Apple can permanently patch the blacksn0w exploit in their next firmware update. You must download Cydia's "On File" system in case Apple blocks more exploits in future updates.

It's still safe to run the tool, but keep in mind that Apple can—and probably will—patch the core exploit used by Blacksn0w, rendering your unlock useless, or worse. Running On File will ensure you can downgrade in the future, so you don't lose whatever precarious carrier/plan/phone arrangement you've so fallen in love with.

Mac and PC downloads are available here. [GeoHot via iPhoneOS3]

If you update to Apple's new software using the normal iTunes process, you will lose your ultrasn0w unlock. In fact you may lose it permanently, because for most people the baseband firmware cannot be reverted to a previous version (unlike the main application CPU firmware).

But don't worry…our PwnageTool program lets you update your main firmware without touching your baseband firmware, so you can still have the best of both worlds.

From all reports, you can still update to (and sync with) iTunes 9, but just be sure to mash "no" when pestered to update your firmware. [Dev-Team]

Just found a HUGE #security #hole w/ push & AIM. Someone got my sent messages and wrote back. DO NOT send confidential AIM msg to #iPhone

#iPhone #push #security #hole:my msg was received by an hacked iPhone w/ push service hack; msg seems to be broadcasted to all hacked phones

Take extreme caution when sending AIM msg to people w/ hacked iPhones. Push service broadcasts your msg to strangers. Pls RT

@martinhering there seems to be a brand new hack that reactivates push with the effect that received msg are broadcasted to strangers

Here's a screenshot the random receiver of my msgs sent me back http://twitpic.com/b3bct I used iChat on a Mac #iPhone #push #security #hole

The problem seems a result from a hack to avoid Apple's jailbroken/unlocked iPhone push blockade, so if you haven't used any of this, keep sending your kinky messages to your mistress or master as usual. Otherwise, zip it.

Update: Yes, it's confirmed. The problems are a result of the patch to fix the push blockade. [Twitter via CrunchGear]

The developer says the following:

According to technical documentation, every Push application has to request the unique token from the Apple's APNS servers to identify the device it's running on. Thanks to that token, APNS servers always know which device is yours. The token can be understood as an IP address — the server has to know where to send the notification and for which application. APNS can also change your token regularly for higher reliability, so it's critical that the application requests the token again on every start (or when enabling the Push feature) to replace the old one if new token is forced by APNS.

On any unlocked iPhone, the application requesting the token is stuck. APNS does not provide any response at all and the application can either cancel the request completely by automatic timeout or let user wait with the proggress bar forever. Either way, the user will never receive any Push message, because APNS has not provided the token.

However, I have an unlocked iPhone here in Spain and the push notification works perfectly—for example, with AIM. The catch, however, may be that my JesusPhone is using the official Movistar network, not a different one.

Whatever is the case, can Apple legally block these push services to people running iPhones on non-official networks? Would they be interested in doing this on purpose—since unlocked iPhones is such a small percentage of units? Or maybe it's just a technical glitch?

According to the developer, it doesn't matter: They argue that Apple has all the right to block services for these users—since they don't use the official carrier—even while it's hurting its ratings. However, they are asking Apple to provide a way to inform users with unlocked phones about why they don't get push services using third-party applications. [Powerybase via AppAdvice via 9to5]

The Dev Team says that the 3GS is vulnerable to the same "24Kpwn" bootrom exploit that plagues the iPod Touch 2G—an unpatchable, un-updatable route of access for jailbreakers. Additionally, they expect to be able to unlock the phone with the ultrasn0w tool, using familiar techniques.

What seems a little odd about this is that the 3GS would be so susceptible to hacking, and in such way that had been identified months ago. The Touch 2G had additional protections that the iPhone 3G didn't, and it was released just a few months after. The 3GS, however, was released well over six months after the Touch 2G and quite some time after its predecessors exploits had been publicly identified, but doesn't appear to have substantially different protections.

There are two possibilities here: either the 3GS development and manufacturing schedule is longer and more rigid than the iPod Touch 2G's (the Dev Team says its bootrom was "cut" in August of 2008, before the 24kpwn exploit was identified) or, more compellingly, Apple just doesn't really care that much about jailbreaking anymore. I'll assume the former, and quietly hope for the latter. [Dev Team—Thanks, Bhoumik and Eric!]

Step 1
Let's check to see if jailbreaking or unlocking an iPhone makes sense for you by explaining what they actually mean: Jailbreaking allows you to load non-iTunes, third-party apps like these onto the phone, at your own risk. Unlocking lets you use another company's SIM card (for T-Mobile or international travel). That's it. And if you don't like it, you can restore the original Apple software any time using iTunes' Restore button—we've done it plenty of times.

