While detailing the security updates that are present in iOS 7.1, Apple gave what may be considered a thank you to the evad3rs jailbreaking team, stating that they discovered four holes in iOS 7 and provided Apple with the information necessary to include patches in the latest update.
Along with the evad3rs, who are behind the popular evasi0n jailbreaking tool, multiple security researchers were also mentioned by Apple in the update log.
Of course, Apple does not like jailbreakers but it just so happened that as a result of the evad3rs work, Apple was able to fix its mobile operating system.
Tweeting about iOS 7.1, iPhone hacker MuscleNerd told his 456K followers not to update since it would not be possible to jailbreak and because there would not be any way to downgrade to a jailbreak-able version of the OS.
Jailbreakers stay away from today’s iOS 7.1! Once you go up you can’t downgrade again even with SHSH blobs (except i4). – MuscleNerd
As soon as iOS 7.1 was released, many well-known jailbreakers warned that updating to the new version would be an issue since Apple patched all of the security holes that were used to develop the evasi0n7 jailbreak tool.
Based upon how long it has taken with previous updates, it may be months before the evad3rs can find a way to jailbreak this version of iOS. So, if you are dead-set on cracking open your iPhone or iPad, stay away from iOS 7.1.
Apple has continued to get better when it comes to making things difficult for the jailbreaking community and during the past year, jailbreaks have been increasingly hard to come by for new versions of the operating system. Since the tech giant actually used the evasi0n jailbreak to fight back against its creators, this may be an even harder version to break into.
Not all of the security holes discovered by iPhone hackers had something to do with jailbreaking. Apple also mentioned hacker Stefan Esser for pointing out a bug that would make it easier to get malicious apps installed onto devices via the Enterprise App Download service.
Summary: Apple has attributed the patching of four security holes to discoveries made by the evad3rs jailbreaking team. These patches will make it more difficult to hack iOS 7.1.
Image Credit: ubergizmo