Apple Releases iOS 4.3.4 to Address Latest Jailbreaking Vulnerability

[macUser2007]

Jailbreaking is accomplished by exploiting a vulnerability in the device. Apple patches these vulnerabilities like any responsible company should.

LOL, a lot of vulnerabilities.... That's why I finally dumped my iPhones (O.K., I still have them in a drawer, but haven't used them for almost a year).

Got tired of having to deal with jailbreaking so I can do basic things that Apple doesn't want me to do, like emailing VM and SMS, and tethering.

I've moved on the Nexus S, and haven't looked back.

Oh, and I also get to see the full web nowadays, too. With full Flash capabilities.

 

[chrono1081]

LOL, a lot of vulnerabilities.... That's why I finally dumped my iPhones (O.K., I still have them in a drawer, but haven't used them for almost a year).

Got tired of having to deal with jailbreaking so I can do basic things that Apple doesn't want me to do, like emailing VM and SMS, and tethering.

I've moved on the Nexus S, and haven't looked back.

Oh, and I also get to see the full web nowadays, too. With full Flash capabilities.

That Apple doesn't want you to do?

Voicemail is on an iPhone, as is SMS, as is tethering so what is the point here?

 

[macUser2007]

That Apple doesn't want you to do?

Voicemail is on an iPhone, as is SMS, as is tethering so what is the point here?

Let's see.

I get a SMS that I want to email to someone else in my office.

I get a voicemail that I want to forward to someone else in my office.

I am someplace without wifi, but need to send a document from my laptop to someone. Without paying again for data that I already pay for.

Oh, and when I travel, I can insert a local SIM, so I don't have to pay $2+ per minute.

And I can chose a carrier which charges 60% of what AT&T charged, and provides as good, or better service (T-Mobile).

Do you get the point now?

 

[mosx]

Hopefully they find a permanent fix for this and the jailbreaking will end.

Not trying to sound like a jerk, but what do you have against jailbreaking? It makes my iPhone (and iPad) that I paid for truly mine. It allows me to customize my device the way I want to. It generally gives me features that Apple is years behind in introducing. For example, jailbreakers had true multi-tasking long before Apple introduced save states and fast app switching into iOS 4. Jailbreaking introduced 3rd party apps before Apple even announced the 2.0 SDK back in 2008. All the notification stuff going into iOS 5? Yup, jailbreakers had all that sort of stuff for years now. And again, jailbreaking allows me to do what I want with my device that I paid for. Not what Apple tells me I can or can't do. Apple can't seem to understand that once money changes hands they no longer own or control that device.

Anyway, as it stands, thanks to the way Apple designed the bootrom for every iOS device that isn't an iPad 2, they are all permanently jailbroken. There is no way for Apple to stop it. Apple can quickly push out patches for those who aren't careful and kill the untethered portion of the jailbreak, which is what they did for 4.3.4, but they won't be able to stop it completely on those devices that are exploitable by limera1n and earlier exploits for older devices. Even with iOS 5 delta updates, they won't be able to stop it. An iOS 5 delta update could kill the untether, but the jailbreak itself could stop the delta update from happening to begin with.

It's a cat and mouse game. And until Jobs gives up being a control freak that thinks he still owns all of the iOS devices that have been sold, jailbreaking will exist. Until Apple gives us total freedom with the devices that we paid for and we own outright, then there will be a need to jailbreak so we can use our devices as we see fit.

 

[macUser2007]

Not trying to sound like a jerk, but what do you have against jailbreaking?...

You are not being a jerk.

There are some here who, if Steve Jobs decreed that he'll hang all Apple users tomorrow, will only think of inquiring if they should bring the rope, or if Apple will provide it....

For a charge, of course, since it will have a proprietary knot.

 

[manu chao]

Let's see.

1) I get a SMS that I want to email to someone else in my office.

2) I get a voicemail that I want to forward to someone else in my office.

3) I am someplace without wifi, but need to send a document from my laptop to someone. Without paying again for data that I already pay for.

4) Oh, and when I travel, I can insert a local SIM, so I don't have to pay $2+ per minute.

5) And I can chose a carrier which charges 60% of what AT&T charged, and provides as good, or better service (T-Mobile).

