Apple Strikes Back Against Jailbreakers - Stops Signing iPhone OS 3.1.2

[Nick Hesson]

Okay folks. We said it a few days ago. And we're going to say it again. It's quite clear that iPhone OS 3.1.3 is nothing but trouble. We saw a release of a new redsn0w that allowed 3.1.3 but it is NOT recommended. Even from the Dev Team. It's for experimental purposes only!

To top it all off, BigBoss is reporting that Apple has stopped signing the iPhone OS 3.1.2 firmware, meaning that you can no longer use iTunes to install a custom firmware of 3.1.2. This also means that if your on 3.1.3 you cannot downgrade, but if you've been following along, you should know that already. YOU CANNOT DOWNGRADE! If you've saved your SHSH's on Cydia or Rock, you may be in luck for downgrading, but its not guaranteed to even work.

Now from what I understand, even if you have not upgraded to 3.1.3, if you haven't saved your SHSH's with Cydia or Rock, if fails or something goes wrong with your phone causing you to need to restore, you will NOT be able to install your Custom 3.1.2 firmware. I reapeat, AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INSTALL STOCK FIRMWARE FOR 3.1.2 THROUGH ITUNES! No matter if your on 3.1.3 or 3.1.2 or lower.

This information seems to be highly aimed towards the new iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3G. From the sounds of things, the iPhone 3G and 2G are in the clear. How that works, I have no idea, the information is very vague at this point.

If anyone can shed some light on how this works, and how iTunes can magically stop signing firmware (I was unware it even signed anything when installing custom firmware... if this is all the problem was, why didnt Apple do this a long time ago?), or maybe some motivated hacker will find a way to trick iTunes into signing a package that will let you install a custom firmware other than 3.1.3.

All in all, this appears to be a big attack by Apple on the Jailbreakers out there. Is this just the beginning of their crackdown on Jailbreaking? I sure hope not. Jailbreaking has brought their products to new levels. In my opinion they need to secretly let jailbreakers do their thing, as it really only benefits their products and store.

News of this comes from BigBoss, but I gotta say, there isn't much solid information there.

[mrbones123185]

Damn apple 1 JB 0 apple you win this battle but not the war!!!

[Hexane]

[Nick Hesson]

FU

BAHAHAHA! That made my day.

[EddieLeonard]

i was running 3.1.2 fine last night and then it powered down when i was playing NFS Shift and it wouldn't turn on via blackra1n tethered jailbreak (i have the newer 3gs) and it would restore in itunes via dfu or restore mode and my only option left was to upgrade itunes and see if that works. it didnt so i tried 3.1.3 to see if it worked and it did. so noooo jailbreak for me until 3.2 or 4.0

[BRKA]

just tried it on my 2g...not working..luckily i restored to a fresh 3.1.2 and black raind it

[Mista Brothason]

So to clarify... does this mean that if something happens to our devices we won`t be able to do a restore??!

[fdjordan]

Yes I ran into this earlier today. iTunes would not let me restore 3.1.2. Forced to 3.1.3.....:-(

[n00neimp0rtant]

Wait...if Apple STOPS signing the 3.1.2 update...doesn't that mean that custom firmwares ARE allowed now? But they were before? Confuzzlement

[soti]

Yea! me too. My phone is 3.1.2 7D11 and STUCK at apple logo. Can't do anything except restore and upgread to 3.1.3! And I heard redsn0w for 3.1.3 is released
http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...s-3-1-2-a.html
But I haven't test it yet. I like jailbroken iPhone. It has a lot of new feature, in fact I had multiflow and autosilent will be lose if I upgread. EeeHeeHeee.... !_!

[n00neimp0rtant]

They break my jailbreak? I'm buying a Nexus One. End of story.

[Nick Hesson]

Wait...if Apple STOPS signing the 3.1.2 update...doesn't that mean that custom firmwares ARE allowed now? But they were before? Confuzzlement

They did the same with 3.0. when 3.1 was released they stopped signing 3.0.

[cmdshft]

iTunes doesn't sign the files on it's own. It phones home to gs.apple.com and signs a few blob files to customize your firmware using your ECID. All Apple has to do is tell it's servers to stop accepting ECID sign requests from certain firmwares and when iTunes phones home it will be denied the request and the restore fails.

Saurik's servers use gs.apple.com to grab your ECID files, and does this automatically for each firmware release, whether it's installed on your device or not. All you have to do is allow Cydia to do so, if you haven't done so you will see a prompt on the page that shows when Cydia first loads. You can't miss this, you have to be blind or retarded to miss it.

You then follow the instructions on saurik's site ( Caching Apple's Signature Server - Jay Freeman (saurik) ), edit your hosts file to redirect gs.apple.com to 74.208.10.249 (a Cydia TSS server) and you're set. You can ALWAYS downgrade to the firmwares that you have SHSH blobs on file for in Cydia.

If you've done this and you upgrade to 3.1.3, you can downgrade your OS to 3.0, 3.1, 3.1.2 as long as you have one of those SHSH's on file (if you allowed Cydia to do so at 3.0, then you will have all those and 3.1.3 as well for when and if it's jailbroken). If you don't have your 3.1.2 SHSH on file (or ignored that prompt until now), then you are now too late and cannot ever restore back to 3.1.2 no matter what you do as Apple's servers have stopped signing 3.1.2 and Cydia can no longer grab SHSH's for that firmware.

I hope this clears things up. It pains me to see news posts that lack such vital information.

[highlight]

wait...does it mean even I press the shift key and then right click on restore and then select the apple stock 3.1.2 firmware itunes still wouldn't let me restore? I currently have a brick 3G to repair running at 2.x firmware...

[cmdshft]

wait...does it mean even I press the shift key and then right click on restore and then select the apple stock 3.1.2 firmware itunes still wouldn't let me restore? I currently have a brick 3G to repair running at 2.x firmware...

You only need to worry about that if you have iPhone 3GS or iPod touch 2G (MC model) or iPod touch 3G. iPhone 3G/2G and iPod touch 1G and iPod touch 2G(pre-MC model) do not apply, you can always downgrade.

[soti]

I can see the phrase This device have SHSH on file for iPhone. Can I grab this without my iPhone?? Because my iPhone stuck at apple logo and can't restore. It want me to restore and upgrade!!! Can I do that now??

[Zyinxz]

I assume it was that latest itunes update that would not allow it? If so, does anyone have the previous version of itunes from the latest?

[cmdshft]

I can see the phrase This device have SHSH on file for iPhone. Can I grab this without my iPhone?? Because my iPhone stuck at apple logo and can't restore. It want me to restore and upgrade!!! Can I do that now??

If you really have the 3.1.2 SHSH on file, follow the instructions on saurik's site first, then restore your 3.1.2 custom or stock firmware like you usually would.

I assume it was that latest itunes update that would not allow it? If so, does anyone have the previous version of itunes from the latest?

iTunes version has nothing to do with it. Please read my post here: http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news...ml#post5111711

[soti]

How to edit the file?? with notepad or with what?? I edit that file with notepad and it can't save. How do I edit that??

[cmdshft]

Copy and paste the file to your desktop. Edit there. When done, move the file back to it's original location. Enter password or accept any prompts. Reboot your computer so the changes take effect.