iPhone Hackers: "we have owned the filesystem"

The kooky hacking kids over at IRC channel #iphone claim to have gained full ownership of the iPhone filesystem. In an update titled "How to Escape Jail," they highlight the technical steps required to enable custom ringtones, wallpapers and more for your iPhone. They have not released a tool for general consumption -- yet -- but do provide the picture above as evidence of their hacking skillz.

Update: Video proof of a customized ringtone after the break.

[bananaboat @ Jul 10th 2007 7:19AM]

600 dollars and you couldn't already use your own ringtones and wallpaper? That's hilarious (since I can do that on my Razr, which was free after rebate). Here's to modders, and to an NES/SNES emulator coming out before the price is in the range of those of us not willing to spend a house payment on a phone =P (And hopefully Nintendo will get smart and do ROM's on Itunes by then ^_-)

[Eduo @ Jul 10th 2007 7:45AM]

Yeah, because the RAZR was available with rebate /for free the day it was launched, no?

You should do the same on the iPhone as you did on the RAZR: Wait until you can afford one. I know I will.

The fact that you can't pay for it but a million people could only says you don't have the means to pay for it or that it's not worth its price for you. The former (my case) is objective, the latter is subjective. Considering it's the most succesful launch in the history of cellphones I'd say you're in the minority if it's the latter but, since you got a RAZR only when it had a rebate to get it for free, you really just couldn't afford the iPhone.

Welcome to the club. We'll wait until there is so much better stuff out there that carriers are willing to give it to us for the price of a mail-in rebate.

[Steven @ Jul 10th 2007 8:21AM]

The iPhone already does custom wallpaper, so I'm not sure what they mean by that.
It could mean the black behind the menu (shown in the picture).

All you have to do is sync some photos through iPhoto and set one as your wallpaper.

[Ratchet the Lombax @ Jul 10th 2007 8:35AM]

@Eduo
I think the issue is that most if not all cell phones now allow you to use your own wallpapers and ringtones. And for the price that you pay for the iPhone you kinda expect to have the same options as the cheaper phones. I think it's cool that they have managed to "crack" the file system but to boast that they can now make the iPhone do what all other phones can already do isn't anything special. And before you say that I'm just complaining because I can't afford one that's not the case. I can easily afford one it's just I don't want one right now. I may get one sometime in the future but right now it just doesn't appeal to me.

[Nick @ Jul 10th 2007 9:25AM]

@Ratchet the Lombax

the iPhone allows you to set wallpaper already. You can customize the wallpaper of the idle/locked screen. People want to customize the HOME (menu) screen and I bet thats what the hackers did. Ive never come across a cell phone yet that would allow me to customize thier menu screen.

If apple roles out another iTunes update with a built-in build your own ringtone functionality.. it will go beyond anything that current cell phones have.

The thing about the iPhone is that it has amazing potential. The device could easily change the entire industry if Apple chooses to truely live up to the possibilities that exist with this device.

[Kyle @ Jul 10th 2007 9:50AM]

@Nick

Ever used a Blackberry? ;)

Not only can you alter the background behind the main "menu" screen you can also alter the order of the icons and which ones are actually displayed. So yes, some phone companies do allow you to alter their menu screens.

[cg0def @ Jul 10th 2007 10:56AM]

well your razr sux balls in many aspects and much like the iphone is locked by your service provide. Although I must admit that in the case of the iphone AT&T has gone way too far. You are 100% on the money with the ridiculous price tag but I guess innovation has it's price ..

[sshah87 @ Jul 10th 2007 10:17AM]

you've really never seen a phone that lets you customize the menu screen? I'm using my second ericson phone right now, and both of them let me do it. And any phone with mp3 ringtones and a usb cable has custom ringtones, so i don't see how that function would make the iphone so great.

[nyleharris @ Jul 10th 2007 10:33AM]

just out of curiosity..why are so many people asking for a snes emulator on a phone, and specifically the iphone? i've never seen/wanted it on another phone before..and a gameboy is like 50 bucks

[Ralph @ Jul 16th 2007 3:03PM]

Dude if your mortgage payment is $600 you must live right next door to a landfill and a railroad yard.