This guide is for the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch running the new iPhone 3.0 firmware. If you own a 3GS, you'll need to wait since it hasn't been hacked quite yet. But if you're ready to hack your iPhone, grab your Mac or PC, iPhone and the USB adapter cable. Let's do this. (Oh, and go to THIS LINK if you'd rather see all of the instructions on one big page.)


Step 2
Even if all you want to do is unlock the phone, you need to jailbreak it first, and that requires redsn0w, a Mac/PC jailbreaking program. Download the official redsnow torrent files HERE, then download redsn0w via your Bittorrent client of choice. Make sure you've backed up your iPhone to your computer before moving forward. That creates a data restore point in case you want to ditch the jailbreak apps. Done? OK. Last, if you're moving your phone to T-Mobile, disable 3G before going on to the next step.

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Step 3
Redsn0w works by patching the iPhone firmware file on your computer, then loading it onto your iPhone without using iTunes. So open redsn0w. Follow its instructions to select your .ipsw (iPhone firmware) file. On Macs, you can find the file at Home Folder/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates. Or just download a new one from HERE. Once you've found your .ipsw, move on.

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Step 4
Begin patching, but keep in mind this one setting: Redsn0w will ask if you want to install Cydia or Icy or Both. (These are apps that can load programs on jailbroken phones and will be needed to unlock the phone later.) JUST INSTALL CYDIA, NOT BOTH, OR ERRORS ARE PRONE TO ARISE LATER. TRUST ME. Once the .ipsw file is patched, make sure to plug in your iPhone then turn it off while still plugged. When you see the screen "Click NEXT when your iPhone is both OFF and plugged in..." go on to the next step.

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Step 5
Now you need to put your phone into DFU mode to load the patched firmware. You'll hold the top power button for two seconds, then hold the Home button with it for 10. Then you'll release the top button and just hold Home for 30 or so. It's not as hard as it sounds, and if you mess up you can just try again, but you need to pay attention, so make sure you're holding your phone and watching the computer screen when you hit "next." Redsn0w will guide you through the pattern of holding the top and home buttons in timed succession. If you're successful, redsn0w will inform you that your phone is being jailbroken and you can stop holding the Home button. If you're not, redsn0w will reset the process and you'll probably need to manually restart your iPhone.

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Step 6
Wait as the jailbroken firmware loads onto your iPhone. (You'll see a disk drive on the phone's screen, then this cute pineapple graphic as it installs.) After a few minutes, the phone will reboot just as it does with official firmware. Congratulations, your phone is jailbroken! Most of you are done—just load Cydia (which is now an app on your iPhone) and search for apps you'd like to install. Others need to continue this tutorial for the unlock.

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Step 7
If you want to unlock your original or 3G iPhone so it can take a T-Mobile or international SIM, follow these next steps. You're done with your computer, so make sure your iPhone is on a Wi-Fi connection. We're going to use Cydia to download and install ultrasn0w, which unlocks your iPhone.

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Step 8
Cydia will first ask what kind of interface you'd like. I'm no hacker, so I chose the graphical view. Then Cydia will want to download at least 2 Essential Upgrades. Let it by choosing "complete upgrade." If Cydia's successful, you'll see a bunch of install code and the option to "Close Cydia (Restart)." Hit that button. (Note: If you are getting errors in this step, it may be because you installed both Cydia and Icy. If you did that, restore your iPhone with official 3.0 firmware via iTunes and start the process over.)

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Step 9
Reopen Cydia. Go to Manage -> Sources -> Edit - > Add and then enter "repo666.ultrasn0w.com" in the text field. This should add ultrasn0w as a Cydia source so that you can download the ultrasn0w software. Choose to return to Cydia and then click "Done".

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Step 10
Click the repo666.ultrasn0w.com listing under your Sources. Click repo666.ultrasn0w.com again at the next screen (redundant, we know). Then click Install. You'll see a black screen with some text and, after a few seconds, it should read "Complete". Reboot your phone with your new SIM.

Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked! But if you're having any type of problems (it's not our fault!!) check out the Dev Team blog. Chances are that if you've encountered a particular issue, so has someone else.

The instructions are nice and short:

1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
3. Run Cydia or Icy
4. Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or icy
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w' in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
8. Enjoy

It bears repeating that this hack will not work on the iPhone 3GS, though it will work on 2G and 3G models. The Dev Team is obviously working on this, but they're not giving any fresh indication as to when a fully compatible tool will come out. [Dev Team—Thanks, Alexandru, Stephen, and everyone else!]

On Tuesday evening they will do a live demo of the new yellowsn0w carrier unlock working on official 3.0 firmware, just before the big Apple release. While jailbreaking is already possible on 3.0, this is good news for would-be unlockers with an iPhone 3G, though those going for the 3GS will have to wait a bit longer. [DevTeamBlog via TheModShop—Thanks, Dylan!]

