Downloader: Gull1hack 'jailbreak' for iPhone shows how little users care about security

Friday, March 26, 2010

Gull1hack 'jailbreak' for iPhone shows how little users care about security

Jailbreaking iPhones and iPod touches is nothing new. It's been going on for ages, and it'll probably never stop. What needs to stop, however, is the carelessness people display when they do things like installing apps or unlocking devices.

Recently, a developer released Gull1hack, which was reported to unlock the iPhone 3.1.3 firmware. As it turns out, there's no actual jailbreaking going on. Rather, the app was an exercise in figuring out how gullible (see what he did there?) users were. Thousands of downloads and dozens of blog posts later, he had his answer.

It's probably no surprise to Download Squad readers, but loads of users have a 'shoot first, ask questions later' attitude when it comes to software. As Gull1hack's developer points out, that's a big part of the reason Trojans and rogue antivirus apps manage to spread. Blindly downloading an app and running it -- and likely clicking away any UAC or similar security warnings -- isn't a great idea when you don't know what an app is up to.

The moral of the story? Make sure the software you choose to install and use is worth giving your trust. Google it. Ask a friend. Search Twitter.

Blindly installing a program might not have gotten Gull1hack downloaders into trouble this time, but it's going to bite them in the ass some day.