Photo is courtesy of intego.com
An update that was created to fix a serious security flaw turns out to also fix something else that was broken. Apple’s recent iOS 6.1.3 addresses a few issues including the password lock.
Anyone who had their hands on your device could bypass the required lock code and gain access to your personal data and even make calls. Providing they knew what to do of course. The added bonus, for Apple that is, is the update also blocks Evasi0n’s longstanding jailbreak.
Apple even gave credit to the hackers (the Evad3rs) behind one of the most popular (over seven million downloads during first few days of availability) jailbreak app to date for discovering 4 of the 6 exploits that the new update fixes.
The aforementioned security flaw behind the password lock issue was discovered by Christopher Heffley (theMedium.ca) and a WebKit bug found by Nils and Jon (MWR Labs). And we can’t forget Apple Maps for Japan gets some improvement as well as the type checking feature, with this new update.
While this bodes well for Apple it may not be a welcomed reprieve for some of those who took the untethering app in as one of their own. If you have used Evasi0n, enjoy it while it lasts. Once you update to 6.1.3, there is no going back to an earlier version if you change your mind at the last minute. Software Update will automatically check for a updates and download as usual, prompting you to install. Even if you choose not to install at the moment, you will be prompted to do so again the next time you dock in.
However, while 6.1.3 fixes many of the bugs that allowed Evasi0n to function for as long as it did, this does not mean that the team is resting on its laurels as it has confirmed that it will use the remaining exploits to develop a new jailbreak method, with the timeframe for release being set for the next major version of iOS, set to be released later this year along with the expected hardware refresh.