The bad part is that you're still locked into AT&T unless you jailbreak and SIM-unlock your phone, but if you're paying an extra $400 upfront for these (which is also another "bad part" of this deal), that's likely what you were going to do anyway. [Yahoo]

As with the yellowsn0w video we showed you last month, this video was brought to us by Dev Team member Muscle Nerd.

redsn0w, quite simply, bypasses the Apple anti-jailbreak protection that causes the device to stop booting up if a jailbreak were detected. It opens up a whole slew of applications that are not, or will never be, offered through the "official" channel, the App Store.

The official release for redsn0w is expected shortly. [Qik]

Yellowsn0w, the iPhone 3G unlock, runs as a small command line application that gets installed in any jailbroken iPhone 3G using Installer. It's very easy to install:

• First, update your iPhone 3G to the latest iPhone OS provided by Apple using the latest iTunes.

• Then, use QuickPwn 2.2 to jailbreak and activate your iPhone 3G. If you have Mac OS X 10.5.6 installed, you should follow these instructions before doing it.

• Use Installer or Cydia to install yellowsn0w, which is completely free. Here are the addresses you have to use to add yellowsn0w to your installer application:

For Cydia enter: http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com/
For Installer enter: http://i.yellowsn0w.com/

• That's it. There are some special SIM cards that give problems, but f you have a normal SIM card from any non-official carrier, you are fine.

BEWARE: This is a beta application—version 0.9.1— so install at your own risk—I'm installing, it, though. Since it's a daemon which doesn't alter anything permanently, it seems safe. Just proceed with caution and be warned.

Update: I've been trying to get this to run all day. The installation is very easy. Getting it to work right is a completely different matter.

After reboot, the iPhone won't pick my Vodafone carrier (the Vodafone SIM card works fine in an iPhone first generation, unlocked with the old unlock). It will just sit there, idle. Won't give any error, but it won't connect to the carrier network.

My iPhone 3G has the 2.28 baseband, as it should, and has been Quickpwned for the first time to do the unlock. Installer and Cydia are there, working fine. I've carefully followed the instructions in their page—about getting out the SIM card for a minute, then get it back in (and all other possible combinations)—but it just won't fly.

Like they say, this is beta. It won't damage your iPhone—in theory—but it may or may not run. It seems like there are other reports of the same, as well as other people talking about losing the network connection.

Even while this is labeled as a beta, it saddens me that the iPhone Dev Team has embraced the damn beta culture just to make the release on a cute date. It looks like the old days of solid versions are long gone by.

Update 2: There's a poll here with people saying if it works or not. At the time of this writing, these were the stats:

It worked: 23 34.33%
It doesn't work: 44 65.67%
Voters: 67.

Hopefully, a more stable and predictable release will come soon. Until then, I will keep trying. If you have any reports, drop me a line via email.

Update 3: iPhone Dev Team has released version 0.9.4. After some magic moves in the terminal, it worked for me. My iPhone 3G is now working in Spain in the Vodafone network. [IPhone Dev Team]

Yes, all we have here is an annotated hour-long PowerPoint, and yes, almost all of the content is of interest only to the actual haxxors that gathered at 25C3 to watch, but for me, it's a thrill to hear these guys talk about the software that we've covered and used ourselves for so long. It's also a thrill to hear little tidbits like the 180 IP addresses inside apple that the Dev Team guys have tracked as frequent updaters of Pwnage and Quickpwn.

Up until this weekend in Berlin, most of the iPhone Dev Team had never met each other in person. And I only wish we could have gotten a quick camera pan over to the guys identified as the team members who wish to remain anonymous—in the corner, wearing "PwnApple" t-shirts, speaking Russian. [hackaday via BBG]

You first need to be logged into the Mac with administrator privileges and, when asked, you have to provide with the administrator password.

Yes, it's that easy. Enjoy. [Get the script here or here via Hackintosh]

While it took a little longer than the free iPhone EDGE unlock, it does sound like this is the real deal. The team is claiming a successful unlock—now the next step is to package it up in a user-friendly GUI app like Pwnage Tool.

The only catch is that it will work only with iPhone 3Gs with baseband version 2.11.07 or earlier, and it must be jailbroken. To ensure you preserve an unlockable version of the baseband, the Dev Team has warned against the usage of the QuickPwn jailbreaking tool and against updating via official firmwares without first waiting for Pwnage Tool to work with it. More guidelines for that are here.

Phew, after all this l33t my head is starting to spin, but the good news remains—iPhone 3G unlock is on the way! [Dev Team]

So, you'd better download these files fast before they're taken down (they'll most likely pop up again elsewhere though, with a day or two's delay). The instructions are here, complete with photos of the process. If you want to unlock, hit that up now rather than pay $30-$50 to some guy to unlock your phone for you. [Sw box via ZonaBlackBerry via Into Mobile]