Just last week, Google discovered an iOS 11.1.2 exploit that has shown potential for the first iOS 11 jailbreak. The kernel vulnerability has now been released to the public.
iOS 11.1.2 Exploit
Ian Beer, a researcher for Project Zero, mentioned a few days ago that he would reveal a new iOS 11.1.2 exploit — one of several he had recently found. Apple has updated security with new patches, fixing the flaws and putting Beer in a good position to now share the found exploits.
This new exploit from Google’s Project Zero is expected to lead to the first iOS 11 jailbreak. While exploits are by no means guaranteed to lead to a full-blown jailbreak, the fact that this one is a kernel vulnerability has the jailbreaking community optimistic about the impending discovery of a way to gain full control over the operating system.
Beer has also stated that the exploit, named tfp0, “should work for all devices.” He wasn’t able to personally test them all, but this kernel vulnerability should give users full control over the core of the operating system.
The Future of the iPhone Jailbreak
There’s no doubt that interest in jailbreaking has declined, largely due to the release of features by Apple that were previously lacking. Additionally, the security of the operating system has increased, which makes finding an iOS 11.1.2 exploit a rare occurrence. Although demand for jailbreaking has definitely fallen, this new breakthrough has restored interest in figuring out a way to crack iOS 11 and open the operating system up for more customization and control by a tech-savvy user base.
However, even if this iOS 11.1.2 exploit were to lead to a full jailbreak, it’s likely that the experience of a fully unlocked iPhone will be much less convenient than in previous jailbreaks. Due to the recent shuttering of the ModMyi app store, preceded by the shutdown of ZodTTD/MacCiti, there are much fewer options for adding new apps to an unlocked phone.
Much of the attractiveness of an iOS jailbreak is lifting restrictions on a pretty restrictive operating system, but with costs continuing to rise while profits decline for useful repositories like ModMyi, there are no longer nearly as many options for actually increasing the functionality of your iPhone once you’ve unlocked its full potential.
While interest in the iPhone jailbreak may have been restored after the reveal of this iOS 11.1.2 exploit, it remains to be seen whether or not it’s actually worth the time and effort to fully access the root of the iPhone operating system. There’s no doubt that having more control over the iPhone is almost always a good thing, but with the addition of much needed features and a beefed up operating system security, it’s more work for less reward with the iPhone jailbreak community.
Regardless, it’s looking very likely that this exploit will actually lead to a jailbreak, which is exciting news. Whether it’s a good idea to actually jailbreak with now fewer benefits than with previous benefits is going to be an individual dilemma, but the option will soon be there for those who want to be free of Apple’s arbitrary restrictions.