1) Copy the text of the SMS and paste it into a new e-mail, this might take five seconds longer than having an e-mail forwarding button in the Messages app.
2) Ok, this feature is not available on an iPhone. If this is a killer feature, you will have to consider a different mobile platform.
3) The extra charge for tethering is imposed by some carriers and applies to other mobile operating systems as well, how is that related to the iPhone?
4) Again SIM-locking is imposed by the carrier as condition for the subsidy they pay you. Don't like it, buy an unlocked iPhone.
5) Tough luck living in a country where the 3G phones working in most countries on multiple carriers only work on one carrier.

Three out of five of your points concern the commercial offerings of carriers (and the technological choices made by them and presided over the by those who dished out the licences). I suggest lobbying for an amendment to the constitution to only allow the sale of phones working on all carriers, the outlawing of SIM-locks (as some countries already have it), also possibly the requirement that all future networks are built with compatible technology and some extension of the net neutrality that forbids the discrimination between different kinds of data.

Hopefully they find a permanent fix for this and the jailbreaking will end.

You mean, if they could just plug all security holes and fix all bugs so you would never again need to install any security or bug fixes anymore on any of your devices, be it a computer, a phone or a camera?

 

[lakerchick4life]

I already own an iPad 2 but my sister's fiance is off to Best Buy to get one now..what are the odds that it will come with 4.3.4? He wants to jailbreak it so I am hoping that it comes with 4.3.3 since Apple just updated the firmware yesterday

 

[neko girl]

Maybe because this isn't about preventing Jailbreaking. It's about plugging a serious security flaw.

I'll go out on a limb here, but I don't think Apple's beef with jailbreaking is so much the device customization, as it is a path for pirating software. I'm a fan of jailbreaking, but I don't blame Apple for protecting the business of its software developers.

Installous gives jailbreaking a bad name. It really is very unfortunate.

 

[bigjnyc]

Every phone can be restored to factory conditions. There is nothing that can be done with a jailbreak that can mess up a phone to require a replacement. Stop spreading propaganda.

LOL I'm not spreading propaganda what a ridiculous statement. I am just simply giving him one of the reasons why Apple keeps patching jailbreak exploits. while it's legal it does void Apples warranty yes or no?

 

[AppleScruff1]

Well they can't. Perhaps for future devices they can try, but it's not gonna happen.

Why exactly does this bother you anyway, as I assume you're not jailbroken

Apple doesn't like jailbreaking, so you shouldn't do it.

Not trying to sound like a jerk, but what do you have against jailbreaking? It makes my iPhone (and iPad) that I paid for truly mine. It allows me to customize my device the way I want to. It generally gives me features that Apple is years behind in introducing. For example, jailbreakers had true multi-tasking long before Apple introduced save states and fast app switching into iOS 4. Jailbreaking introduced 3rd party apps before Apple even announced the 2.0 SDK back in 2008. All the notification stuff going into iOS 5? Yup, jailbreakers had all that sort of stuff for years now. And again, jailbreaking allows me to do what I want with my device that I paid for. Not what Apple tells me I can or can't do. Apple can't seem to understand that once money changes hands they no longer own or control that device.

Anyway, as it stands, thanks to the way Apple designed the bootrom for every iOS device that isn't an iPad 2, they are all permanently jailbroken. There is no way for Apple to stop it. Apple can quickly push out patches for those who aren't careful and kill the untethered portion of the jailbreak, which is what they did for 4.3.4, but they won't be able to stop it completely on those devices that are exploitable by limera1n and earlier exploits for older devices. Even with iOS 5 delta updates, they won't be able to stop it. An iOS 5 delta update could kill the untether, but the jailbreak itself could stop the delta update from happening to begin with.

It's a cat and mouse game. And until Jobs gives up being a control freak that thinks he still owns all of the iOS devices that have been sold, jailbreaking will exist. Until Apple gives us total freedom with the devices that we paid for and we own outright, then there will be a need to jailbreak so we can use our devices as we see fit.

I don't want anyone to jailbreak because Steve doesn't like it. It costs him money and I want Apple to make as much money as possible. You shouldn't do anything to your Apple device that Steve doesn't want you to do. It's all about Steve, not the consumer. He knows what is best for us. We are not capable of making these decisions on our own. He is the smartest person in the world and his customers are mere mortals. I just don't understand why people just don't accept things the way Steve wants them.

You mean, if they could just plug all security holes and fix all bugs so you would never again need to install any security or bug fixes anymore on any of your devices, be it a computer, a phone or a camera?

