Last chance to downgrade to iOS 12.1.1 as S0rryMyBad publishes details about iOS 12-centric kernel exploit

Apple officially dropped iOS 12.1.3 on Tuesday, and it wasn’t long after that security researcher @S0rryMyBad Tweeted a proof of concept (PoC) of the bug used to achieve an iOS 12 jailbreak at the TianfuCup PWN Contest last November.

On Wednesday, @S0rryMyBad followed up with the PoC he Tweeted by publishing a detailed blog post elaborating the ins and outs of his bug, including how it works and how to use it on iOS 12.1.2 and below:

Those interested in reading the detailed blog post can find it here.

Worthy of note, this bug can achieve tfp0, which is a kernel task port that permits arbitrary reads and writes to a handset’s kernel memory. As you might recall, the exploit Ian Beer released before the iOS 11 jailbreak was of the tfp0 variety, so exploits of this nature can be powerful enough to help facilitate jailbreak development.

iOS 12.1.1 is still being signed as of this writing, and the best practice is to stay on the lowest firmware version possible to increase your odds of being able to jailbreak in the future. That said, if you’re on iOS 12.1.3 or 12.1.2 and awaiting an iOS 12 jailbreak, then you’re advised to downgrade via iTunes as soon as possible.

If you’re happily jailbroken in iOS 11.0-11.4 beta 3 by way of Electra or unc0ver, then we don’t recommend upgrading to iOS 12. Likewise, those un-jailbroken on iOS 11.4 and 11.4.1 should stay where they are, as these firmware versions are more vulnerable to exploitation than iOS 12 is:

Remember that you can use the IPSW.me tool to discern if a specific firmware version is being signed for your device at any point in time and you can download the iOS 12.0.1 firmware file from our downloads page. Use the Option + Restore method (Mac) or Shift + Restore method (Windows) in iTunes to proceed with a downgrade on your handset if it’s running a newer firmware. Remember to back up your data beforehand.

While there’s no guarantee that an iOS 12 jailbreak will materialize anytime soon, it’s worth mentioning that hacker and unc0ver lead developer Pwn20wnd previously expressed interest in @S0rryMyBad’s iOS 12-centric exploit, which insinuates that he could be interested in bringing iOS 12 support to unc0ver if possible.

As it would seem, these are exciting times for the jailbreak community. Many have been waiting for exciting iOS 12-centric news to surface, and this appears to be the most promising tidbit thus far. That said, it should be interesting to see what becomes of it, for better or for worse.

Are you excited about the release of @S0rryMyBad’s iOS 12-centric bug? Let us know in the comments section below.