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Apple’s iBooks 1.2.1 detects jailbreak, disables iBookstore purchases

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 · 2:01 pm · 31 Comments

“Social Apples details a change employed in an update to Apple’s iBooks application released last week that detects whether a device has been jailbroken using one of several tools, and if the device has been found to be jailbroken, refuses to open content purchased from Apple’s iBookstore,” Eric Slivka reports for MacRumors.

“Users of devices jailbroken by one of the methods that allows Apple’s test binaries to successfully run who attempt to open content purchased from the iBookstore are met with the following error message: ‘There is a problem with the configuration of your iPhone. Please restore with iTunes and reinstall iBooks,’” Slivka reports. “Restoring a device from iTunes obviously removes the jailbreak, again rendering the device in compliance with Apple’s standards.”

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Comment Feed

31 Comments

G4Dualie

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 2:09 pm · Reply

Very clever, and necessary. I have no problem with those who want to jailbreak their own iDevices, you own it, do what you want with it, but you cannot deny Apple the ability to exclude you from their ecosystem, if you insist on violating the terms of your agreement with them.
- reeree
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 2:58 pm · Reply
  
  so now i’ll just use kindle exclusively. iBooks selections is horrible anyway. page turning novelty only lasts so long
  - G
    
    Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 10:45 pm · Reply
    
    Right on the money!! kindle is now my “go to” lol I’m sure cydia will make an app to make iBook work again…
  - G4Dualie
    
    Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 11:36 pm · Reply
    
    Good for you. I’m glad to see you’re reading. Most people couldn’t be bothered.
    
    Enjoy your Kindle.
Rick

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 2:54 pm · Reply

Apple has become Big Brother. Wonderful. Not!
- ob1spyker
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 9:16 pm · Reply
  
  It seems so.
- G4Dualie
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 11:38 pm · Reply
  
  Really, who did they replace?
FTB

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:11 pm · Reply

Apple needs to create a better lock screen.
And the ability to pull up a push notification AFTER the phone is unlocked.

If they did, I would have zero reason to jailbreak anymore.
I have to take a screenshot of a freeappaday push notification so I can look up the apps on the app store and see what they are.
Much easier than opening up the horrible faad app…

I have been non jail broken for almost two weeks now… Driving me nuts.
With lock info I could see the current weather, mark my spam email as read, or delete it, view my push notifications/text msg at ANY time. ALL without typing in my password to unlock the phone. And without going to each app to see them either. Think growl for Mac. Very similar.
I will prob re jailbreak this week…

iBooks locking me out on my iPhone? I think Iva opened it up a few times… So that’s not going to bother me, although I think apple is going about it the wrong way. Go after those pirating app store/iBooks apps etc, and the sites that host them. No need to go after those that jail break to simplify the use of the iPhone.

I have zero desire to jailbreak my iPad, and that’s where I use iBooks..
Billy Shears

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:16 pm · Reply

I guess I’ll be buying books in Kindle format then.
Stove Jibs

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:17 pm · Reply

Green poison is fail with iBooks
Red snow is aok (iPad)
- Stove Jibs
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:18 pm · Reply
  
  Note: Red snow is flakey with iBooks but will eventually work.
mredofcourse

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:21 pm · Reply

Jailbreak versus iBooks. I choose jailbreak, by a very wide margin.

This is the wrong approach for Apple to take. It’s one thing to do whatever to prevent piracy, but the irony here is that this prevents people from actually *purchasing* iBooks after jailbreaking.

Apple gains from the jailbreaking community and really should learn to embrace it, if not support it.
- FTB
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:26 pm · Reply
  
  Correct, and remember almost every “new” feature in iOS anymore…. Jailbreak community had it for years. Apple is the one copying here.
kingmel

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:48 pm · Reply

If a major security problem ever materializes with the iPhone, I’m betting that it will involve a jailbroken version. Why should Apple incur responsibility for its products or potential liability from its products after they have been modified?

