Hackers Net $1 Million For Remote Jailbreak Exploit On iOS

Back in September, a startup called Zerodium who’s reason to exist is to acquire zero-day exploits (meaning exploits with no known fix), launched “The Million Dollar iOS 9 Bounty.”  One the table was $1 million for anyone who could come up with a  browser-based and untethered jailbreak for iOS 9. A jailbreak is the practice of breaking the restrictions placed on iPhones and iPads in order to use the devices in ways not intended by Apple. That can include installing pirated software, deleting default apps, or using apps banned from the App Store.The contest rules required the exploit to be achievable remotely without requiring user interaction beyond reading a text message or visiting a website via Chrome or Safari on an iOS device.

Today, the bounty has been claimed:

While details are difficult to come by, Wired appears to have some info on this exploit. Not only that, it will apparently be sold to the highest bidder. Likely a US based company. Seeing as the company behind this bounty claims to have major corporations in defense, technology, and finance as customers, one can only wonder what this exploit will be used for.

You can bet that Apple is scrambling to find out details on this exploit so that it can patch it as quickly as possible. If they fail to do so, the reputation of iOS being very secure may go up in smoke.

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