonder what AT&T are going to think when the iPhone is fully unlocked. Apple is remarkably stupid - they should have just released an unlocked phone.. their sales would have been much more than the current statistics. Not to mention - all the international sales.

I understand higher profits and all that, but I think they would have made up for all the profit, and made much more - because of the sheer volume of iphones sold. Consumers don't like restrictions, and Apple seems to be heading towards a path that I really don't appreciate.
 

72930

Retired
May 16, 2006
9,060
4
Great work by these chaps. I wonder what AT&T are going to think when the iPhone is fully unlocked. Apple is remarkably stupid - they should have just released an unlocked phone.. their sales would have been much more than the current statistics. Not to mention - all the international sales.
Some other carriers do not want to give Apple the special treatment demanded (visual voicemail etc.)
 

headspace

macrumors member
Oct 26, 2005
65
0
I notice that the filelist includes carrier images for Vodaphone and T-Mobile as well as AT&T / Cingular. Maybe the closest indication that iPhone will indeed be coming to the UK on Voda / T-Mobile... or both.

/System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/Default_CARRIER_ATT.png
/System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/Default_CARRIER_CINGULAR.png
/System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/Default_CARRIER_TMOBILE.png
/System/Library/CoreServices/SpringBoard.app/Default_CARRIER_VODAFONE.png
 

72930

Retired
May 16, 2006
9,060
4
I notice that the filelist includes carrier images for Vodaphone and T-Mobile as well as AT&T / Cingular. Maybe the closest indication that iPhone will indeed be coming to the UK on Voda / T-Mobile... or both.

I have no idea about these things, but couldn't this be for roaming outside of the US?
 

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,837
6,334
Canada
I have no idea about these things, but couldn't this be for roaming outside of the US?

Roaming usually means you keep using your existing carrier,but you connect to local carriers. They will charge you $$$ for priviledge of using their networks.

If the phone was unlocked ( which would be a great feat ), you'd be able to use any SIM card in your phone, thus any GSM carrier.

I wonder if Apple will disable unlocked / lock up the phones in future updates?
 

firsttube

macrumors regular
Apr 14, 2004
210
32
This is so great to hear. I've been telling people since January that I hope to have an iPhone on T-Mobile by the end of summer. At this rate, I might have a T-Mo iPhone by the end of this week! :p

I don't plan on switching carriers any time soon (read: I'm married for another year, and at&t is at&t). Keep the news a-comin!
 

RedGlasses

macrumors newbie
Jun 20, 2007
11
0
can someone explain to me (easily lol) how to use jon's method, i've downloaded everything needed, even an hex editor but i dunno how to use it(i've also added the patch at the etc/hosts file)

i just need to understand the offset thing and i think i'll be done...PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEEEE
 

whooleytoo

macrumors 604
Aug 2, 2002
6,607
716
Cork, Ireland.
That's the good news.

The bad news here.
:eek:

The most serious flaw, reported by Errata Security, resides in the iPhone's Safari browser. By effecting a buffer overflow in the application, an attacker can take control of the browser and run code on the device, said Robert Graham, CEO of Errata.

"The scenario that seems most attractive is to have the phone dial 900 numbers," Graham said, noting an age-old attack that allows criminals with ties to fee-based phone services to profit each time an infected computer dial the number.
 

foidulus

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2007
904
1
I notice that the filelist includes carrier images for Vodaphone and T-Mobile as well as AT&T / Cingular. Maybe the closest indication that iPhone will indeed be coming to the UK on Voda / T-Mobile... or both.

Keep in mind AT&T allows international roaming. There is a guy at my office here in Germany who lives in the states but brought his iphone here for a couple weeks and it works fine(no idea how much his usage is costing him though)
 

firsttube

macrumors regular
Apr 14, 2004
210
32
Keep in mind AT&T allows international roaming. There is a guy at my office here in Germany who lives in the states but brought his iphone here for a couple weeks and it works fine(no idea how much his usage is costing him though)


Do you guys work at an apple office, or are you close personal friends of Stevie J?

The reason I ask is because I think the device has only been publicly available for 4 1/2 days. You said he brought it there for a couple weeks? Why weren't you posting more info about the phone before the launch if you had a co-worker who already had one? :D
 

xUKHCx

Administrator emeritus
Jan 15, 2006
12,583
9
The Kop
Latest update

I present you with a video describing our efforts today
http://www.videosift.com/video/Daft-Hands-Harder-Better-Faster-Stronger (good video by not very relevant - added by xUKHCx)

we are focusing on unlocking
6 people who needed to work on unlocking had unactivated phones
now their phones are activated
now they can work on unlocking

our priorities are in the right order

and there are a bunch of other teams working on unlocking

so if they get there before us, fine
we're not in it for the zomg credit (apparently there are at least 3 teams working on this added by xUKHCx)

is one of them nanocrew?
well
dvd jon was in our dev channel yesterday all day
i'll let you draw your own conclusions

you'll be interested to know we found something....interesting
tripleFingerGestureTriggered
 

Compile 'em all

macrumors 601
Apr 6, 2005
4,130
323
Keep in mind AT&T allows international roaming. There is a guy at my office here in Germany who lives in the states but brought his iphone here for a couple weeks and it works fine(no idea how much his usage is costing him though)

At&t has roaming agreements with around 30 carriers worldwide and there are only files for 2 other carriers. So no, these two files definitely have nothing to do with roaming.
 
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