back to article New tool jailbreaks Microsoft Surface slabs in 20 SECONDS

Microsoft was quick to brush off the debugging hack that allows locked-down Windows RT Surface slabs to run any unauthorised desktop software. But now the exploit has been packaged into a slick jailbreaking tool that can unlock a Redmond fondleslab in seconds. A programmer going by the name of Netham45 has released RT …

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  1. Silverburn
    Facepalm

    New tool jailbreaks Microsoft Surface slabs in 20 SECONDS

    Good to see MS's security initiative delivering results...

    1. Phoenix50
      FAIL

      They are delivering results - it says the tool takes 20 seconds to jailbreak it - it doesn't say it took 20 seconds for them to work out HOW to break it.

      As usual from The Register, biting the hand that feeds IT...so long as it's not Google.

    2. Silverburn
      Facepalm

      Netham45 reckons you can jailbreak a slab in about 20 seconds just by running the runExploit.bat file on the tablet and pressing a button

      Even more damning will be that improving/fixing this particular security issue will probably be harder for the end user than running the hack in the first place...

      1. dogged
        FAIL

        I would agree with you, Silverburn.

        IF.

        1. You didn't need a remote debugger session to the WinRT tablet running to perform this hack.

        2. You didn't need to rerun this hack (with remote debugger) EVERY. TIME. YOU. BOOT.

        This is not any kind of practical jailbreak and even if it were, what are you going to run on it? Paint.net? Wow.

        This FAIL is for you.

        1. Silverburn

          @ dogged.

          Way to completely miss the point.

          Do you *really* think jailbreaking - in whatever form - should be this easy on an MS operating system / hardware device in 2013?

          1. Zaphod.Beeblebrox
            Pirate

            @Silverburn

            Considering the device has been out for several months, and someone is just now able to partially jailbreak it speaks to how well it has held up. Consider that new iOS versions / iDevices are often jailbroken on day one...

            1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

              Re: @Zaphod

              Time taken to hack also depends on the competition: there is plenty of other kit that is just as good, cheaper and does not require any serious effort to get root access. I do not expect to see good surface hacks until after the tablet sells at fire sale prices.

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: @Silverburn

              "Consider that new iOS versions / iDevices are often jailbroken on day one..."

              Yeah, not lately, though. There was news in some places a few days ago that there was a nearly finished untethered one for iOS 6:

              http://www.redmondpie.com/ios-6-jailbreak-for-iphone-5-untethered-is-ready-on-ios-6.0.2-still-needs-some-work-done-on-ios-6.1/

              Really annoying, browsing on my iPad has adverts for now, and I don't have all my nice Cydia-installed command line tools. I probably shouldn't have upgraded it to see just how rubbish Apple Maps really was :)

            3. Someone Else Silver badge
              Coat

              Re: @Zaphod.Beeblebrox

              Or...considering that the device has about the same market penetration as chicken pox, it may have just taken awhile to raise enough interest in someone to be arsed to jailbreak it.

          2. dogged
            Facepalm

            @Silverburn - if it was easy, it wouldn't need to be done programmatically. The list of instructions to follow is actually way beyond most device owners. Most of them won't even know what the VS debugger is, let alone how to conduct a remote session. Then configuring trust levels in memory... yeah, SOOOOO easy.

            And next time you boot, do it again? And again? Within 24 hours of the iPhone 4's release, you could jailbreak it by opening a website.

            This is a whole different bucket of cod.

            1. hplasm
              Windows

              This is a whole different bucket of cod.

              Still smells fishy though...

            2. JeffyPooh
              Pint

              Did someone actually adopt that position?

              "...The list of instructions to follow is actually way beyond most device owners. Most of them won't even know what the VS debugger is, let alone how to conduct a remote session. Then configuring trust levels in memory... yeah, SOOOOO easy. ..."

              Whoever adopted such a position needs to get a brain and have it installed. It's right up there with some of the most dim-witted conceptual positions ever.

              Complex instructions can be translated into scripts. It takes a few days or perhaps a week or two. It's inevitable.

              Then ANYONE can 'click-click'.

              Duh.

          3. JDX Gold badge

            "Do you *really* think jailbreaking - in whatever form - should be this easy on an MS operating system / hardware device in 2013?"

            Sure why not? iOS devices get jailbroken without fail, as do Android devices (those which try to stop you anyway)

            1. DaLo
              FAIL

              iPhone 5 iOS6 Jailbreak

              Really? the iPhone 5 running the latest iOS6 hasn't been reliably jailbroken yet and some think it might take 6 months.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: iPhone 5 iOS6 Jailbreak

                "iPhone 5 iOS6 Jailbreak

                Really? the iPhone 5 running the latest iOS6 hasn't been reliably jailbroken yet and some think it might take 6 months."

