Jailbreaking an iOS device allows users to access settings that are normally hidden, install apps that aren’t available from the App Store, and make other changes to an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. But Apple doesn’t exactly make it easy for users to jailbreak their devices.
Instead, a team of hackers has to search for a security hole in Apple’s software that makes it possible to insert code into the operating system. At the same time, Apple is looking for those same security holes and fixes them whenever possible. It’s kind of looking for a door that’s opened a crack, and sticking a jam in the door before Apple can close it again.
It makes sense that Apple wants to fix the security holes, because malicious hackers could use them to steal your data or make other changes to your device. But since they’re required by jailbreakers, the developers that create jailbreak utilities are constantly on the lookout for new exploits.
Now the folks behind the widely used Greenpois0n exploit are on the hunt for new exploits affecting iOS 5 — and they’re looking for help. The Chronic Dev Team has released a public beta of a tool called the Chronic Dev Crash Reporter. It does two things:
- The tool prevents iTunes on your computer from sending software crash reports to Apple.
- It instead sends the crash report data to the Chronic Dev Team.
The first step is designed to help make it a bit tougher for Apple to find security holes before the jailbreak developers do. The second step either shows the Chronic Dev Team the exploits, or at least lets them know which apps are crashing the most often so they can focus their efforts.
Chronic Dev Reporter is available as a public beta for Mac or Windows users.
via reddit and JailbreakStatus
windows version is out :)