Filed under: Security, iPhone, iPod touch
Ziphone author demos iPhone crash to Forbes
Ziphone creator Piergiorgio Zambrini has discovered a bug with the iPhone that causes the phone to crash when it starts to play a specially-created video. Forbes.com recorded a demonstration.
The bug apparently affects the audio track of the video, which takes down the iPhone operating system. I could not independently verify the bug, because the links to the movie (and the movie file itself) shown to Forbes were no longer available online.
The bug does not permanently damage devices, according to Zambrini. He said he hasn't yet contacted Apple's security response team. Forbes.com informed an Apple spokesman about the flaw and is still awaiting an official comment.
Zambrini claims he emailed Steve Jobs personally about the bug; around the same time, he applied for employment at Apple. Apple has not yet responded to his resume. It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house.
In the Forbes.com article, Zambrini now claims his goal "...is not to work for Apple."
Zambrini created Ziphone, a popular iPhone unlocking tool.
Thanks, Taylor!
Update: A tipster sends word that he's been in touch with Apple's Product Security Team, and says the crash has been fixed as of iPhone OS 2.1. There is no threat to users as long as your iPhone software is up-to-date.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Z00L said 5:22PM on 11-03-2008
z0mg, now i can't get Zamboni images out of my head, ty!!!
P.S. This guy never quits huh?
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Yazdgerd said 11:10AM on 11-04-2008
The one responsible for permanently damaging many iPhones globally, wants to apply for a job at Apple?
I wouldn't give him even a job like halloween after-party trash collector.
onemanarmy said 3:39PM on 11-04-2008
sup Z00L!
Jesper said 5:23PM on 11-03-2008
No he didn't. He just stole some code and slapped a GUI on it.
I wonder who really discovered this...
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Josh said 5:52PM on 11-03-2008
Noooo!
Don't let this thief into Apple. He has the maturity level of a 3 year old. Seriously. Zibri, grow up a bit and then find another company you can screw.
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ConsultDifferent said 4:30AM on 11-04-2008
How true -- yes, 'immature personality' comes to mind when talking about Zibri, as I have had the 'pleasure' of exchanging messages with him in the past.
It's amusing how he claims to not want to work for Apple, no not at all, but then applies for a job, at the same time as writing to Jobs directly with what amounts to coercion -- a kind of strategy that really does not play well, I would imagine. So, if he wasn't already blacklisted previously, he certainly is now -- meaning, none of his email would even reach any destination at Apple.
While I do agree that ZiPhone was a good and reliable solution (in the latest version), the man behind it is neither.
(Brilliant girlfriend analogy, by the way_
Cowfodder said 5:52PM on 11-03-2008
Maybe a little fact checking is in order. Zibri did not "create" ziphone. He was at one point a member of the dev team, then he stole so preliminary code for an exploit they were looking into. He wrote the interface that ziphone uses and pushed it out to the masses without adequate testing, which then cause all sorts of bricks and mac address issues. This guy deserves credit only for being a moron, and that's it.
Disclaimer: I am not a member of the Dev Team, nor do I speak for them officially. I'm just a fan of their work.
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cliff said 6:05PM on 11-03-2008
what a loser that guy zibri is. he's trying to scare apple into hiring him.
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bshigenaka said 6:27PM on 11-03-2008
I'm surprised no one's mentioned yet how you have to sit through TWO commercials just to see the video, which has about three seconds of meaningful content. One commercial I can understand, but launching a commercial, then a teaser, then another commercial, is just evil. I'm not sure who's the bigger douchenozzle, Zambrini or Forbes.com....
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Jon Hege said 6:56PM on 11-03-2008
"It strikes me that Zambrini is trying to appeal to Apple in the same way that your ex-girlfriend tries to appeal to you by spray painting the front of your house."
Oh jeez, that's gold!
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geodee said 7:32PM on 11-03-2008
ZiPhone worked well in its time, regardless of whose code it was. However, on his blog he tried to scam google by asking all visitors to click his text ads. When that failed he got mad, claiming google stole his money. Zambrini is a total wanker.
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Dragon said 8:55PM on 11-03-2008
I happen to know he's stolen this video without crediting the original source, too.. I knew about this video back in february.
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Dave said 12:05AM on 11-04-2008
This whole thing is almost surreal. Hopefully Apple responds publicly to him. :)
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Anonymous Guy said 6:34AM on 11-04-2008
Normally I post with my real name, this time, I'll stay anonymous.
I will say that this guy had the technical ability to work for Apple. But, he doesn't have the professional tact. There were other ways to demonstrate this to Apple... some of which, probably would have landed him the job he was looking for.
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Jash Sayani said 8:37AM on 11-04-2008
Oh! Now I know what Zibri was upto all this time......
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rob said 12:41PM on 11-04-2008
whoopty f*ing do, I can demo my iPhone crashing every 5 seconds just by browsing safari. Why don't they fix that, instead forbes is doing a story on some video that makes it crash... How many people even have this video? Now how many people have iPhones that crash 24/7!!! F*** forbes and zibri and mobile safari ever since 2.0 the iPhone is an unstable piece of crap
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musyne said 3:11PM on 11-04-2008
That's the exploit ? A simple crash ?
The iPhone doesn't need a malicious video for that !
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dif said 4:55PM on 11-04-2008
I remember my first jailbreak.... you guys remember ibrickr? NateTrue?
That was a bitch.... then came the soft upgrade , thanks Nate.
Ah yes... I remember Ziphone's release, the break up, and the drama...
But oh what ease it brought to us all. One click , five minutes... done.
I remember the blogs... the praise, the pleading. Yes there were many from a certain "Team" begging... demanding for yet another release. The Key.
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bdot said 10:30PM on 11-04-2008
that's it?
his link causes safari to open, then the phone crashes when a non-supported video gets launched?
that doesn't seem like a bug.
i am not a computer-smart guy, but that could happen on MANY websites, couldn't it?
the "report", (all exhausting 15 seconds of it), doesn't go into very much detail, does it?
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mathue said 1:25PM on 11-05-2008
I can't fathom why one would email Jobs in such a fashion! If I had a prospective employee show up having shown they could cause havoc with my product they'd be led right back out the door. What next, rob a bank and then ask to be a teller?
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