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Comex, the Hacker Behind JailbreakMe.com, Hired as Apple Intern

Thursday August 25, 2011 5:28 pm PDT by Jordan Golson
Comex, the hacker behind JailbreakMe.com, is joining Apple as an intern. JailbreakMe.com made it extremely easy for iOS users to jailbreak their devices simply by visiting a website. He announced the hiring on Twitter:
It's been really, really fun, but it's also been a while and I've been getting bored. So, the week after next I will be starting an internship with Apple.
Forbes unmasked Comex as Nicholas Allegra, a 19-year old Brown University student from Chappaqua, NY, by Forbes. In that article, Allegra described jailbreaking as "like editing an English paper... You just go through and look for errors. I don’t know why I seem to be so effective at it."

Allegra's latest jailbreak utilized an exploit in Apple's PDF renderer to run custom software to crack iOS devices. Apple patched the bug after little more than a week, but the elegant solution, and the complete ease with which it allowed users jailbreak their phones, illustrate the talent that Allegra has.

The Forbes article ended by wondering if Apple's security team needs a new intern. It seems that they do, though Allegra didn't specify what he will be working on at Apple.

This isn't the first time Apple has hired from the jailbreak community. Earlier this year MobileNotifier developer Peter Hajas was picked up as an Apple summer intern. Unlike Hajas, however, Allegra has actually been responsible for some of the tools that have made jailbreaking possible on the iPhone.

[ 153 comments ]


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OceanView
99 months ago
No more jb. Crap
Rating: 30 Votes
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rockosmodurnlif
99 months ago
If you can't beat 'em, hire 'em.

Wonder how different this story would be if the courts hadn't ruled jailbreaking as legal.
Rating: 24 Votes
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DrJohnnyN
99 months ago
Good for him, and good for Apple.
Rating: 22 Votes
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Apple OC
99 months ago

I wonder what Apple wants from him (as in, are they really going to ask him to help lock down the OS?) :eek:


I doubt he will be working retail :cool:
Rating: 20 Votes
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chrmjenkins
99 months ago
Microsoft employs the same strategy and it works for them. Sony, well, they punish their hackers. *Looks at financial results of Apple, Microsoft and Sony* Hmm, I wonder who has the right approach.
Rating: 18 Votes
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superstrikertwo
99 months ago
Same thing governments do. Hire the hackers trying to get into their systems. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
Rating: 16 Votes
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Warbrain
99 months ago



No more jb. Crap


There will continue to be jailbreaks. But I suspect you'll be seeing less reason for users to do it as iOS evolves.

If you can't beat 'em, hire 'em.

Wonder how different this story would be if the courts hadn't ruled jailbreaking as legal.


Likely the same. Hire whoever is the smartest and best, even if they're hacking your OS. iOS will only improve from this addition.
Rating: 15 Votes
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iEnvy
99 months ago
Pay him a ***** load of cash, he'll probably make iOS security tighter
Rating: 14 Votes
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42streetsdown
99 months ago



What isn't debatable is that comex is a sell-out, and won't stand for his principles. I said this on Twitter, and I think it makes a good point:


You can't blame a guy for taking a job that is gonna make him financially independent. He's frikin 19 and working at a company that makes products that he loves. He is living his dream. That is a great thing for him, and we should be happy for him.

Get off your high horse and stop whining that you won't get your exploits handed to you on a plate. comex jailbroke for fun. Fun was the principle that he stood for and will continue to stand for.

If you don't like it that hackers aren't doing things for you, go write your own exploits.
Rating: 10 Votes
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frjonah
99 months ago

Same thing governments do. Hire the hackers trying to get into their systems. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.


...or, as the case may be, close many, many loopholes with one stoner :D
Rating: 8 Votes

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