Apple now offers two different versions of the iPhone 4 which address most of the world’s cellular networks. If you want a truly portable iPhone, then perhaps you should throw some support behind Apple’s SIMless phone idea.
- FTB
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 3:58 pm · Reply
  
  You have it backwards.
  There was a major security problem with safari. Guess who FIXED it? The fix was on cydia for a few weeks before apple fixed it.
  Those that were jailbroken, were more secure than those that were not.
  
  Apple isn’t liable for anyone that jailbreaks as it is… You think that if I jailbreak and get the worlds first iPhone virus… It would spread to you, just cause I’m jailbroken.
  Those that jailbreak, know that if anything breaks.. It’s on us, not apple.
  
  Your second part… You mean unlock.
  Which is different.
  - Predrag
    
    Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 5:26 pm · Reply
    
    There may have been that one instance where the security flaw got plugged on that Cydia. However, there were several other trojans dumped on Cydia that compromised a jailbroken device. Jailbreaking inherently brings risk.
    - FTB
      
      Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 7:51 pm · Reply
      
      And every last one of those problems were NOT on an official repo.
      Thus the jailbreaker had to ADD that repo to his iPhone, and then install the “cracked” app. Every one of them were apps that were cracked versions of paid apps.
      
      Again, something the USER did. Not exactly a security hole created by cydia or jailbreaking itself.
      Stupid pirates that got what they deserved.
    - FTB
      
      Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 8:18 pm · Reply
      
      and BTW, ALL of the exploits… use the exact same way of getting in a Jailbroken device. SSH with the Root password NOT changed from Alpine.
      Granted, some were Software that were NOT official tools used to jailbreak, they installed the trojan while they jailbreak your iphone.
      Was just looking up the exploited cydia stuff. all the same thing, Idiots that didnt change the SSH password. or didn’t use the official Tools to jailbreak.
  - breeze
    
    Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 6:50 pm · Reply
    
    “Apple isn’t liable for anyone that jailbreaks as it is… ”
    
    Re-read KM…that’s not what he said…
    - FTB
      
      Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 8:25 pm · Reply
      
      “Why should Apple incur responsibility for its products or potential liability from its products after they have been modified?”
      
      while legal, if you jailbreak.. you technically void the warranty. Apple does NOT have to support you in anyway once you jailbreak.
      Thats why i said this..
      
      “Apple isn’t liable for anyone that jailbreaks as it is…”
      
      “Re-read KM…that’s not what he said…”
      Explain then…
      
      And if i Jailbreak… i cant “infect” another apple user, or iPhone. Or the App Store for that matter.. A Jailbreak effects me, and ME only.
      Apple can however, lock me out… like they are doing with iBooks, and have done before.
- Predrag
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 5:29 pm · Reply
  
  …”Apple now offers two different versions of the iPhone 4 which address most of the world’s cellular networks. If you want a truly portable iPhone, then perhaps you should throw some support behind Apple’s SIMless phone idea.”
  
  I’m not sure what does that have to do with jailbreaking. It seems to me that you may be one of many who confuse jailbreaking and unlocking.
  
  Unlocking removes subsidy lock and allows an iPhone to work with any SIM. It doesn’t do anything else, so the iPhone can be used normally, with all standard apps, synching, updating, etc.
  
  Jailbreaking changes some parts of the iOS to allow users to load applications directly, rather than via iTunes and App Store. These applications can modify iOS kernel and many basic functions.
  
  Unlocked iPhones can be legitimately bought in many countries around the world. Jailbroken phones cannot.
uwbrus

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 6:10 pm · Reply

Actually, the previous version of iBooks did this too (I’m guessing that’s 1.2.0?) I’ve had the issue for weeks; since I have an older iPod touch I was able to jailbreak much earlier with RedSn0w. Non-DRM epubs like Project Gutenberg titles work fine, as do pdfs. Only paid books from the iBookstore refuse to open. If you try long enough (just keep poking the book on the shelf) they eventually open anyway.
http://legomac.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/problems-with-ibooks/
Dmitri

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 7:53 pm · Reply

I must say it’s good to see people on both sides of the jailbreaking fence having a civilized discussion. I’ve never seen that before, good work!
- FTB
  
  Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 8:37 pm · Reply
  
  yeah it is rare lol.
  
