Crackulous: One click iPhone app cracking
Viewed from the outside, the upside down world of the hacker certainly seems absurd, especially when considered by people who may have benefited from the work of the less than legal. Thereupon, I can think of no better example of this state of affairs than Crackulous and its creator “Salad Fork.”
Here is an application for cracking the FairPlay (wikipedia) digital rights management (DRM) protection that iPhone and iPod touch applications sold via the iTunes App Store come wrapped in. So, it is good, right? Setting the software free, baby!
Well, not so much. Just like PsyStar, a company that has hacked Apple’s Mac OS X to run on white box hardware the Mac cloner assembles, Salad Fork actually expects people to respect his software (ie his property).
That is, last November, Salad Fork threatened to end the project after a pre-release version of Crackulous became available to the public, saying (via TorrentFreak), “I personally think this leak is absolutely disgusting, and downright insulting.”
For its part, TorrentFreak adds, “The latest version of Crackulous is now officially available … Expect it to become one of the most downloaded iPhone apps ever and, of course, Crackulous is free of charge. Let the app-avalanche begin—it could be a difficult one to stop.”
Well, perhaps not free for the people who actually make the software, of course.
Turn about is “fairplay”?
The big deal about Crackulous is that it allows one click cracking of App Store applications. Previously, iPhone app cracking was a rather laborious process not particularly accessible to the general public.
Yes, one would still need to legally buy the application via iTunes, but the next “X” thousand, or million for that matter, copies would be free to anyone with an unlocked phone.
Still, before you get your knickers too bunched up, check out PCWorld, which brings us the news that Crackulous has been hacked and repackaged as commercial software available at $10 pop.
That the hacker has been hacked, and his software perverted for someone else’s profit can definitely be viewed as “forking” poetic justice (more sour grapes, Salad?). However, for the hard working developers who rely on the money they make via the App Store, Crackulous is still a zero sum game and they still lose…
What’s your take?
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February 3rd, 2009
I pay for my apps and if this was available for the Touch I would uses it. Not because I’m cheap but because I have paid lots of money for garbage games and misleading applications.
I think there should be a 2 day opt out option for ALL apps and games. If you try it and it is garbage you should be able to return it.
Apple has the ability to remove apps from your phone or touch so it can be done.
February 3rd, 2009
I would download this to test it but quickpwn will not jailbreak me I have restored iphone and updated and I have newest version of quickpwn for windows but I always get stuck in reboot mode after it says I am jailbroken so I think they need to test more also after I unjailbreak I still have percentage battery and emoji icons is that the reason y I can’t jailbreak if u have any info PLZ help
February 3rd, 2009
I would download this to test it but quickpwn will not jailbreak me I have restored iphone and updated and I have newest version of quickpwn for windows but I always get stuck in reboot mode after it says I am jailbroken so I think they need to test more also after I unjailbreak I still have percentage battery and emoji icons is that the reason y I can’t jailbreak if u have any info PLZ help
oh and also ever since unjailbreaking EDGE and 3G don’t work have a BETTER day then me 