Yes. I am surprised that Steve hasn't figured out a way to do this yet. Or maybe he has and he's just messing with us. He knows how to do everything.

 

[MacGeek1993]

Is the update for the iPod touch, too?

 

[mosx]

No reason to reply to AppleScruff since its obvious that poster is just messing with people.

LOL I'm not spreading propaganda what a ridiculous statement. I am just simply giving him one of the reasons why Apple keeps patching jailbreak exploits. while it's legal it does void Apples warranty yes or no?

Apple can say it voids the warranty all they want. But the reality is that, legally, jailbreaking absolutely cannot void the warranty on the device. Under Magnusson-Moss, the software is "user serviceable" since Apple puts the user in control of upgrading firmware, restoring firmware for problems, etc. Apple could refuse support for the jailbroken software, but they absolutely cannot refuse support for any hardware issues (not caused by the user) or hardware issues leading to software problems, jailbroken or not. Another good example would be Apple's computers. RAM and HDD are user serviceable. If a user upgrades the HDD and 5 months later the motherboard or cooling fan or something else dies, Apple is legally obligated to repair that computer, but they don't have to touch the HDD. Windows is officially unsupported on Macs, even though Apple provides Boot Camp. Boot Camp is just provided with "no support". So again, Apple doesn't have to support any software issues, but they are absolutely legally required to uphold their hardware warranty.

Besides all of that, you can restore an iOS device to fresh state with no jailbreak and Apple will have no way of knowing that it is jailbroken. But again, they can't refuse hardware warranty support based on the software being jailbroken. If they do then the user can and should sue under Magnusson-Moss.

Another thing is that most states prohibit such "you can't do that!" language in contracts such as Apple's EULA (since Apple would like you to believe the EULA is a "contract"). California is an example of a state where you could sue Apple in small claims court and win if they refused warranty support based on the device being jailbroken, or a computer having an end user upgrade but another part fail, unrelated to that upgrade.

 

[0007776]

Apple doesn't like jailbreaking, so you shouldn't do it.




I don't want anyone to jailbreak because Steve doesn't like it. It costs him money and I want Apple to make as much money as possible. You shouldn't do anything to your Apple device that Steve doesn't want you to do. It's all about Steve, not the consumer. He knows what is best for us. We are not capable of making these decisions on our own. He is the smartest person in the world and his customers are mere mortals. I just don't understand why people just don't accept things the way Steve wants them.




Yes. I am surprised that Steve hasn't figured out a way to do this yet. Or maybe he has and he's just messing with us. He knows how to do everything.

I really hope this is sarcasm, but sometimes it's hard to tell on here.

 

[macUser2007]

...
Three out of five of your points concern the commercial offerings of carriers (and the technological choices made by them and presided over the by those who dished out the licences)....

Yet, I can do all of them on my Nexus S, without even rooting it.

And I get Flash, too.

I really don't miss my iPhones.

 

[maclaptop]

Jailbreaking has it's Pro's & Cons just like anything else. I can understand why Apple detests it, since they lose the long term income that locking the user in produces.

 

[dejo]

Oh, and I also get to see the full web nowadays, too.

Oh, so it runs Silverlight and Active-X as well?

 

[daveathall]

It is legal to jailbreak, it is legal not to jailbreak, if you want to jailbreak your phone then jailbreak it, if you don't want to jailbreak your phone then don't. Either way, stop whinging about what others do or don't do that is within the law.

 

[cozmot]

LOL, a lot of vulnerabilities.... That's why I finally dumped my iPhones (O.K., I still have them in a drawer, but haven't used them for almost a year).

Oh, please enlighten us as to what smartphone has no vulnerabilities. What's more important is how fast manufacturers patch those vulnerabilities. Some manufacturers have serious vulnerabilities that have been known for months and even years.

Got tired of having to deal with jailbreaking so I can do basic things that Apple doesn't want me to do, like emailing VM and SMS, and tethering.

Hmm, "Apple" won't let you do tethering? Really? For $20 a month from AT&T you can tether. Who's stopping you?

I've moved on the Nexus S, and haven't looked back.

I guess it's hard to look back at things like photos that randomly disappear from your Nexus S. Google, Samsung and Sprint probe Nexus S problems. I also wonder why you're writing on this forum if you haven't "looked back."