  I jailbreak myself. although i am not ATM.. I miss LockInfo badly right now.
  
  I personally don’t care if someone jailbreaks or not. and i know it’s not for everyone. Apple keeps incorporating the ideas of the jail break community, giving me less and less of a reason to jailbreak anymore.
  I decided to go “clean” for a few weeks and see if i really need to jailbreak or not anymore. since there is a current jailbreak for 4.2.1, i figured i’d update and get airplay/airprint on my iphone.
  
  I will NEVER jailbreak my iPad. i just dont see any reason to do so, except to Pirate stuff. and i dont care to do that so it will always be “clean”
  To be honest, iOS 4.0 added so many things that i used to need to jail break to do.. (folders, backgrounds, etc) that i am so close to not needing to jailbreak.
  SBSettings, and LockInfo are it anymore…
  although having SSH is just great to have also.
  
  If anyone does Jailbreak… to check it out, or for whatever reason.
  Do yourself a favor, well 2.
  1. STAY with the default Repo’s until you know what you are doing… Cydia Warns you when you add certain Repo’s. FOR A REASON…
  2. SSH password. search if you dont know how to change the SSH password from “Alpine”.
  - Brendan
    
    Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 11:43 pm · Reply
    
    I’ve tried googling this; is this necessary with the new greenpois0n 4.2.1 untethered? I was reading it’s only necessary for “power users” who install certain things. I’ve only installed MyWi and WiFisync.
    
    Thanks
    - FTB
      
      Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - 2:00 am · Reply
      
      It’s necessary with all jailbreaks.
      http://www.cultofmac.com/how-to-change-your-iphones-default-ssh-password/20871
      Older post, should be correct.
      
      If you don’t want to change the password, you should at the very least install SBSettings and use the SSH toggle.
      http://moreinfo.thebigboss.org/moreinfo/SBSettings.php
      so you can see what SBSettings can do.
      If you re-spring the iPhone for ANY reason, check to make sure SSH is turned off. Should be the first thing you do after a re-spring or reset of any kind. There has been debate as too why SSH is turned back on by default after you restart, the reason is if for whatever reason the iPhone is borked after a reset… You can SSH in and fix it.
      
      If the first link scares you, the mobile terminal stuff… Go the SBSettings route. 2nd best thing you can do. 1st being change the password.
      
      Side note: everyone that jailbreaks, should at least try SBSettings. The things it can do to save you time and headaches is awesome.
      But make sure it’s from big boss, nowhere else.
ob1spyker

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 9:24 pm · Reply

Another example that Apple is not all knowing. This is so not the right way to go about it. Block people to an already struggling ecosystem to police a policy that the government has ruled is legal and affects no one other than the end user? How does that solve any issues? Another draconian measure on Apple’s part that draws the comparison to big brother closer and closer.

Thanks but no thanks. I will continue to buy my books from Amazon due their BETTER pricing and BETTER selection and now due to the fact I don’t have to worry about accessing my selection if I have a jail broken iOS device.
- althegeo
  
  Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - 12:52 am · Reply
  
  Apple owes it to the authors and the publishers to protect their products from being pirated. Open books on a jailbroken iPhone can easily be removed and posted to pirate bay among others.
  
  Free books for all pirates but Apple made a mistake. Bullshit.
  - FTB
    
    Wednesday, February 16, 2011 - 2:09 am · Reply
    
    It won’t matter…
    Get a ton of books from iBooks, then jailbreak, SSH inn and copy all the books, post them, then restore the iPhone.
    Apple can’t stop a pirate by not allowing a jail broken iPhone access to the ibooks store.
Sol

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 10:04 pm · Reply

Modifying any device comes with risks. Anyone who uses jailbreak should expect trouble when updates to other software comes out.
Jeremy

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - 11:57 pm · Reply

No biggie. I’ll just have to pirate books and sync them.