Defeating the crypting in the iPod Nano 3rd Gen firmware

[cosmin]

I had a nano 1st gen, and rockbox really ROCKED. And, after I accidentaly destroyed the first nano, I bought the new iPod Nano 3rd Gen. And now I find out that the firmware is encrypted and there won't be any iPod Linux, no Rockbox, no HACKS at all! What can there be done? Is it impossible? Where exactly IS the difficulty? And if we should succeed, can we use the separate video processor to play movies and such? What about removing the dreadful TV out lock? I think that the iPod nano 3rd gen with an improved rockbox firmware on it could be the best miniature portable music/video player in the whole wide world. I imagine playing DOOM on that small but beautifuly sharp screen. Maybe even more interesting games. And all that with an uncapped volume!!!

[saratoga]

What can there be done?

Someone needs to analyze the protections used and find a way to defeat it.  Beyond that, we don't know, since no one has done this yet!

Is it impossible?

We don't know.

Where exactly IS the difficulty?

No one has figured out how to decrypt anything yet.

[AmbiquitY]

What can there be done?

Someone needs to analyze the protections used and find a way to defeat it.  Beyond that, we don't know, since no one has done this yet!

Is it impossible?

We don't know.

Where exactly IS the difficulty?

No one has figured out how to decrypt anything yet.

Somebody has to destroy an ipod and remove the flash chip from the motherboard and read the contents, determine the algorithm and the key and then reverse engineer everything and then they're able to make apps, encrypt them and put them on the ipod. Thats what has to be done, only problem is not too many people want to destroy an ipod and actually have a flash reader.

[cosmin]

must it be destroyed in order to read its contents?

[saratoga]

must it be destroyed in order to read its contents?

Well, if you can get a BGA ROM back onto a PCB without destroying it, you're welcome to try.

Honestly though, destroying the player is the least of the problems.  Dumping the ROM itself is going to be the sticking point I think.

[cosmin]

Just HOW many of you guys are CURRENTLY and ACTIVELY working on crackin this Apple hellspawn crypting system? Just curious. I honestly will consider the day someone cracks it a GREAT day. And a mouthfull of spit into Steve Jobs's greedy face.

[mschneider]

only problem is not too many people want to destroy an ipod and actually have a flash reader.

There's your answer. There was a problem much like this with the second gen nanos, i dont think that has been solved either.

[saratoga]

Just HOW many of you guys are CURRENTLY and ACTIVELY working on crackin this Apple hellspawn crypting system?

Zero.

[cosmin]

Well, why is that? You do realise the new nano will in a short time become the world's most popular portable music and video player. Rockbox will be less and less used since all the ipods it currently runs on will become quite obsolete...
And anyway, just what is the major difference (from the firmware crypting point of view) between the old nano(1st gen) and the second or third gen? How did you guys proceed into cracking the first generation in the first place? Didn't you have to destroy the device and read it's flash meomory too?

[saratoga]

Well, why is that?

I don't know.  Probably some combination of lack of interest and lack of ability on the part of Nano 3G owners.  

And anyway, just what is the major difference (from the firmware crypting point of view) between the old nano(1st gen) and the second or third gen? How did you guys proceed into cracking the first generation in the first place? Didn't you have to destroy the device and read it's flash meomory too?

I don't think the first gen had any encryption.  

[Spanky]

You do realise the new nano will in a short time become the world's most popular portable music and video player. Rockbox will be less and less used since all the ipods it currently runs on will become quite obsolete...

I had to say something to this. As a multiple-iPod owner, I would wait a LONG time before I would buy a flash-based player. Right now they are just too expensive and don't offer much storage room. Hard-drive players are the best now, I would imagine most of the people on this forum would agree. I don't know how the flash is integrated into the iPod but for hard drives they can be easily replaced and upgraded. Right now, hard drive players are the winners. Rockbox will never become obsolete or less-used. If the project happens on hard times I will have no problem donating money or hosting a server.

[melancholydm]

hard times? The only way I could ever see that happening is if there are barely any developers working on rockbox anymore. As for the nano becoming the world's most popular portable music/video device... so what? does that make it the only alternative? 160gb ipod exist and you dont see me buying it, simply because theres no rockbox for it. PLENTY of leftover old gen ipods around or even just their parts to fix my current one.

[cosmin]

Look, I didn't mean to insult anyone or anything. And I didn't mean to say that the non-flash iPods will be obsolete, since the new iPod classic is HDD Based. But it's got the same friggin problem. Firmware encryption. That was what I was talking about. I own a 3G Nano and that's why I'm interested in it. But I raise the same problem with the iPod Classic and even with the second gen nano. And don't just say that the old ipods run rockbox and that's enough. Because the new ones have PLENTY of advantages! Wouldn't rockbox be SO much cooler on an iPod that has a special processor for video, MUCH better battery life and screen resolution? Think about that, people. Imagine rockbox USING all the hardware capabilities of the new generation of ipods! It could do LOADS of other cool stuff.

[Llorean]

So get working on it! Things don't happen by people like you standing around saying "You guys should do it!" things happen when people like you do some real work.

[cosmin]

ok then. tell me what to do. I do have a basic programming knolwedge, but I dunno how much good that's gonna do. I can't afford destroying an ipod to examine it. And even if I would get donations to do that, I don't know what exactly to do afterwards. I was thinking since you people are far more advanced and savvy in matters of computers, devices and firmwares, AND you DID crack the majority of the other ipods, you could solve this matter too. I would really like to help, also because I have some great ideas about enhancing the rockbox experience, but I'm not sure what I can do...