Fact is, every smartphone has its issues and limitations, sometimes tied to the hardware, sometimes to the policies of the manufacturer and sometimes to the carrier. Look at the forums for any smartphone and name one that doesn't have complaints. When you do, clue us in here, won't you? We're all looking for the perfect device that is everything to everybody.

Oh, and I also get to see the full web nowadays, too. With full Flash capabilities.

Enjoy your full flash capabilities until it goes away. Firefox VP: Say Goodbye to Flash.

 

[Beaubarre]

Apologies if this has been addressed in another post (redirect appreciated), but has anyone else had issues with their Home button? I find that sometimes it doesn't respond when I press it once, so then I press it again and it acts as if I'd pressed it twice (which, technically, I did I guess).

I have one or two friends that have the same issue. I wonder if this is a software thing or a faulty hardware thing.

Thanks.

Holler.

yes I have, hope this update or iOS5 will fix the problem

Yes i had the same button problem. I think it is a software problem, as reinstalling without restoring seems to fix it for a while.

Moreover my computer was recently the target of a hardened criminal with access to criminal organisation tools (like zeus toolkit), I wonder if it is related to an iPhone trojan ?

 

[macUser2007]

...
Hmm, "Apple" won't let you do tethering? Really? For $20 a month from AT&T you can tether. Who's stopping you?

Perhaps you should read my post again....

...I guess it's hard to look back at things like photos that randomly disappear from your Nexus S. Google, Samsung and Sprint probe Nexus S problems. I also wonder why you're writing on this forum if you haven't "looked back."

I did have the Galaxy S and then the Vibrant, and I was not very happy with either, mostly because of software. I have the "Google Experience" Nexus S now and I am largely happy.

I write to this forum because I love Apple's design and have been buying Apple products since the early '90s. Oh, and to annoy your little policeman personality, of course.

...Fact is, every smartphone has its issues and limitations, sometimes tied to the hardware, sometimes to the policies of the manufacturer and sometimes to the carrier. Look at the forums for any smartphone and name one that doesn't have complaints. When you do, clue us in here, won't you? We're all looking for the perfect device that is everything to everybody.

I've had smartphones since the Kyocera Palm clamshell, through WM6, through three generations of iPhone. Overall, I think the Nexus S, while far from perfect, is my favorite so far. Did I mention that it does Flash very well?

...Enjoy your full flash capabilities until it goes away....[/URL]

Of course Flash will go away. As will Apple, you, I and every other poster here.

But since we live in the present, I'd rather have Flash and a real web experience, than be redirected to dumbed-down mobile sites, or look at blue diamonds.

Oh, so it runs Silverlight and Active-X as well?

Fair point, although overall less important than Flash to most web users.

See this: Microsoft Silverlight Coming To Android Via Moonlight Dev Crew

Cheers.

 

[gnasher729]

i thought jailbreaking was legal and your right to do so..... why then does apple keep issuing patches to break the jailbreakers....?

Because if there is a bug in the iPhone OS that allows a website to jailbreak your phone, then the same bug could be exploited by someone far more nasty to break into your phone, steal all the data on your phone, use your credit card to pay for a dozen plasma screens being shipped to Lagos, and so on and so on.

Unlocking is legal. Is jailbreaking legal--i.e., protected activity under the DCMA?

The DMCA (not DCMA) is about copying or accessing data that you have no right to access. You buy an iPhone, you have the right to use all the software and data on it. So jailbreaking is not some "protected activity" but not covered by DMCA at all.

Need to set some people straight

Despite what Apple's EULA and warranty information say, legally, Jailbreaking can NOT void your warranty.

To those who say it does, you need to take a look at the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act and your own state laws.

If you live in California, state law basically prohibits such language from being in any contract such as Apple's EULA.

So no, jailbreaking DOES NOT void your warranty.

Remember people, as much as Apple would like you to believe otherwise, their little click-thru EULA DOES NOT over-ride any State or Federal laws.

If you damage your phone yourself, Apple doesn't have to fix the damage under warranty, that is obvious. If you jailbreak your phone, and then something goes wrong with it, then you may find that you have to convince Apple, and if that doesn't work convince a court, that the damage is not due to jailbreaking. And that may be difficult.

For example, battery charging is controlled by software. Changing the software on the iPhone could stop the battery from charging properly, and might even damage the battery. Now prove that a damaged battery isn't caused by jailbreaking.

