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Few Jailbreak Questions

A

AutomaticHaze

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 4, 2008
223
1
Texas
I've on a iPhone 3G on 3.1.2 i've been wanting to jailbreak but im a little scared haha. I've got a few questions about it though, i searched and did'nt find my answers.

1. If i jailbreak can people get into my phone, and can they get my account info such as credit card numbers?

2. What are the chances of getting a virus or whatever i've been reading about?

3. What is the best method to jailbreak, from what i've looked at blackra1n looks the best to me but im not sure?

4. If i do jailbreak how do i lock down my phone from people getting in it, i've heard something about people getting in via ssh?

Thanks! :)
 
I've on a iPhone 3G on 3.1.2 i've been wanting to jailbreak but im a little scared haha. I've got a few questions about it though, i searched and did'nt find my answers.

1. If i jailbreak can people get into my phone, and can they get my account info such as credit card numbers?

-- No.

2. What are the chances of getting a virus or whatever i've been reading about?

-- VERY slim. i've never heard of this happening to anyone really.

3. What is the best method to jailbreak, from what i've looked at blackra1n looks the best to me but im not sure?

-- blackra1n, FTW. just make sure you are updated to 3.1.2 and i would do a full backup of your phone before you jailbreak. If anything goes wrong, just plug your iphone into itunes and do a Restore and your phone goes back to how it was before with no ill effects.

4. If i do jailbreak how do i lock down my phone from people getting in it, i've heard something about people getting in via ssh?

-- you're supposed to change your SSH password, but i don't know how and haven't really tried. should be easy enough though. one of the geniuses around here knows i'm sure!
 
Once you jailbreak you will need to change the default password and root password on your phone. When you jailbreak install Cydia, it comes with Blackra1n and you will be asked if you want to install Cydia while doing the blackra1n installation. Open the Cydia app, go into the section labeled "User Guides" > OpenSSH Acces How-To, scroll to the bottom of the page and open the section called "Change Default Password". The full instructions on how to change the passwords are right there and are very easy to follow.

This is how I did it. I'm fairly sure if you did a search of this forum or just a google search for that matter you could also find the same information.

Either way, make sure you change both the default and the root passwords. iPhones come with the standard "Alpine" password set for both which is how those ""viruses"" were able to gain access, everyone had the same password.

Other than that, set the screen-lock up in your preferences. And, if your going to put sensitive information on your phone you might want to invest in a good, secure (encripted) app to use for that.
 
Thanks for the help. I wont be putting sensitive info in my phone. Im on my mom's plan and she was worried about someone being able to somehow get her credit card info off the account. Im backing my phone up now. One more question, when i jailbreak will i lose any info i currently have on my phone?
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Thanks for the help. I wont be putting sensitive info in my phone. Im on my mom's plan and she was worried about someone being able to somehow get her credit card info off the account. Im backing my phone up now. One more question, when i jailbreak will i lose any info i currently have on my phone?
Click to expand...


That's not possible tell your mom.
And no, once you jb nothing will be lost.
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Thanks for the help. I wont be putting sensitive info in my phone. Im on my mom's plan and she was worried about someone being able to somehow get her credit card info off the account. Im backing my phone up now. One more question, when i jailbreak will i lose any info i currently have on my phone?
Click to expand...

Nope. The blackra1n and Cydia icons will be the only changes.
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Thanks for the help. I wont be putting sensitive info in my phone. Im on my mom's plan and she was worried about someone being able to somehow get her credit card info off the account. Im backing my phone up now. One more question, when i jailbreak will i lose any info i currently have on my phone?
Click to expand...

I don't know about you but I'm more or less "tethered" to my iPhone (it's always with me), and even so I don't want anyone to have the chance to browse through my txt's, emails, etc., that is sensitive enough for me to want to protect. I always have the lockscreen enabled. And I DO keep sensitive information on it so I do use a good encrypted information manager with a strong password.
 
Alright, downloaded blackra1n used it and everything went well and worked.
:) Im about to start playing around with it, i've got one final question though. Sorry im a total noob at jailbreaking haha.
Anyway my mom's worried again, that AT&T is going to see the "data" i use and charge her. Such as downloading all the apps, from the itunes store and jailbroke apps, and other things such as themes. And that AT&T or apple can somehow see im jailbroken and get mad?
Hah, any truth to this, please explain.

Thank you!
 
atr said:
Once you jailbreak you will need to change the default password and root password on your phone.
Click to expand...