                Have you ever considered doing a bit of research before making a statement like that?

                Even if it were true, why bother? How would it 'improve' a phone?

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Anonymous Coward

                  Re: iPhone 5 iOS6 Jailbreak

                  "Even if it were true, why bother? How would it 'improve' a phone?"

                  System-wide ad-blocking? Duh.

          4. tom dial Silver badge
            WTF?

            Hypothetical question

            Hypothetically. Only.

            It's MY computer; ought I need to "jailbreak" it to install and run programs of my choice?

            It is my (hypothetical) computer isn't it? If not, what did I actually buy for my hypothetical $500 or more? Was it merely a one-time, periodically renewable, license to purchase programs, for additional (hypothetical) dollars, from Microsoft's store?

            While cryptographic signing of software and secure boot are not bad by themselves, they are not likely to be infallible, as key compromises related to SSL show; and Microsoft has not given strong reason over the last 30 or so years to trust them. More than Microsoft I blame hardware manufacturers for not simply providing the software to generate and replace the platform key, sign software, and maintain the internal key database. Most people would forget or never use it, but it is true equally that most people do not use the BIOS, either with or without a password.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I'd not cover it as a security issue, it's a returning proper control to the user issue...

          Also it was inevitable things like this would happen, it's just what you get when you basterdise a desktop OS to run on a mobile device.

    3. Tom 35

      Not really MS

      Any type of locked down to make you buy our stuff is not going to work. How long do they take to jailbreak iOS after every update? Most Android devices are easy to root. Even DVD region codes.

      This is just another example of how pointless it is to try and lock stuff.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Erm, but it hasnt really been jailbroken. You still cant permanently change the OS at all. This is just using a debugging tool with admin rights to temporarily turn off code signing.

      It doesnt even let you do anything desirable like pirate Store apps as far as I can see?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Yes...

        It's much more like given day release, rather than jail broken.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      hmm...

      I'm sure they'd be right on this, if it weren't for the fact that there is already a KB article on the MS web site detailing how to sideload non-signed apps.

      That said that app list does look like pretty much everything I'd want to run on a tablet that's not there already.

      1. Richard Plinston

        Re: hmm...

        > I'm sure they'd be right on this, if it weren't for the fact that there is already a KB article on the MS web site detailing how to sideload non-signed apps.

        And this requires MS Volume licencing and an Enterprise server that is set up as a repository. It is true that a corporate can obtain licences to create their own app store, for RT this may involve having to upgrade the Office RT licences as well because the one that comes with Surface do not allow corporate or commercial use.

        So it is not quite what most mean by 'sideloading'.

  2. Zaphod.Beeblebrox
    Thumb Up

    About time!

    I've been waiting fo rthis since the Surface was released. Now, we just need to get one that doesn't have to be re-run each time the device is rebooted and I'll be all set!

    1. MissingSecurity
      Pint

      Re: About time!

      Well, Windows does include this thing called task scheduler.

      I suppose most windows users are not used to a cron like program, but it exists.

  3. nigel 15

    is the number of seconds...

    it takes to jailbreak worthy of being in the headline?

    if it took a minute would it be any different?

    and how long have we been calling gaining root access jailbreaking? keep that for the daily mail.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: is the number of seconds...

      Actually, you can already get admin access on WinRT, that's not the problem- even as admin, you can't run non-signed apps.

      Maybe *you* should read less Faily Mail, too.

  4. Androgynous Crackwhore
    Gimp

    The ATIV was Samsung's Windows 8 PC, tablet and Windows Phone 8 range, and was the backwards spelling of vita, meaning "life" in Latin.

    I'm quickly growing rather fond of Samsung

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      So is it life backwards because MS are finally coming back to life in the mobile sector? Or because all life at Redmond is backward? Or a dig at the Sony PS Vita? Enquiring minds would like to know.

  5. Dave Fox
    FAIL

    Run *any* desktop software of their choosing?

    Methinks not!

    That would be any old desktop app which has been recompiled for ARM, the list of which is exceedingly small.

    1. Paul Anderson
      Alert

      Re: Run *any* desktop software of their choosing?

      Absolutely right, Dave! Readers should be clear that this will *NOT* allow Windows RT to execute desktop software code compiled for x86, as Windows RT and the Surface RT run on ARM, not x86.

      This story needs correcting!

    2. Captain DaFt

      Re: Run *any* desktop software of their choosing?

      Well... it might come in handy for homebrew apps... like one that resets the bootloader to run the OS of your choice... just saying.

