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Apple's iOS 7 Lightning Connector Authentication Check 'Permanently' Cracked

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,481
30,715



As noted just after the launch of the first iOS 7 beta earlier this month, the operating system is capable of detecting when unauthorized Lightning cables or accessories are plugged into an iOS 7 device. While the system alerts the user with dialog box that must be manually dismissed, it does not prevent the unauthorized cables and accessories from working with the device at this point.

iPhone5mod, the Chinese firm that was among the first to begin offering Lightning accessories last year while Apple had yet to authorize official accessories and was struggling to keep up with demand for its own Lightning cables, now claims to have cracked Apple's iOS 7 authentication and is now offering new cables compatible with the upcoming operating system.

iPhone5mod's Cyril Chang says that his company's effort is a hardware crack that can not be worked around by Apple without changing its own Lightning hardware, and iPhone5mod is offering a money-back guarantee that its new cables will work with the final release of iOS 7.

Chang warns that several other companies have claimed to have achieved similar cracks, but that in iPhone5mod's testing those companies' cables still generate alerts under certain circumstances.

iPhone5mod's cables, docks and accessories are all being updated with the new cracked Lightning chips, with production already underway.

Update 10:56 AM: Chang tells MacRumors that the new Lightning cables with cracked authentication continue to function properly under iOS 7 beta 2, which was released today.

Article Link: Apple's iOS 7 Lightning Connector Authentication Check 'Permanently' Cracked
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/06/24/apples-ios-7-lightning-connector-authentication-check-permanently-cracked/
D

dennno

macrumors regular
Jul 22, 2011
120
0
Seriously they could have diverted all this effort to "crack" the authentication to refining their product to become an approved accessory provider.

Why would people bother buying this? If they have to bypass the authentication then something is clearly wrong with this cheap Chinese product.
 
T

TWSS37

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2011
1,107
232
I find it odd that customers who love Apple's closed system would buy something that would circumvent such "security".
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Okay, so perhaps someone can tell me whether the issue is just the notification that the accessory may not work or if Apple has prevented any third party accessory from working if it doesn't meet Apple's standards? If I plug in a cable and it says it may not function then who cares? If this so-called "crack" forces the cable to work, then that's another story.

"world's first third party ... for iOS 7"
Okay, world's first third party cable for an OS that isn't even released yet? That's cute. Good job being first.
 
J

jtp098

macrumors 6502a
Apr 19, 2010
733
1
Purchase
dennno said:
Seriously they could have diverted all this effort to "crack" the authentication to refining their product to become an approved accessory provider.

Why would people bother buying this? If they have to bypass the authentication then something is clearly wrong with this cheap Chinese product.
Click to expand...

Whats the difference between the cheap Chinese products put into our iPhones and this :eek:

Food for thought.

----------
i.mac said:
Another crapware company stealing IP from apple.
Click to expand...


Samsung take 2 :D
 
J

Jsameds

Suspended
Apr 22, 2008
3,525
7,987
They should have waited until the final version of iOS 7 was released as Apple now have a perfect opportunity to work around the workaround.
 
V

VoR

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2008
917
15
UK
dennno said:
Seriously they could have diverted all this effort to "crack" the authentication to refining their product to become an approved accessory provider.

Why would people bother buying this? If they have to bypass the authentication then something is clearly wrong with this cheap Chinese product.
Click to expand...

Obviously this is done for margin... Refining their cable? Becoming an 'approved accessory provider' is 99.9% licensing fees.

Ps. Most things in this world are 'cheap Chinese products' - Design, specification, branding, etc are exactly that, the cost to consumers is generally unrelated.
 
Slix

Slix

macrumors 65816
Mar 24, 2010
1,441
1,989
Watch, now the cracked cables won't work with the next version of the iOS 7 beta because Apple will crack down on it again. :rolleyes:
 
T

tasset

macrumors 6502a
May 22, 2007
572
200
Wake me up when these companies produce knockoffs of the $50 hdmi/vga/sd lightning adapters. I'm not impressed with simple charging cables.
 
Mr Fusion

Mr Fusion

macrumors 6502a
May 7, 2007
841
1,061
.Asa said:
I'll take a green, orange, and black. Apple's white cables are boring.
Click to expand...
Agree, I prefer black cables. They match the hardware better (my black iPhone with MacBook Air.) I wish they offered all their white cables & A/C adapters in black.

Also different sizes. 3 Meter cables are essential when staying at a hotel with no outlet right next to the bed. ;)
 
1

126351

Guest
Sep 17, 2007
175
0
ghostface147 said:
I am not buying a 3rd party cable.
Click to expand...

Me neither. The charging cable is the least safe route to your iPhone's operating system. Lightning cables in particular are an area for concern because of the stripped-down OS than runs on them.

I'd rather pony up a bit of extra cash for an official cable and not have to worry about malware infecting my device.

I'm not saying that 3rd party cables would carry any malicious payloads but the fact they could is enough to put me off them.
 
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