[Nick @ Jul 10th 2007 11:28AM]

No, i havent used blackberry because their keyboards are too small for me to type with any efficiency.

[Vlad Zaharia @ Jul 10th 2007 12:47PM]

@Nick - Samsung SPH(MM)-a900 lets you customize the menu screen.

[Miles @ Jul 10th 2007 1:54PM]

@Nick

Every phone I've used, and I mean EVERY PHONE that came out after the 90s has let me change my wallpapers and ringtones, even my numerous "free with contract" phones that have almost no features.

[Arjun @ Jul 10th 2007 4:13PM]

@Nick
Even my Samsung A900 lets me customize the image in the menu.

[deuwell @ Jul 10th 2007 9:24PM]

@sshah87, the custom ringtone function won't make iPhone great, the PMP capability is what makes iPhone great. And the ability of using custom ringtones without relying on Apple releasing some online service with iTunes with a FEE makes those hackers great.

[Nick @ Jul 11th 2007 9:46AM]

@Miles

read before you write..

[Maxwell Scott-Slade @ Jul 10th 2007 7:24AM]

I cannot immediately tell the difference. What have they changed? Also, no custom ringtones, no 3g, no custom apps (just glorified websites). This thing is beginning to sound like crap.

[netsyd @ Jul 10th 2007 7:45AM]

They got rid of the web icon on the bottom.... not sure what else

[OnlyOne @ Jul 10th 2007 7:37AM]

If to look at the photo, they have moved safari from the iphone "dock" up to the main application selection area. Although I could of done that in MS Paint if I really wanted to..

[Mark Paterson @ Jul 10th 2007 7:40AM]

They've moved the Safari icon from the 'dock'.

[Eduo @ Jul 10th 2007 7:42AM]

"Beginning"? So you avoided all information on the iPhone (or just weren't paying attention) and now you're feeling it's not living up to some hype you may have made of it yourself in your head?

The iPhone specs were known long before it was released. Whatever information was missing was available the very same day it was launched. There have been no surprises. If it's crap now then it was crap a week ago and three months ago.

Unless, of course, I'm missing the point that writing a comment just to show you dislike the iPhone tries to make. Woohoo, you're a rebel, good for you.

[Soulhuntre @ Jul 10th 2007 11:13AM]

But wait - you also get no copy & paste, no multi person SMS and no MMS at all! No useful push email (Yahoo barely counts) and you can ignore calls whiel you surf - actually... you have no choice because the network sucks.

[Nvntar @ Jul 11th 2007 2:22AM]

omg.. I'm so tired of iPhone bashers already. Get over it. Repeating what have been said over and over about the iPhone's flaws doesn't make you sound smarter. It is just obnoxious and boring.

[Precise @ Jul 10th 2007 7:34AM]

OK, they took the safari icon out of the bottom and put it with the rest of the apps. Let's see some custom apps or wallpaper. Something.

[timcl85 @ Jul 10th 2007 1:11PM]

It's not that easy. First and foremost, there's presently no working toolchain to build applications for the ARM architecture using Mach-O binaries. Apple obviously has one, but it's not public. Once we can build binaries, there's still the task of figuring out how the Frameworks for the iPhone interface work.

If you're so anxious, how about helping out instead of just bitching?

[CQ @ Jul 11th 2007 8:11PM]

Um, I believe that can be called owned.

[Michael Moncur @ Jul 10th 2007 7:52AM]

Why do hackers have to talk like LOLcats?

[Eduo @ Jul 10th 2007 7:56AM]

Welcome to the global village.

[Mugunth @ Jul 10th 2007 8:02AM]

See the "No Sim" display, on the top left corner... It used to be cingular (AT&T)... It's gone now.. meaning that, the iPhone is unlocked now!!!

[Leo Baghdassarian @ Jul 10th 2007 3:34PM]

I think that just means there is, uh: No SIM

[Will @ Jul 10th 2007 8:09AM]

Or it could mean that they took out the SIM card.

You know, as in "No SIM card." That's what I'd assume it means.

