Jailbreaking, a controversial practice in the world of mobile devices, has sparked debates about freedom and security for years. What is this unlocking process and how does it work? What are your big risks?
Mobile phones have marked a turning point in everyone’s lives and provide all kinds of advantages and functionalities. However, Sometimes some users want to go beyond the limitations imposed by manufacturers and operating systems.
It is in this context where the concept of jailbreak or unlocking devices, a practice that has generated debates and controversies in the technology community.
Although he jailbreak offers quite attractive benefits for those who want a more personalized and “free” experience on their smartphones, it also raises security concerns and can void the smartphone’s warranty.
As a result, this act has become a topic of debate in the technology community, with proponents arguing that it provides greater freedom and flexibility for users, while critics warn of the potential risks and problems it may entail.
What is a jailbreak?
He jailbreak, which would be translated into Spanish as “unlocking” or “liberation”, it is a process that allows users to unlock mobile devices, such as iPhones or iPads —on Android it is called root—eliminating the restrictions imposed by the operating system and the manufacturer.
When making a jailbreakusers gain greater control over their devices, giving them allows you to customize them, install unauthorized third-party applications and access advanced functions that would normally be limited.
It is a popular practice in the technology community, as it gives users the freedom to customize their devices and expand their functionality beyond what the original operating system offers.
This term is commonly associated with iPhones due to the popularity and closed ecosystem of Apple’s iOS devices. Over the years, these They have been known for their security and restrictions compared to other mobile devices, such as Android, so access needs beyond their capabilities skyrocket.
As for how it works, in general, it involves finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in the system to gain administrator access (root) or unlock the bootloader.
Doing so gives you the ability to modify the operating system and kernel, allowing the installation of unauthorized applications and the execution of code not signed by Apple.
Tool developers jailbreak They use their knowledge of reverse engineering—a process that identifies the properties of something by performing a thorough analysis of its structure, functions, and operations—and security analysis to Identify weaknesses in the system and create software that exploits those vulnerabilities to open the device.
Evasi0n7: one of the most famous cases in history
One of the most famous cases of jailbreak in the history of iOS it is the evasi0n7released in 2013. This was developed by the hacking team known as evad3rs and managed to jailbreak devices running iOS 7, including the iPhone 5s and iPad Air.
The evad3rs team worked secretly to find and develop the exploits necessary for the jailbreak and then combined them into an easy-to-use tool that allowed users to jailbreak their devices with just a few clicks.
Shortly afterwards it was discovered that the tool included a software unauthorized that allowed users to download an unofficial app store called “TaiG”. This sparked a debate about the ethics of jailbreak and whether hackers should include software additional feature not approved by Apple in its tools.
He was one of the first jailbreaks available for the latest version of iOS at the time, making it an important milestone for this community. This constant game of cat and mouse between Apple and the gaming community jailbreak has kept alive the debate about the legality and ethics of jailbreaking iOS devices.
What are the potential security risks of jailbreaking?
Although he jailbreak gives more freedom to use an iOS device how you want, it also gives more control to the installed applications running on it. One of the biggest risks is malware on the device, among others.
- Security vulnerabilities: the jailbreak removes security controls made by the manufacturer, allowing hackers to steal personal information, attack the network, or introduce malware, spyware or viruses.
- Instability: You can expect frequent and unexpected device crashes, crashes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and data loss.
- Shortening battery life: software Hacked causes accelerated battery drain that shortens the performance of an iPhone or iPad on a single battery charge.
- Interruption of services: Phone calls may be interrupted or you may not be able to establish a stable connection.
On the other hand, modified devices may have difficulties updating to the latest version of iOS. Although some applications of jailbreak They supposedly allow you to update to new versions of Apple’s operating system, this is not always guaranteed.
Additionally, iOS updates may remove the jailbreak, so you will have to repeat the process after each update. The update could cause compatibility issues, causing your smartphone to malfunction or stop working, also known as “crashing.”
What is the difference between rooting and jailbreaking?
If you are interested in doing jailbreakchances are you’ve also heard of the term rooting. Both one and the other are the same, although the term jailbreaking It is associated with iOS devices exclusively.
Due to the already open nature of Android and the manufacturer’s permissive approach to the rooting, it is easier for Android users to have more privileges, such as access to apps from unofficial stores and the ability to install files. However, this also means that restoring devices to their original form will be more difficult.
Is it still possible to jailbreak an iPhone?
In recent years, Apple has doubled down on its mission to stop people from hacking devices. In 2021, the company released iOS 15 with privacy-focused features that restrict apps’ access to users’ personal data, among others.
According to Apple, unauthorized modification of its devices increases users’ cybersecurity risks and causes instability in native applications.
As such, The company’s latest iOS iterations have made it harder for people to do jailbreak to devices. Methods that used to work in the past, such as downloading specific apps, are no longer effective.
However, it is still possible to do so. Programmers, such as epeth0mus, publish scripts jailbreak of the latest iOS update on GitHub. Some scriptslike Checkra1n, supposedly allow users to download app updates and new versions of iOS so that users can still enjoy the security obstacles that Apple puts in place.