      Now if only some numpty gets iOS running on it, just to piss off the maximum number of fanbois, of all creeds!

  6. Parax

    that there hadn't been a "very clear positioning of what Windows RT meant in the marketplace"

    Windows Restricted Tablet.

    Make better suggestions below:

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: that there hadn't been a "very clear positioning of what Windows RT meant in the marketplace"

      Windows RISC Terminator

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: that there hadn't been a "very clear positioning of what Windows RT meant in the marketplace"

      Windows Rooted Turd

  7. Corborg
    Pirate

    Aharrrrrrrrrr

    ... piracy.... Microsoft's most successful marketing strategy to date. I don't expect them to fill the gap soon.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Oh, how I love pearoasting this...

    Windows RG... really good.

    http://fwd.im/WinRG (needs Flash, of course)

    1. Lexxy
      Trollface

      RE: (needs Flash, of course)

      Of course, all the really good stuff on the internet needs Flash.

    2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Oh, how I love pearoasting this...

      http://fwd.im/WinRG (needs Flash, of course)

      Delightful

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Bizarre

    Let me get this straight. the Surface is locked down, someone has released an exploit, and people are moving to rubbish the quality of the exploit as it must be run each reboot, but not one single whine about the fact the Surface is locked down to signed apps...?

    You can tell this isn't about an iPad can't you.

    1. DragonLord

      Re: Bizarre

      Not really. More importantly, you can tell that microsofts marketing strategy is working. After all they have 1 platform for people that want to get work done, and 1 platform for people that just want stuff to work while they're browsing the net, reading email, playing games, etc. and only occasionally need to do anything office productivity like.

      I suspect that if windows 8 had only come out in RT flavour with no "pro" versions available people would have been more eager to break into it and bypass the security properly.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bizarre

      You're new to Them Internets, aren't you? Please take a seat.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bizarre

      MS are dammed if they do, dammed if they don't here:

      1) They release an OS which is a target for viruses and malware, bad MS

      2) They release a locked down OS which can't run anything that's not signed and obtained from a known source, bad MS.

      1. tom dial Silver badge

        Re: Bizarre

        Correct on both counts. However, the second needs correction:

        They release a locked down OS which can't run anything that's not signed and obtained from a known source, attempting thereby to create a monopoly on the distribution of software to run on the OS.

        They are doing this in a somewhat mature market to which they are a newcomer (or failed entrant, if we consider the smartphone to be part of it), completely ignoring that they became big partly by providing an OS platform for which a large number of vendors could write and sell programs. I should have sold my MS shares years ago, but don't have a great deal and kept it, hoping they would manage to do something sensible.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Bizarre

          I should have sold my MS shares years ago, but don't have a great deal and kept it, hoping they would manage to do something sensible.

          D'oh! You made it seem ironic that the "Darwin award" thing can't really be applied to pensions ;o)

  10. Lamont Cranston
    Coat

    Ativ4zaggin

    I hope it comes with Beats Audio.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The bootnote was in my opinion the most interesting part of the article

    It clearly explains Microsoft's present difficulties with Windows8 in tablets and mobile market. It also explains why the PC as a computing device is in decline. The trouble is now Microsoft has lost its stranglehold like they had with PCs on hardware manufacturers. When PCs were the only computing device, not toeing the line and disobeying Microsoft's orders resulted in putting the insurgents out of business. Without Windows licenses, the whole inventory of PCs would become nothing but scraps of plastic and metal without any chance of ever hitting the retail stores. For the hardware manufacturers it was a "You will comply!" single alternative.

    Now with tablets and smartphones and especially with that pesky free Android, OEMs can happily sell their kit and keep all the money for themselves. They are not stupid anymore to allow Microsoft to saddle them. It was an easy choice for Samsung to decline being chained at the rear of the Microsoft's wagon and instead chose to make mountains of cash selling Android devices.

    Microsoft will not disappear but at least in the consumer space, they can safely kiss goodbye the market dominance. They will have to compete like everybody else, which after all is not that bad for us.

    For the moment, I strongly believe Microsoft's next step will be to send their lawyers to serve Samsung with a patent infringement lawsuit. However, this will not be of any help since manufacturers and consumers now know there is life after Windows and only a few of them will be recaptured and brought back into Redmond camp.

    1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Unhappy

      Re: The bootnote was in my opinion the most interesting part of the article

      "The trouble is now Microsoft has lost its stranglehold like they had with PCs on hardware manufacturers."

      Many have said this.

      Regularly.

      And yet in in 2013 what OS is running on most desktops in the world?

      1. Dave Fox
        Happy

        And yet in in 2013 what OS is running on most desktops in the world?

