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Hacker fixes PDF exploit on unsupported Apple handhelds

updated 03:40 pm EDT, Fri August 13, 2010

No official patches forthcoming


Acting without the help of Apple, a prominent hacker has closed a major security vulnerability on the two oldest iOS devices. "Saurik," responsible for the Cydia distribution platform, has released a patch that eliminates the PDF exploit used to run JailbreakMe. Though technically supporting all jailbroken hardware, and all versions of iOS dating back to v2.0, the patch may be especially critical for owners a first-generation iPhone or iPod touch.

Apple released iOS 4.0.2 and 3.2.2 via iTunes earlier this week, but neither update applies to the older devices, for which support has been officially discontinued. The last compatible version of iOS for either handheld is v3.1.3. The patch is also necessary to fix the exploit on more modern devices while retaining a jailbreak.




by MacNN Staff

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Comments

  1. WiseWeasel

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 1999

    +12

    Well that's embarrassing! First generation iPhone owners are now more secure if they jailbreak their phones (and apply this patch).

    Comment buried. Show
  1. Flying Meat

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2007

    -10

    I knoooow!

    How dare Apple not to support an unsupported product!

    The Gall!!! The nerve!!!

    eh,.. what?

  1. FireWire

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +1

    3.x vulnerable also?

    What? I was under the impression that only iOS 4.x was vulnerable, and that my 3.1.2 3G iPhone was not affected...

  1. wrenchy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2009

    +1

    iOS


    Sounds like an open-source platform with all the independent patches going around.

  1. facebook_Justin

    Via Facebook

    Joined: Aug 2010

    -2

    comment title

    If you think it's bad Apple isn't supporting a three year old device, go look at Android, they stop updating after about a year!

  1. famalegoods102

    Banned

    Joined: Aug 2010

    -4

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  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +2

    @Justin

    If you think it's bad Apple isn't supporting a three year old device, go look at Android, they stop updating after about a year!

    Sorry, but the "Well, Apple's better than Google" isn't a defense. It's just a lame excuse. That's like saying "Well, sure, HP's support is dismal, but it's better than what Dell offers!"

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +1

    And@Justin

    If you think it's bad Apple isn't supporting a three year old device, go look at Android, they stop updating after about a year!

    Also note that it isn't just the three year-old devices that aren't being supported. It's the previous version of the OS.

    There are a lot of people who do not want to deal with updating to v4.0 just because Apple says "It's new and improved, come join the fun!". Esp. since Apple offers no way to go back in case v4.0 causes issues for you (say some software doesn't work, or it just is buggy on your iPhone, or you think it is slower). So it isn't the case where you can go "Oh, let me try, and if I don't like it, I'll just go back." It's a case of "Do I really want to risk any problems with a device that is working perfectly fine for me by installing a new OS? Especially one that offers little benefit to me?"

    h***, just look at all the 3G owners screwed over by the performance issues with iOS 4.0.

    BTW, Apple pretends to have the update of older versions of the OS, saying their update supports v2.0 through v4.0.1. Of course, their 'update' is to go to v4.0.2.

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