 

[skinned66]

The only PDFs I open on my phone are my own. Come on IOS 5!

 

[mosx]

Hmm, "Apple" won't let you do tethering? Really? For $20 a month from AT&T you can tether. Who's stopping you?

Why should I have to pay twice for the same data? I'm already paying for data, I should be able to do whatever I want with it. Having to pay extra to use data in a slightly different manner is like going to a restaurant and being charged for the food then being charged to actually EAT the food. "You only paid to buy the food, you didn't actually pay to consume it".

If you damage your phone yourself, Apple doesn't have to fix the damage under warranty, that is obvious.

Obvious. Exactly what I said.

If you jailbreak your phone, and then something goes wrong with it, then you may find that you have to convince Apple, and if that doesn't work convince a court, that the damage is not due to jailbreaking. And that may be difficult.

For example, battery charging is controlled by software. Changing the software on the iPhone could stop the battery from charging properly, and might even damage the battery. Now prove that a damaged battery isn't caused by jailbreaking.

Well, battery charging is generally handled by the battery itself. They generally have their own chips and firmware that control when they're charged and when they stop charging. Theres no way that jailbreaking iOS or installing any sort of software could change that.

That just goes to the point that there is literally nothing a jailbreak could do that would permanently damage your iPhone. Because of the way Apple designed the bootrom, it is impossible to "brick" your iPhone. And because of the way iOS works, theres nothing that can be done with software installed through Cydia that would permanently damage your hardware. The worst that could happen would be getting stuck in an endless reboot cycle, but even thats easily fixed by anyone who can hold down the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons. And because of the way jailbreaks work on devices that would still actually be under warranty, they'll always make it to the Apple logo upon boot. And older devices will boot into DFU mode if anything goes wrong with the software. So if a device simply stops booting completely, that is not the result of the jailbreak. Apple cannot deny warranty service based on the device not booting and the possibility of a jailbreak. That would be like Apple denying hardware warranty service on a Mac because OS X has been wiped off and Windows has been installed.

All Apple can do is deny service for obvious user damage, such as dropping the device or prying it open. Or they can deny warranty service for software issues. They cannot deny service for hardware issues. Jailbreaking cannot kill an iOS device, it cannot kill the battery, nor can it cause any of the buttons or internal components to fail.

As far as convincing a court goes, that'd be easy. Since most states have pretty good consumer protection laws, as I said about California's laws many times, this would be a losing case for them in small claims. It'd cost more for them to send their high priced representative (that can't be a lawyer) than it would for them to settle before trial.

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

Seems like a worthless update.

Waiting for iOS 5.

 

[clibinarius]

The point is, people with a JB phone will have more problems, bringing their phone in more often costing Apple more money. Apple would prefer not to be required to do a factory reset to your iPhone.

Considering Woz jailbroke and Jobs is on the record making fun of him about it and seemed to turn a blind eye to it, my instinct is that the CARRIERS impose it. For instance, Thethering has been removed from the Verizon Android Market, but not the Sprint one, and Verizon says "Google did it, don't look at us!" and Google said "It violates Verizon's TOS!"-they have an agreement. Remember, when Apple came in, they had no phones, and were at the whims of the carrier-AT&T.

Honestly, I doubt Jobs cares about Jailbreaking, but he also likes Carriers selling and using his devices. If your phone was essentially a computer to do as you see fit, Verizon would deem it unsafe for their networks, for instance, and refuse to authorize ANY of them. AT&T may also try and block it from working.

Besides, the current Jailbreak Model saves Apple a LOT of R&D money. Why? They have a bunch of hackers constantly testing it for purposes that aren't malicious and won't lead to a scandal.

However, this whole scheme doesn't work unless Apple does make a stink about Jailbreaking. And they are concerned: If you have too much jailbreaking and everyone can tether without Apple seeing and downloading massive amounts of data to their phone in ways the phone is supposed to prevent, carriers might blackball their phones crushing their business model.

And frankly, 1% of users of a phone tethering probably isn't enough to start a problem. Look at Verizon, for instance: They know people tether, and they make it difficult, but this is also an illusion, as they don't enforce it. Why? With meters they'll get their money in the end. AT&T on the other hand is enforcing, and that proves that if Verizon really wanted to, they could, too. The idea with Apple and Verizon seems to be, as long as they keep the numbers low, its perfectly alright, when it comes to such matters.