        The problem here is that the desktop is losing relevance in the world of 2013 and beyond.

        Devices like the iPad, Surface, Asus Transformer, and internet connected TVs are already supplanting the desktop/laptop in the home, and making inroads into the business world too.

        Far, far, too early to signal the death knell of the desktop as we know it, but I do think the traditional laptop is definitely on its way out, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if at the home/office, we all end up with smart docks which we can slip out phones into to provide a more "desktop" like environment, such as the one you can already get for the Galaxy Note II.

  12. TheWeddingPhotographer

    how dare they

    how dare they

    Tell us what we can or cant do on our computers that we pay for

    Sheer arrogance. Seriously, they need to wise up to what users actually want

  13. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    2 issues here.

    Requiring crypto signature from reputable (uncompromised) source good.

    Making source the only place you can get those apps (which have to paid for) bad.

    Yes figuring out how how to safeguard your customers while granting access to all valid suppliers (IE potential competitors) in a fair way is a tough problem.

    Isn't that what MS executives get paid humougous amounts of cash and stock options to solve?

    Unless you run your slate permanently once broken this does not seem a practical jailbreak.

    But this is Jailbreak 0.1. The goalposts have only started to move. Thumbs up for 1st effort.

    1. Someone Else Silver badge
      Stop

      Uhh, no, actually

      Isn't that what MS executives get paid humougous amounts of cash and stock options to solve?

      No. They get paid humongous amounts of cash and stock options to make Microsoft the dominant brand in whatever market they want to enter. Granting access to valid suppliers in a fair way (actually, doing anything in a fair way) is just plain not on the list. What may be on the list is allowing others beside themselves to punt software on their precious device, but if that might decrease their dominance, then guess which of these conflicting goals will be given the ol' heave-ho?

  14. MIc
    Mushroom

    At some point

    all this negativity towards MS will wind down.

    MS is now one of the most ethical companies : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/17/microsoft-most-ethical-company_n_837003.html

    And the make good kit like WP8 in the 920:http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/12/31/12-awards-the-nokia-lumia-920-won-in-2012/

    and the surface / surface pro.

    I don't like iPads but I don't run my mouth about how they suck because they are a well built device.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "The RT Jailbreak tool will not permanently alter the machine, but since it is only changing a kernel variable in RAM, it must be run after rebooting or powering up the tablet if one wishes to continue using any unauthorised software."

    How long before the batch file is not put into a startup folder and doesn't even require the user to click or do anything?

  16. rogerpjr
    Alien

    Android, anyone

    Anybody know how to load Android onto one of these things... JB or ICS???

    Kindly respond here

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Android, anyone

      Yes. Send your Surface back for a refund, and get a Nexus 10.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who gives a shit? It's the new windows CE.

  18. JeffyPooh
    Pint

    The other shoe dropping...

    The article mentions that running to rooting script opens the OS to malware.

    Duh - the malware authors could copy-and-paste the rooting script into the top of their malware. Does the user have to crank a handle for twenty seconds while the rooting script runs?

    The duh-obvious implication here is that this OS is not as secure as they claimed, because arbitrary malware (written next month) can be executed on the stock OS - simply by incorporating the rooting script into the malware. Duh.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The other shoe dropping...

      but the malware can't run until the rooting script has been run...

      1. jonathanb Silver badge

        Re: The other shoe dropping...

        The malware can contain the rooting script ...

        1. RICHTO
          Mushroom

          Re: The other shoe dropping...

          But if you change the OS, it won't boot, and will ask you to run recovery. Nothing here allows malware to get around that...

          1. JeffyPooh
            Pint

            Re: The other shoe dropping...

            They (the malware authors) don't "change the OS", they append the Root Script + Malware to something just outside "the OS". The implications are huge, and are perfectly predictable.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: The other shoe dropping...

              Poor RICHTO. Desperately flogging* the bloated stinking corpse of a dead horse again.

              *Flogging in both senses of the word! ;o)

  19. Ilgaz

    Bat

    Buy a tablet that will run bat files...

  20. IGnatius T Foobar

    maybe

    I'm sure the Surface RT could be a usable device ... if it were reloaded with Android ... and if its keyboard didn't suck ... and if it were a quarter of the price.

    1. RICHTO
      Mushroom

      Re: maybe

      The keyboards are both really good actually. Clearly you havnt used one to be saying that...

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Now is the time

    Now that the judicial system has ruled that jail-breaking of digital hardware is illegal, it's time to send all the perps to prison.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Now is the time

      Where did you get that idea from ?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Now is the time

        >Where did you get that idea from ?

        Page 1, M$ marketing manual of FUD

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