Exploit writer spills beans on secret iPhone function

theregister.co.uk

62 points·ukdm··8 comments

Summary: you can create a serial cable with a dock connector so you can debug exploits if they crash the kernel.

FWIW, you can buy these cables online (I bought a couple a year or so ago).

http://superioraccessory.com/apple_iphone_serial_data_cable....

Does anyone else get the impression that Stefan himself wrote the whole thing (questions included) and just let the reporter publish it whole? These questions are just too perfect, and read like marketing speak.

*It could just be heavily adapted from the conversation, though.

Dan Goodin, the reporter who wrote this, is the real deal.

It is very likely to be heavily edited. Interviews always are. There are probably more Q&A's left out than that made it into the article.

I could be mistaken, but from previous articles regarding the serial port on the iPhone, this is NOT an actual RS232 port, instead it is a software emulated RS232 (serial) port, that actually does not provide low-level access to the device. Instead, it filters things in realtime, and interprets incoming/outgoing messages as needed.

"...this is NOT an actual RS232 port..."

Correct

"...it is a software emulated RS232 (serial) port..."

Incorrect. It's just TTL. You'll need to use something like a MAX232 to convert to RS232.

> Black Hat Independent security consultant Stefan Esser...

Is it correct to be calling him "black hat"?

Sounds like Apple is doing a ton of things right, actually. Even tried to hire the guy!

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