Rooting is a common practice among many Android users and even more popular in the world of Apple. Essentially rooting a device gives a user full control over the OS provided. Most people are familiar with jailbreaking as it gained its popularity among Apple users to install third party apps; another advantage of rooting your device. Jailbreaking/rooting takes advantage of security exploits found in the devices OS. These exploits or holes if you will, allow access to the most trusted part of a UNIX based system root user, in Microsoft Windows you could think of it as the Administrator account.
These kind of exploits are virtually unheard of in the world of BlackBerry because of the security measures that RIM goes through to ensure their devices meet industry security standards. Needless to say when rumors of the BlackBerry PlayBook being rooted began to surface last night it was pretty big news. If true, this would be the first time the PlayBook has been hacked, most of it was hearsay, but the source a well know hacker and Apple cracker Mr.Chris Wade AKA @cmwdotme proved otherwise. Late last night he tweeted that he had successfully rooted the PlayBook, and he jovially code named it "DingleBerry"
Earlier today a video surfaced showing what appears to be the PlayBook completely rooted. Could this be the proof that we have been looking for? It just may be. One think to note is that this is not the development version this is a standard version of the PlayBook OS 1.0.8.4985 so its just up to date. Also you can see the commands in response to the touch. So it goes to show that it can be done on any version to date.
Looks like we will be seeing an installer in the weeks to come as well. Now we wait on RIM's response. This is something that they have never had to deal with before at this level. What this does is open a whole new world on the PlayBook. Could we see a underground app world like
Cydia soon?
4Likes
Reply With Quote
button in the bottom right of a post to say thanks!
