Greenpois0n is a series of iOS jailbreaking tools developed by the Chronic Dev Team (also referred to as the greenpois0n team) that use software exploits to remove restrictions on Apple mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, and Apple TVs. Jailbreaking enables root access to the iOS operating system, allowing installation of applications and customizations unavailable through the official App Store.
Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Chronic Dev Team |
| Initial release | October 12, 2010 |
| Stable release | RC 6.1 (February 18, 2011) |
| Operating system | OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux |
| Type | iOS Jailbreaking |
| License | GPL |
Greenpois0n for iOS 3/4
The first version of Greenpois0n was released on October 12, 2010, jailbreaking iOS 4.1 on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch (third and fourth generation), and iOS 3.2.2 on the iPad 1. It also supported jailbreaking the second-generation Apple TV. The tool originally planned for release on October 10, 2010, but was delayed to integrate the limera1n exploit developed by George Hotz, which supported more devices. Both the original Greenpois0n exploit (SHAtter) and limera1n are boot ROM exploits, meaning they cannot be patched by iOS updates because bootROM code is embedded in devices during manufacturing and cannot be overwritten.
In February 2011, a new version of greenpois0n was released to jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 and iOS 4.2.6 on the CDMA (Verizon) iPhone 4. This version provided an untethered jailbreak, meaning the jailbroken device could be rebooted into a jailbroken state without computer assistance.
Greenpois0n Absinthe for iOS 5
In January 2012, developers from Chronic Dev Team and iPhone Dev Team jointly released greenpois0n Absinthe (commonly called "Absinthe"), a desktop-based tool for OS X, Windows, and Linux. It provided the first jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and a second jailbreak for the iPad 2, running iOS 5.0.1 (and iOS 5.0 for iPhone 4S). It incorporated the untether exploit called Corona, previously released by pod2g. According to the iPhone Dev Team, approximately one million devices were newly jailbroken in the three days following Absinthe's release.
In May 2012, Absinthe 2.0 was released, jailbreaking iOS 5.1.1 untethered on all iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch models supporting that version, including the third-generation iPad for the first time. It was announced at the Hack In The Box security conference in Amsterdam. Approximately one million devices were jailbroken over the weekend following its release.
Technical Notes
- Jailbreaking voids the device's warranty.
- Apple releases iOS updates specifically to patch exploits used by jailbreaking tools.
- The Chronic Dev Team's principal members included Joshua Hill ("posixninja"), Cyril, and Nikias Bassen.
