It’s been two weeks since hacker Pwn20wnd launched the initial unc0ver v2.1.0 pre-release for public testing, and we’ve seen a bevy of revisions to the pre-release since then. Just this week, the unc0ver v2.1.0 pre-release received two additional updates to fortify the jailbreak tool even further.
Citing the changelog published on Pwn20wnd’s official GitHub repository, the two new unc0ver v2.1.0 pre-release revisions encompass the changes outlined below:
12/26/2018 – v2.1.0 was updated again for public testing with the following changes:
– Switch to Sam Bingner’s new superb trust cache injector thereby enable support for dual-hash signatures
– Don’t update the hosts file unless it is needed
– Unblock Saurik’s repo if it is blocked
– Reduce the number of stages
– Remove unnecessary checks
– Avoid applying unnecessary kernel patches unless they are needed
– Make sure that the system snapshot was correctly mounted before using it
– Unmount the system snapshot after root filesystem snapshot bypass or restore
– Simplify the credits view
– Don’t do unnecessary logging
– Improve empty_list (vfs) exploit‘s success rate
– Fix runCommand to correctly log
– Don’t run jailbreakd if Cydia Substrate is installed
– Don’t set the boot nonce if it already is
– Make obvious internal changes
– Make jailbreaking obviously faster
– Fix a brutal kernel memory leak
– Fix shutdown or halt leading to a reboot
– And much more…
12/29/2018 – v2.1.0 was updated again for public testing with the following changes:
– Fix a logic error that would disable jailbreak patches when Substrate was installed but Load Daemons was disabled that was introduced with the previous build
– Fix a bug in RootFS Restore for iOS 11.0 – 11.2.6 that was introduced with the previous build
Note: keep in mind that any freezes and respring loops you may have been experiencing should be fixed as of Cydia Substrate version 0.9.7011. Pwn20wnd also warns that restoring RootFS on iOS 11.0 – 11.2.6 can take ten minutes or longer depending on the amount of data on your device. This isn’t a bug; it’s expected behavior.
At this time, unc0ver v2.1.0 is still in its pre-release stages and should be considered a beta. It’s only recommended for advanced users with a basic knowledge of troubleshooting steps; everyone else should wait for the official release, as pre-releases often contain experimental features and bugs.
If you aren’t comfortable using an unc0ver pre-release, then you should use the latest official public release (v2.0.2) instead. The latter can be downloaded from Pwn20wnd’s official GitHub repository.
Unc0ver is a semi-tethered jailbreak just like Electra, which means you must re-run the tool after every reboot. That aside, it bundles a newer iOS 11-optimized build of Cydia that sports the official seal of approval from Saurik himself.
If you’ve never used unc0ver before, and plan to do so now, then you can follow our in-depth tutorial about how to install and run the unc0ver jailbreak. The unc0ver jailbreak tool supports all devices that can run iOS 11.0-11.4 beta 3.
Are you excited about the unc0ver v2.1.0 pre-release? Share your thoughts in the comments below.