PDF Patch Fixes the PDF Exploit in iOS

by Sebastien on Aug 12, 2010

In my previous post today I was telling you the Dev Team was working on a patch for the PDF exploit found in iOS and not fixed by Apple on older iPhones and iTouch. The PDF Patch has been released in Cydia for free and you can install it now.

PDF Patch will fix the security hole that was used by JailbreakMe and could potentially be used to inject malicious softwares on your device.

If you have updated your iDevice to 4.0.2, there is no point using this patch. However, if you’re still on an older iPhone 2G or iPod Touch 1G, or if you don’t want to update to 4.0.2, then this patch will be for you.

 

Dev Team Fixes What Apple Didn’t

by Sebastien on Aug 12, 2010

The Dev Team wrote a blog post this morning telling they are working on a fix for iPhone 2G and iPod Touch 1G who were left out of yesterday’s iOS update. Apple released iOS 4.0.2 to fix a PDF security hole that was used by JailbreakMe to jailbreak the iPhone. This security glitch could have also been exploited by malicious softwares, which explains why Apple was so quick to release a fix for it.

The problem is Apple completely denied support for older models like the original iPhone and iPod Touch. Even though Apple acknowledges the severity of the holes, they didn’t deem it necessary patching them on these older iDevices.

This is where the Dev Team steps in. The jailbreak community had already developed a quick fix (PDF Loading Warner) but it was more of a safety net than anything else. According to the Dev Team, “Saurik has been burning the midnight oil coding a Cydia package that will fix the holes for all devices and all firmware versions (even going back to version 2.x!).”

UPDATE: PDF Patch is available in Cydia for free.

The fix will go through a short testing period and will then be available for download in Cydia. As I said earlier, JailbreakMe highlights the irony of jailbreaking. Apple has always claimed jailbreaking could expose your iPhone to safety risks. Today it proves that jailbreaking your iPhone is the best way to keep your iPhone safer, as Apple won’t do it if you’re still using an older iPhone or iTouch.

What do you think?

 

Fix: “Different SIM Detected”

by Sebastien on Aug 8, 2010

Last week we told you about a method to fix the “Different SIM detected” error on an iPhone activated with a phonebook card. This method required a bit of file handling and could have scared away the least technically oriented of you.

Fortunately, there is now an easier way to do that.

How to Fix the “Different SIM detected” on the iPhone

Step 1: Insert the phonebook SIM in your iPhone to get out of emergency mode.

Step 2: Go to Cydia and add the following source: http://cydia.pushfix.info.

Step 3: In the PushFix repo, look for Hacktivation Patch and install it.

Step 4: Reboot your iPhone.

Done! You should now be able to swap SIM cards without any problem.

[Sherif Hashim]

 

Fix: FaceTime Failed – xxx is Not Available For FaceTime

by Sebastien on Aug 6, 2010

Today I want to post about an issue I recently had when trying to FaceTime with Tina. Everytime I tried to initiate a FaceTime call, I would get an error message saying “FaceTime Failed – Tina is not available for FaceTime“. What was strange with this issue is that she could initiate the FaceTime call and reach me, but I couldn’t.

So really I thought the problem was from me since I was the one not being able to reach her. This drove me nuts for days. I even went as far as restoring my iPhone, thinking it would fix the issue. It didn’t. The solution was in fact much simpler. Ironically, the issue didn’t even come from my iPhone, but from hers.

I found the fix somewhere deep inside Apple’s support pages. Apparently the problem arises if you ported an old number to your iPhone 4, or if you recently changed your number, which was the case for Tina’s phone.

According to Apple, some of the symptoms are:

  • When you are calling someone on FaceTime, the number on their screen is not your number.
  • People are unable to initiate a FaceTime call with you.
  • After installing a new carrier settings update, FaceTime does not activate.

The fix is really simple:

  • In Settings > Phone, turn FaceTime OFF and turn it back ON again
  • Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings
  • Done

Immediately after performing this on Tina’s phone I was able to initiate a FaceTime call with her.

Hopefully this will help other people stuck on this issue.

 

How to Fix the “Different SIM Detected” Issue on the iPhone

by Sebastien on Aug 5, 2010

A few weeks ago we told you about a trick to activate an iPhone without the original SIM card. This was used by jailbreakers and unlockers who didn’t have the original SIM card to activate their iPhone. It worked well for a while but it seems Apple caught up to it and put an end to it all by hooking the activation wildcard ticket to the ICCID of the used SIM. Fortunately, an alternative method was found to go around the “Different SIM Detected” message you might get.

Step 1: Download iFunBox from here.