[Chris Clark @ Jul 10th 2007 8:11AM]

No, it just means that they took out the SIM card, which isn't hard at all.

[Mike @ Jul 10th 2007 8:13AM]

Umm, Just take a paper clip to the sim card slot after the iphone has been activated and it will say "No sim". No conformation on the unlocking so don't start a land slide of off topic comments please.

I also don't under stand why so called HACKERS. Brag about something but don't detail any information. I hate to say it and never do. But this might be a basic photoshop. If it's not just being able to move some icons around, a feature id love.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 10th 2007 1:28PM]

MEH! Wake me up when someone can "REALLY" SIM unlock this bad boy! Back to ;^snoozzzzzzzzzzzz's now!

[wee @ Jul 10th 2007 8:09AM]

Yeah, since they managed to do this simply by playing with the filesystem, it probably means that the applications are stored in folders, ie Phone, Mail, Safari and iPod in a "dock" folder and the others in a another folder.

That aside, it might mean that they know where the apps are stored and opens up the possibility of adding third party apps by just copying them into the filesystem, that's if anyone figures out how to write an app for the iPhone in the first place.

[drjman @ Jul 10th 2007 8:14AM]

It's coming, folks....

http://barcamp.org/iPhoneDevCampApps

[jsg @ Jul 10th 2007 8:22AM]

The SMS icon in the upper left corner is now "Test"

[shaun @ Jul 10th 2007 8:34AM]

It says text, as in text messages

[scottywz @ Jul 10th 2007 12:52PM]

It's always been that way.

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 10th 2007 8:26AM]

Enter: Firmware revision 1.5

"Those who do not learn from history..."

[jilie @ Jul 10th 2007 8:28AM]

!owned the filesystem"
Ipathetic!

[JJ @ Jul 10th 2007 8:41AM]

strider_mt2k: You are right.

Prepare yourselves for the second epic firmware battle of the century!!!

[Ryan @ Jul 10th 2007 9:07AM]

The question here is, how easy was it to move the Safari icon off the dock? Did the rest of the dock icons automatically center? If so, Apple has planned to change the icons around since the beginning. Also, people that say that Apple is not going to make any more stand alone apps are simply idiots. What do you think the entire BLANK bottom row is for?

[JkEw @ Jul 10th 2007 9:13AM]

Hackers haven't done squat till they've unlocked this phone!

[Michael @ Jul 10th 2007 9:24AM]

The iPhone is better in person then on paper. Which is kind of the reverse of how most things are. On paper it looks bad compared to stuff other cell phones have. Until you seriously try to use other cell phones. I've got a bunch of crap on my cell right now that is better then the iphone but I don't even dream of using it, it's so convoluted. Play with an iphone in person and you might change your mind. At least that's what happened with me. It's more like a little computer then a cell phone. Once you use one to browse the internet it seems like a joke to use any other cell phone. Even with the slower edge connection.

I'm excited to see these hacks coming. I really hope they open the door for some real customizing and third party apps. More then anything I hope they push Apple to open up the iPhone to third party app development. And unlock it so I can use the iPhone with T-Mobile.

[t-bone @ Jul 10th 2007 10:59AM]

I agree. My girlfriend is on her 3rd free RAZR and after playing with it at an AT&T store has decided to get one as soon as she gets the money,

[jilie @ Jul 10th 2007 1:02PM]

it's also better if you are an applefan

[lysdexia @ Jul 11th 2007 10:06PM]

than, dolt

[chango @ Jul 10th 2007 9:31AM]

Forget the iphone, what about these guys claiming they will release a homebrew wii modchip at E3?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OQBvqyg2f9M http://youtube.com/watch?v=2OYmPjKgHdo

[johnzilla @ Jul 10th 2007 9:38AM]

Doesn't the iPhone run OS X? If so, how did they modify system files? Does that mean the iPhone runs apps with admin rights automatically?

If it is OS X, I would have set all the "important" stuff as admin-only, and delegated normal phone operations and file access to a general user account.

So, it sounds to me like either a) the iPhone runs everything in "admin" mode or b) these guys were able to crack the password to the admin user's account, or both. Is that the case?