Well Known Developer Cracks Bootloader on Galaxy S4 But Won’t Release It Until Verizon Launches Their Variant
Security expert and Android fan Dan Rosenberg (@djrbliss) posted a teaser photo today confirming his success at cracking the bootloader on the AT&T version of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Naturally, everyone was jumping up and down asking about a public release date and hoping for the best. Surprising to some, Dan Rosenberg has decided to hold off on releasing the exploit until Verizon releases their variant of the Galaxy S4.
So, why is Rosenberg suddenly playing hard to get with his latest work of genius? Even though there isn’t a guarantee that his method will even work on Verizon’s Galaxy S4, the real issue becomes if it is cross compatible. If the exploit is successful for Verizon too, then Rosenberg doesn’t want Big Red and their security team to spoil all his fun. Think about it this way, if Rosenberg releases it now, then Samsung and Verizon will have more than enough time to put their big heads together to come up with a patch.
Here is the quick Q&A he went through over at XDA this afternoon:
Is that the AT&T-branded Galaxy S4?
Yes. It wouldn’t be very interesting otherwise.Does this allow you to run custom kernels and recoveries?
Yes.When will this be released?
I will not be publishing anything at least until the Verizon-branded Galaxy S4 begins shipping (late May).Does that mean it will work on the Verizon model?
It is highly likely this will also work on the Verizon model, but since I don’t have one I’m unable to test at this time.Will bothering me result in an early release?
No.Is this the result of a leak?
No. I would not associate myself with the publication of confidential materials that are proprietary to these companies, regardless of the fact that I disagree with their policies on device openness. Plus, where’s the fun in that?What about the bounty?
Feel free to wait until I publish and decide for yourself if it meets your criteria. As always, I prefer any donations go to a reputable charity organization instead of me, but I won’t refuse if you insist on throwing money at my PayPal (http://goo.gl/zBGb0).Is it safe to install OTA updates?
If you are interested in taking advantage of this release, it is recommended that you avoid installing OTA updates until it is published. Please be aware that refraining from installing updates may prevent you from receiving security and stability fixes for your device, and consider whether this is a risk you are willing to accept.
