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iPhone Root Password Hacked in Three Days
unPlugged-2.0 writes "An Australian developer blog writes that the iPhone root password has already been cracked. The story outlines the procedure but doesn't give the actual password. According to the story: 'The information came from an an official Apple iPhone restore image. The archive contains two .dmg disk images: a password encrypted system image and an unencrypted user image. By delving into the unencrypted image inquisitive hackers were able to discover that all iPhones ship with predefined passwords to the accounts 'mobile' and 'root', the last of which being the name of the privileged administration account on UNIX based systems.' Though interesting, it doesn't seem as though the password is good for anything. The article theorizes it may be left over from development work, or could have been included to create a 'false trail' for hackers."
I hope this thing isn't phoning home. Literally.
As it has been delayed until October at the earliest, I guess we'll just have to wait to see...
True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
That's a shame, really, because this device seems to be way ahead of a lot of mobile phones, blackberrys, etc.
and the sales thereof should keep Apple in business for a long time, giving a nice balance to the marketplace.
I have an old Macintosh Quadra 660AV, and still appreciate some of the things that it can do. The iPhone really seems to be much more of a "must-have" than the iPod series of devices. From what I gather, the iPhone can do all iPod can and much more. Distinguished from a small mp3 player, the iPods have a decent screen where you can pick your song do other things with your playlist, rather than just play the songs one after another. Apple has sold 100 million of them, really remarkable. Here's Apple's statement on the iPod success:
CUPERTINO, California--April 9, 2007--Apple® today announced that the 100 millionth iPod® has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history. The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle. Along with iTunes® and the iTunes online music store, the iPod has transformed how tens of millions of music lovers acquire, manage and listen to their music.
Based on that, and considering that the iPhone is higher in price, they should at least sell half as many before the next big thing comes out.
Hopefully, this "root password hack" item will not go very far. I, like many others am impressed at how dramatic this latest creation from Apple appears. I say, give credit where credit is due.
All of us that enjoy what PC's bring to us, with linux (and windows), must remember that our PC's weigh a ton, and except for the laptops (high price, no expansion), would be impossible to carry around from place to place.
My HP Pavilion 8250 and Gateway2000 EV900 monitor does weigh a ton, and is tethered to power and ethernet cables, mouse, keyboard and all. Nowhere near as portable a web surfing device as the iPhone. The fact that the IPhone has the potential for 10's of millions of sales, and is so portable compared to a web surfing, music playing PC is what is revolutionary about the iPhone.
Sorry to sound like an Apple fanboy, but that's my take on it.
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Rapidweather's Linux Screenshots.
Just for some laughs:
Microsoft CEO Ballmer laughs at Apple iPhone (6 months before it's released):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5oGaZIKYvo
Now that it's out, I only want to say this:
*Zune: 1.000.000 sold in 6 months (14/11/2006 to 29/05/2007)
*iPhone: 500.000 sold in a weekend