This is only necessary if you install OpenSSH on your iPhone. OpenSSH is not installed by default by any jailbreaking tool. You have to choose to install it in Cydia or Rock.
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Alright, downloaded blackra1n used it and everything went well and worked.
:) Im about to start playing around with it, i've got one final question though. Sorry im a total noob at jailbreaking haha.
Anyway my mom's worried again, that AT&T is going to see the "data" i use and charge her. Such as downloading all the apps, from the itunes store and jailbroke apps, and other things such as themes. And that AT&T or apple can somehow see im jailbroken and get mad?
Hah, any truth to this, please explain.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Don't worry about it. AT&T doesn't care. You're on an unlimited data plan, so you can download whatever you want. You only get charged for apps you buy.
 
Am i still able to download the apps that are on the itunes store, from cydia for free? If you understand what im saying haha.
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Am i still able to download the apps that are on the itunes store, from cydia for free? If you understand what im saying haha.
Click to expand...

No, Cydia isn't for downloading paid apps for free. There are other methods / sites for that, but discussing them is against the rules of MacRumors Forums.
 
HardCoreMuffin said:
Am i still able to download the apps that are on the itunes store, from cydia for free? If you understand what im saying haha.
Click to expand...

App Store works the same way, jailbroken or not jailbroken. If you want a paid app you still must buy it.

Cydia apps are mostly free, some cost $$$ and they expand what the phone can do since it is jailbroken. Those are the apps that Apple rejects.
 
thelatinist said:
This is only necessary if you install OpenSSH on your iPhone. OpenSSH is not installed by default by any jailbreaking tool. You have to choose to install it in Cydia or Rock.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that, thanks for the information. I have OpenSSH installed and therefore glad I changed my passwords.

With it or without it, doesn't hurt to change them.
 
Thanks for all the help, everyone. Im playing with winterboard now haha. Sorry, did'nt know that was agaisnt the rules. My bad.

Well thanks again! :)
 
atr said:
I didn't know that, thanks for the information. I have OpenSSH installed and therefore glad I changed my passwords.

With it or without it, doesn't hurt to change them.
Click to expand...

Well... but that's like saying you should lock your car even though you don't have any cars!
 
Night Spring said:
Well... but that's like saying you should lock your car even though you don't have any cars!
Click to expand...

Not really, you may not have a car but you do have an iPhone. I'm not really well versed on this, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong (which could very easily be), but if someone were to steal the phone, even with the screen lock set, aren't there ways that they could get into the phone / root directory by knowing the passwords, without OpenSSH installed?

Obviously if I didn't have a car I couldn't lock it. But, if I have a lock - I lock it, if I can put a password in it, I put a good one in it.
 
atr said:
Not really, you may not have a car but you do have an iPhone. I'm not really well versed on this, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong (which could very easily be), but if someone were to steal the phone, even with the screen lock set, aren't there ways that they could get into the phone / root directory by knowing the passwords, without OpenSSH installed?

Obviously if I didn't have a car I couldn't lock it. But, if I have a lock - I lock it, if I can put a password in it, I put a good one in it.
Click to expand...

I believe if they stole a jailbroken iphone, and they know what they are doing, they can get into the iphone file system even if the passwords have been changed. Changing the root and mobile passwords only work against very specific types of attack that depends on the iPhone having OpenSSH installed.

I get what you are saying about being as safe as possible, but in this case the safest thing is not to install OpenSSH. But many people prefer to install OpenSSH because it provides additional functionality, and obviously those who chose to install it should change their passwords. I just don't want anyone to get the idea that they should install OpenSSH just to change the passwords, because that's like buying a car just so you can keep it locked up in a garage.
 
Night Spring said:
I just don't want anyone to get the idea that they should install OpenSSH just to change the passwords, because that's like buying a car just so you can keep it locked up in a garage.
Click to expand...

Indeed, I had to correct someone who was suggesting just that the other day: you need to install SSH right away so that you can change your passwords. Craziness.
 
Night Spring said:
I believe if they stole a jailbroken iphone, and they know what they are doing, they can get into the iphone file system even if the passwords have been changed. Changing the root and mobile passwords only work against very specific types of attack that depends on the iPhone having OpenSSH installed.

I get what you are saying about being as safe as possible, but in this case the safest thing is not to install OpenSSH. But many people prefer to install OpenSSH because it provides additional functionality, and obviously those who chose to install it should change their passwords. I just don't want anyone to get the idea that they should install OpenSSH just to change the passwords, because that's like buying a car just so you can keep it locked up in a garage.
Click to expand...

Point well taken, I stand corrected. I always like to learn something new, and will now remember this if I try to answer and other similar questions. Thanks.
(I actually kind of resemble your example, I lease a new car for my wife every 3 years, and when I turn it back in it usually has only 6-9 thousand miles on it after the three years, spends most of the time parked in the garage. BUT, you will find that it is always locked!)
 
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