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Hacker group announces jailbreak for iOS 11 – 13.5

Users of iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches that run on iOS 11 through 13.5 can now jailbreak their devices with new downloadable software from the hacking group Unc0ver.

The jailbreak is reportedly made possible thanks to a zero-day kernel vulnerability discovered by Unc0ver hacker @Pwn20wnd. [1, 2, 3]

Jailbreaks are hotly anticipated events for certain tech enthusiasts and security researchers because they allow them to circumvent protections in order to probe more deeply into their devices, and customize them or add programs.

On its official website, the Unc0ver group claims that its jailbreak does not introduce any new vulnerabilities, affect stability or battery life or interfere with common mobile apps and services like iCloud, FaceTime and Apply Pay. (However, the jailbreak is not compatible with versions 12.3-12.3.2 and 12.4.2-12.4.5.)

Apple only just released iOS version 13.5 on May 20.

Pwn20wnd reportedly told Vice/Motherboard in an online chat that he expects Apple will likely take "at least 2 or 3 weeks to release a patch" that fixes the 0-day enabling the jailbreak.

Last September, an independent researcher with Twitter handle axi0mX discovered and published "checkm8," an un-patchable iOS jailbreak exploit leveraging a race condition vulnerability in the bootrom of hundreds of millions of devices.

Bradley Barth

As director of multimedia content strategy at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for online conferences, webcasts, podcasts video/multimedia projects — often serving as moderator or host. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

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