If you’ve seen any of the cartoon episodes of Tom and Jerry, that lovable cat and mouse team that are always at odds with each other, you’ll immediately draw a parallel between what’s going on now between Apple Inc. and the jailbreakers at Team Pangu. The supposed iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak exploit that Pangu has in hand is the “cheese” that Jerry, the mouse, is trying to steal from Tom, the cat, which is Apple in this scenario.
Now, here’s the jailbreak and iOS version scenario as it is being played out right now. Pangu reportedly has an iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak ready for release based on an exploit they found for this particular iOS version. Apple, on the other hand, has been closing security doors left, right and center on iOS. If it releases iOS 10.3.2 without patching the flaw on which Pangu’s iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak is based, it loses the “cheese”, as it were.
The fifth beta of iOS 10.3.2 has been out for a while now, and I would assume that this is one of the longest periods that a minor point update has been in beta for so long. The reason for that could be that Apple is trying to find the flaw for the Pangu exploit so it can be patched on iOS 10.3.2, effectively closing the door to Pangu this time.
Now there’s also a twist to this story, just like a Tom and Jerry episode. Pangu is also part of Apple’s bug bounty program, as we saw in an earlier article on Apple’s new AFPS file system:
“CVE-2017-2355: Team Pangu and lokihardt at PwnFest 2016
CVE-2017-2356: Team Pangu and lokihardt at PwnFest 2016“
So, basically, when Pangu revealed recently that it had developed an iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak tool, they were playing double-agent. They’ve been boasting about it for a while, and recently even made a short video showing the JB on an iPhone 7.
The facts now point to Apple holding back on releasing iOS 10.3.2 to the public. It’s possible that they found the flaw in question and are patching it right now. If that is the case, Pangu’s iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak – dubbed Janus – may never see the light of day.
But if we’re wrong, then Apple is delaying the public release of iOS 10.3.2 (or the next beta, if there’s going to be one) for some other reason. And that has to be a major reason for Apple to wait beyond two weeks to release a very minor point update.
Things aren’t looking very encouraging for Pangu right now because, if Apple does find the flaw and fix it, it is a major setback for Team Pangu. What’s worse than Apple’s silence on iOS 10.3.2 is Pangu’s silence on the jailbreak they say they have. Do they now feel that they prematurely celebrated creating an iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak tool?
As of now, users can still upgrade to iOS 10.3.2 when it comes out, but if you’re a jailbreak enthusiast, you need to upgrade to iOS 10.3.1 (if you haven’t already done so) right now, and then immediately save the SHSH2 blobs for your iOS 10.3.1 devices.
That way, if iOS 10.3.2 does come out soon and Pangu releases an iOS 10.3.1 jailbreak shortly after, you can upgrade to iOS 10.3.2 to check out the new features, and downgrade back to iOS 10.3.1 for the jailbreak when it comes. If it doesn’t, then you can just stay on iOS 10.3.2.
In the article linked below, we’ve explained the steps to do this:
Pangu iOS 10.3.1 Jailbreak Tool to Release for iPhone 7 after Public iOS 10.3.2 Release by Apple Inc.
That’s the way things stand at the moment. No movement from either Apple or Pangu could mean a standoff. But don’t worry if Pangu doesn’t win this time against the infinitely more powerful Apple. If you’re a fan of Tom and Jerry cartoons, you’ll know that the mouse always wins in the end.j
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