Not even Google Glass can stand up to the itchy fingers of famed iPhone hacker Jay Freeman.
He revealed via Twitter that he has successfully rooted Google's fancy new eyewear, even posting this picture as proof:
This is business as usual for Freeman, who operates under the internet handle Saurik. His app Cydia is an essential tool for anyone on a jailbroken iOS device and is automatically installed when you jailbreak. He's ubiquitous!
Using an exploit in the Android operating system originally developed by a hacker called "Bin4ry," Freeman was able to gain root access to Google Glass. This essentially gives him unlimited control over the device, leaving him free to use it any way he likes.
If you're curious for the nitty-gritty technical details of the hack, he published an extensive blog post outlining his process. But most revealing are Freeman's observations on potential security problems if a person should use this exploit to take over someone else's Glass:
"Once the attacker has root on your Glass, they have much more power than if they had access to your phone or even your computer: they have control over a camera and a microphone that are attached to your head. A bugged Glass doesn't just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesn't know are your thoughts."
Better for Google to find out about this vulnerability sooner than later.
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