Jason Mick
Apple and its CEO Steve Jobs can gloat -- they've once again foiled iPhone unlockers via a firmware update, this time to the bootrom shipping on new units. (Source: Telegraph UK)
A screenshot of the new bootrom was posted by unlocker Mathieulh. The new bootrom began shipping this week. (Source: iClarified)
Apple's strikes again, sending unlockers on their heels
Apple plays what its CEO Steve Jobs once likened to a game of "cat and mouse" with iPhone unlockers. Usually the unlockers seize the day, but occasionally Apple will win a round. Apple has tried many approaches -- everything from "bricking" unlocked iPhones to denying unlocked iPhones access to the iTunes store -- to halt the spread of unlocking in the U.S. and force people to use AT&T, despite the hardware being capable of working on other carriers such as T-Mobile.
Now, Apple has managed to gain an upper hand over the persistent hackers, thanks to the release of a new bootrom, iBoot-359.3.2. The phone firmware, which shipped on new iPhone 3GSs starting this week, closes previously used doors to exploits.
A user named "Mathieulh" first noticed the new bootrom and took a screenshot. It was subsequently confirmed by Muscle Nerd of the iPhone Dev Team -- a team of iPhone unlockers -- that the loss of the 24kpwn exploit would render the iPhone unjailbreakable for the time being.
For users wishing to jailbreak, iPhone jailbreakers are hard at work trying to find alternative exploits that could be used to unlock the phone. They suggest, in the meantime, that users purchase older stock of iPhones or buy refurbished units.
The iPhone 3GS was unlocked as soon as it was released, thanks to unlockers with iPhone Developer connections. George Hotz used the iPhone Dev Team's exploit, along with his own methods, to publish a route to jailbreaking the phone just weeks later.
