Apple's IOS 4.1 Already Jailbroken Via Bootrom Based Exploit

Apple released the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 4.1, on Wednesday of this week. Unlike 4.0.2, this iOS version has some useful updates. The update fixes several bugs (such as the unbearable slow speeds many iPhone 3G users have experienced after upgrading to iOS 4.0) and introduces some new features and enhancements. Some of these features include Social gaming with parental control, access to iTunes Ping social network, TV show rental, and HDR photography on the iPhone 4. The update also comes with an unwanted feature: It will revert jailbroken devices back to normal. However, jailbreakers can breathe easy as iOS 4.1 has already been jailbroken.

A member of the Chronic Dev Team, who goes by the name of pod2g, has discovered yet another bootrom exploit capable of jailbreaking all iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads on iOS 4.1. Jailbreak developers have been searching for a new exploit to replace the one which was patched by 4.0.2 for months and discovered this new hole in the iOS firmware just as version 4.0 went public.

Jailbreakers should also be pleased to know that this bootrom exploit is allegedly unable to be patched via a software update. In other words, Apple won't be able to prevent the jailbreak exploit by releasing a new iOS version. Only a hardware revision is said to be capable of closing this exploit. This means we will likely see iPhone 4s, iPhone 3GSs, iPod Touches, and iPads with new bootroms released within the next few months.

For now, those of you with jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches should avoid upgrading as there is no public jailbreak method released at this time. However, Chronic Dev Team is currently testing the exploit on different iOS devices and the release of a new jailbreak tool to the public is most likely right around the corner.

If you haven't yet updated to 4.1 and want to jailbreak your iPhone, you can still do so. You can jailbreak iOS 4.0.2 via Redsn0w and 4.0.1 can be jailbroken via jailbreakme 2.0.

Sources:

Taimur Asad
iOS 4.1 Jailbreak Using New Bootrom Based Exploit Confirmed!
Redmondpie

Bruce Tyson
An overview on changes in Apple's iOS 4.1
Helium