Jailbreak iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad

Apple has posted a document warning users that jailbreaking their iOS devices may cause instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, and other issues. The document was posted on February 3rd, the same day the Evasi0n jailbreak was originally expected to drop. Take a look:

Unauthorized modification of iOS can cause instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, and other issues

Summary
This article is about adverse issues experienced by customers who have made unauthorized modifications to iOS (this hacking process is often called ”jailbreaking”).

The iPhone OS is a great operating system and is also one of the safest. That’s why Apple rejected the anti-virus application developed by Kaspersky Lab. Such app will never make it to AppStore, just because users don’t need it.

Some users who run the jailbreak might catch a virus. However if they do everything right – there will be no troubles and no viruses.

The number of jailbreak utilities for iPhones and iPod Touches with the latest iBoot is dramatically increasing. All of them are FAKE. Some of them will fill your computer with viruses, which is not good.

gull1hack, spartanbr3ak, br0k3n_appl3 are just some of these new programs that in one way or another deceive the user and then run malicious code. We therefore ask you to stay away from ANY such software. Some time in the future GeoHot or DevTeam will release new jailbreak and unlock software. Other than that is fake and dangerous. Install only programs you trust or the ones recommended by iPhoneRoot.

Here is a twitter comment from DevTeam:

A second iPhone worm virus has been found by security company F-Secure. It is specifically targeting people in the Netherlands who are using their iPhones for internet banking with Dutch online bank ING.

It redirects the bank’s customers to a site with a log-in screen (phishing). The worm attacks “jailbroken” phones – a modification which enables the user to run non-Apple approved software on their handset. Only handsets with installed SSH (secure shell) are at risk. SSH is a file-transfer program that enables users to remotely connect to their phones. It comes with a default password, ‘alpine’ which should be changed.

Here is a tutorial how to change the default SSH password and minimize the risk.

This is quite simple. If you did a jailbreak on your iPhone you need to change the default password. Why? Because hackers can access your phone, read your mail, sms, download other data. The second reason is because there are already several viruses (worms) that use these default passwords.

Here’s a quick step-by-step tutorial.

1. If you don’t have MobileTerminal application installed: run Cydia, search for MobileTerminal and install.
2. Run MobileTerminal.
3. Type passwd and press return.
4. Enter the default user password alpine and press return.
5. Enter a new password and press return.
6. Enter a new password again and press return.
7. Congratulations, you changed it for default mobile user. Let’s do the same for root user.
8. Login as root user: type su root and press return.
9. Type passwd and press return.
10. Enter the default root user password alpine and press return.
11. Enter a new password and press return.
12. Enter a new password again and press return.
13. That’s it!

The passwords are now changed, and your jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch is now a bit more secure than it was before and less vulnerable to the worm detected recently.