Hardware

Luca Todesco teases SEPROM code execution with checkra1n

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 9, 2020

Nearing the end of last month, the Pangu Team took the stage at MOSEC 2020 to discuss a plethora of interesting topics, one of which really stood out from the rest. We’re of course talking about the unpatchable hardware based SEPROM vulnerability that targets a device’s secure enclave processor (SEP).

It wasn’t long after the SEPROM vulnerability was discovered and notes about it were published that famous hackers like Luca Todesco of the checkra1n team began tinkering with it. In fact, it was only yesterday that Todesco Tweeted some particularly eye-catching photos of checkra1n integration on an iOS device and of a T2-equipped Mac running the vulnerability as shown by the Touch Bar’s OLED display:

CPUTool lets iOS jailbreakers underclock their CPU and GPU

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 28, 2022

Apple doesn’t provide much by way of power savings on the iOS platform apart from the Low Power Mode feature and the use of general common sense with regard to reducing battery drain. Fortunately, those looking for more than what Apple seems willing to provide out of the box might be in luck as of this week.

Ra1nbox is a NanoPi Neo2-powered box that can deploy checkra1n without a computer

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 15, 2020

The checkra1n jailbreak is driven by a powerful bootrom exploit that can’t be patched with a software update from Apple, and with that in mind, it’s easy to see why some people may opt to use checkra1n over some of the other jailbreaks available, such as unc0ver for example.

While it’s a great jailbreak, Windows users have relentlessly expressed dissatisfaction about having to borrow friends’ Macs or run Linux on their machines. With no certain ETA for a Windows-based checkra1n release, third parties are now cooking up interesting solutions. One is Ra1nbox, a small and portable box powered by a NanoPi Neo2 that can be used to deploy the checkra1n jailbreak from anywhere without the need for a computer.

New solder-on cable allegedly permits DFU mode entry on Apple TV 4K

Anthony Bouchard ∙ January 7, 2020

One of the most substantial things to happen in the jailbreak community in the past decade was the release of @axi0mX’s hardware-based checkm8 bootrom exploit. This exploit can’t be patched by Apple in a software update, and it essentially guarantees the jailbreakability of several of Apple’s devices using the A5-A11 SoC for life.

While checkm8 is already being used in the checkra1n jailbreak for handsets ranging from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone X, it’s also true that the same exploit can be used to jailbreak compatible Apple TV units. The newest Apple TV, on the other hand, purportedly sports a hidden Lightning port that would necessitate a special adapter to utilize for such an exploit.

Twelve South offers premium charging for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods

Jim Gresham ∙ November 11, 2019

My nightstand is fraught with cables. Other Apple enthusiasts may suffer the same fate. I'm looking at an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods charging cables, along with a lamp and clock. It's cluttered, at best, and not uncommon to have all devices charging at once. After becoming flustered with the mess, I turned to Twelve South to help solve some of my cable woes. I was also running out of room on the table top. My thanks to Twelve South for sending three of their top chargers for comparison.

Element Case’s Black Ops Elite case for iPhone 11 Pro looks great, but costs a small fortune

Anthony Bouchard ∙ October 14, 2019

Going beyond the familiar world of traditional rubber, silicone, or TPU smartphone cases, I often find myself experimenting with substitutions that seem vastly out of the ordinary. While testing such cases for the brand-new iPhone 11 Pro, I happened upon the Element Case Black Ops Elite, which in my opinion, certainly lives up to the notion of being extraordinary.

Element Case’s Black Ops Elite case is built from a bevy of premium materials that you won’t find in most run of the mill iPhone cases, including a hard anodized aluminum frame that gets bolted into a sturdy G10 backplate, and a Dropshock-equipped TPU inner shell lined with a premium felt interior that gives your iPhone all the pampering and protection it needs.

iPhone XS smacks iPhone 11 Pro in app launching speed test

Anthony Bouchard ∙ September 22, 2019

Apple’s annual iPhone unveiling typically includes the introduction of an all-new SoC with modest speed improvements, with this year’s focus being the A13 Bionic chip. At the Keynote, Apple’s vice president of silicon manufacturing Sri Santhanam said that all mechanisms of the A13 Bionic chip would be nearly 20% faster than its predecessor; but is this the case?

Now that the iPhone 11 Pro is readily available to those who pre-ordered or tried their luck at local retail stores, it should come as no surprise that these numbers are being put to the test. In one example, YouTube personality EverthingApplePro compared the app launching performance of the iPhone 11 Pro to the previous-generation iPhone XS with astonishing results:

iBSparkes’ tfp0 exploit works on Apple’s new A13 Bionic-equipped handsets

Anthony Bouchard ∙ September 20, 2019

The first round of iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max pre-orders started delivering to antsy customers late this week, with the bulk of those arriving today (Friday, 20th). While most people will use their shiny new device as it comes, a smaller percentage are actively anticipating the idea of jailbreaking it. Fortuitously, such an idea might not be too far out of reach.

Renowned security researcher @iBSparkes purportedly succeeded in deploying a tfp0 exploit on his brand-new A13-equipped handset. The hacker shared his experience via Twitter early this morning:

Bluetooth exploit makes it possible to track iOS and macOS devices

Evan Selleck ∙ July 17, 2019

A new exploit tied to Bluetooth connectivity makes it possible to track some devices, including those from Apple and Microsoft.

Having trouble jailbreaking iOS 12 with Chimera? Try this!

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 7, 2019

If you’re trying to use the Electra Team’s Chimera jailbreak tool for iOS 12.0-12.1.2 and you’ve had issues jailbreaking your handset – more specifically with the device rebooting after step 2/3 with no successful jailbreak – then you might want to turn your attention to some useful advice offered by Electra Team lead developer CoolStar on Tuesday.

In a Tweet shared early this morning, CoolStar noted that this could happen if your handset was heating up from attempting the jailbreak too many times in rapid succession, and that letting the device cool down slightly before trying again “massively” increases Chimera’s success rate:

The original AirPods vs. AirPods 2 – what’s different?

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated March 25, 2019

Apple’s new second-generation AirPods can now be ordered from the company’s website, and many are wondering if they’re a worthwhile upgrade from the originals.

If you’re in the same boat, then you’ve come to the right place, because this piece will discuss the most significant differences between the original and second-generation AirPods.

Lock your iPhone by placing it face-down on a desk with DownLocker

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 12, 2019

There are typically two ways to lock your iPhone when you’re finished using it: 1) press the sleep button; or 2) wait for the lockout timer time out. But with a new free jailbreak tweak called DownLocker by iOS developer Soh Satoh, you can add a third and practical method to that list.

DownLocker utilizes your iPhone’s accelerometer system to discern the handset’s orientation in space, and when it senses that your handset is lying face-down, it locks the device. This works with virtually any flat surface, whether that object is opaque or transparent, which is an apparent advantage over similar tweaks that would use the handset’s proximity sensor instead.