Apple has rolled out another update for iOS 13, this time to patch a popular jailbreak, which enables unapproved apps and software to be installed on the device.
iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1 are available to download now, which addresses the jailbreak discovered by the hacker group Unc0ver, which emerged earlier this month.
Jailbreaks have become increasingly rare in recent years and the hackers behind this one claimed it worked on versions from iOS 11 all the way up to the most recent iOS 13.5 release (via Wired). The app was reportedly based on a zero-day flaw within iOS that enabled the hackers to overthrow the iOS safeguards.
At the time it was estimated that it would take Apple 2-3 weeks to come up with a patch, but the firm has delivered the update just eight days after the original report.
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“Having a full-fledged jailbreak makes future security research easier,” Pwn20wnd, the person who discovered the jailbreak, said in late May.
Now Apple is seeking to shut it down. In the release notes for iOS 13.5.1, Apple says: “This update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.”
In a post on its security website Apple added (via 9to5Mac):
“Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch 7th generation
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory consumption issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2020-9859: unc0ver”
However, it’s not clear whether the jailbreak is still useable for iPhone and iPad users on earlier versions of the Apple mobile operating system.
Apple has been able to safeguard against jailbreak attempts in recent years, but it was once rife among hackers who sought to undermine Apple’s efforts to wall off its iOS ecosystem.
As well as iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1, Apple has launched released watchOS 6.2.6.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