Step 2: Download the patched LockDown folder from here.

Step 3: Run iFunBox and sync it with your iPhone.

Step 4: Go to /private/var/root/Library/ and replace the Lockdown folder with the one you downloaded in step 2.

Step 5: Reboot your iPhone.

I haven’t tried this myself but it seems to work well. If you do try it, please let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.

[Sherif Hashim]

 

Apple Has Already Developed A Fix for the PDF Exploit

by Sebastien on Aug 4, 2010

An Apple spokeperson told CNET they are well aware of the security exploit found in iOS and they are apparently already working on it:

We’re aware of this reported issue, we have already developed a fix and it will be available to customers in an upcoming software update.

This security glitch found in the way iOS handles PDF documents allowed the Dev Team to create JailbreakMe, which uses this exploit to inject the jailbreak code in your iPhone. Some security experts were quick to realize that this exploit could be used to inject malicious softwares in your iDevices and brought up this issue to the general public. The jailbreak community quickly developed a fix for it which can be downloaded directly from Cydia.

This morning I highlighted the irony of the situation. Apple has always claimed jailbreaking can put your iPhone at risk but it proved to be the other way around as so far, your iPhone is more secured once it is jailbroken and the exploit has been patched.

We don’t know when Apple will release this software update, which will most likely come with 4.1. Apple usually isn’t quick to fix things up so if I had a guess I’d say we won’t see this update until the end of the month.

[9 to 5 Mac]

 

PDF Loading Warner Protects Your iPhone From this Nasty Security Hole

by Sebastien on Aug 3, 2010

Yesterday we told you that the exploit used by JailbreakMe to jailbreak your iPhone was a major security issue as it can download pretty much anything to your iPhone, including some malicious code, via a PDF glitch. We gave you a manual fix but there is now an easier way to patch this bad exploit that puts your iPhone at risk.

You can simply go to Cydia and download PDF Loading Warner. It’s a free app that will display a warning before allowing your iPhone to download a PDF file. This will avoid you being duped by a malicious software.

While this app gives you another layer of security, you’re in no way safe from having your iPhone compromised, at least until Apple officially patches this exploit. On the safe side though, chances of you being hacked are very thin so don’t stress out too much over it.

 

How to Fix JailbreakMe Stuck on Purple Screen on iPad

by Sebastien on Aug 2, 2010

Those of you who tried to jailbreak your iPad with JailbreakMe might encounter this issue where your iPad is kinda stuck on the purple screen and nothing happens. This is a cache issue that’s really easy to fix. To do so, follow these simple steps:

  • Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History, Clear Cookies, Clear Cache
  • Reboot your iPad
  • Try JailbreakMe.com again and you should be good

If the problem persists, it means that JailbreakMe might be down or something. If that’s the case, follow the steps above except that you’re going to go to http://JailbreakMe/ModMyI.com instead of JailbreakMe.com. That should do the trick.

Let us know how it works for you.

 

Stuck At Purple Screen On JailbreakMe? Try This

by Sebastien on Aug 2, 2010

Many of you who tried to jailbreak your iPhone using JailbreakMe have encountered this issue where the phone gets stuck on the purple screen and nothing happens. At first we thought JailbreakMe was down or something but the problem actually comes from a cache issue on your iPhone!

The fix is pretty simple:

  • Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History, Clear Cookies, Clear Cache
  • Reboot your iPhone
  • Try JailbreakMe.com again

If it still doesn’t work, go through this cleaning process again but this time use http://jailbreakme.modmyi.com instead of JailbreakMe.com.

It worked great for me and many others. Tell us how it works for you.

 

How to Fix MMS and FaceTime Issue After Jailbreaking with JailbreakMe

by Sebastien on Aug 1, 2010

Most of you who jailbroke their iPhone 4 using JailbreakMe lost their MMS and FaceTime capability. I just found out about a fix thanks to Krapps and Branden3112.

To fix your MMS and FaceTime issue, simply follow these steps:

  • Go to Cydia and add this source: http://iphonedelivery.advinux.com/cydia/
  • Once this source has been added, install “iPhoneDelivery” from it.
  • Reboot your iPhone
  • Go to Settings > Phone > Turn FaceTime ON
  • Done!

Thanks Branden for the  trick!

This is not an “official” fix from the Dev Team but I tried it myself and I can tell you it works. The Dev Team is still working on a fix that will most likely be available via Cydia.

If you use JailbreakMe now, you shouldn’t have any problem as it’s been updated to fix the issue. If you can’t wait for the official fix and if you don’t want to try this unofficial fix, you can always restore, and jailbreak again with the updated JailbreakMe.

 
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