MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Tutorial KindleBreak - Software Jailbreak for (almost) any Kindle <= 5.13.3

tryol · 03-24-2021, 08:50 AM

A huge thank you to katadelos, yparitcher, SKK, jp12323 for helping me develop and debug this exploit!
Thanks to NiLuJe for customizing his jailbreak to work with it and everyone from the KindleDrip thread who helped me test it!

KindleBreak is based on KindleDrip, discovered by Yogev Bar-On, who did an amazing job finding and documenting this vulnerability.
They were not involved in the making of KindleBreak in any way.

Start here!

First of all, if you're here from the Open Sesame! thread, then welcome, keep reading! If you're not, you should go there and read it from the beginning until it directs you to come back here.

If you have any questions, consult the FAQ!
Even though this method has been extensively tested by every supported device / firmware version, you may encounter technical issues (none that may harm you device in any way), in that case consult the Technical FAQ!

Check if your device is supported using the steps below:

Use the Wiki to identify your device and make sure that its nickname is on this list:
Spoiler:
- KOA3
- KT4
- PW4
- KOA2
- KT3
- KOA
- KV
- PW3
- KT2
- PW2
If you didn't find your device and you're wondering if it'll ever get added, consult the FAQ!
If you did, then make sure it's running one of these firmwares:
(You can check your firmware version in Settings->Device Options->Device Info->Firmware Version)
Spoiler:
- 5.13.3
- 5.13.2
- 5.13.1
- 5.12.5
- 5.12.4
- 5.12.3
- 5.12.2.1.1
- 5.12.2.1
- 5.12.2
- 5.12.1.1
- 5.12.1
- 5.11.2
- 5.11.1.1
- 5.11.1
- 5.10.3
Versions that don't work:
Spoiler:
- Anything above 5.13.3
- 5.12.2.2.2 : (With this version you can't upgrade either, it's actually newer than 5.13.3 despite the name.)
- Anything below 5.10.3
Keep in mind that versions >= 5.12.x DON'T have a sure-proof way to block automatic updates right now. There is a method but I'm not sure it's been tested extensively enough for me to recommend it. If you still want to try it, check this thread for more info. Please report your results to either that thread or this one if you end up trying it! Without an OTA blocker, you'll have to keep airplane mode on if you want to be sure to avoid updates that can possibly remove your jailbreak.

If your firmware is not on this list that can be for 3 reasons:
1. It's higher than 5.13.3: Your device is not supported by this jailbreak.
2. It's lower than 5.10.3: You can update it to one of the versions on the list. If you want to stay on your current version for some reason, consult the FAQ! If you want to update to a later version and you don't know how to, check the Firmware updating tutorial!
3. It's neither, but still not on the list: I might have missed some firmware versions, so please reply to this thread and I'll make sure to get your specific version tested. If you don't want to wait, then feel free to update to one of the higher versions that are on this list. If you don't know how to do that, check the Firmware updating tutorial!

If your firmware is on the list, let's begin the Jailbreaking process:

Even though this method uses your browser, you DO NOT NEED WIFI enabled for it. Turning airplane mode off / wifi on will just risk your device updating.

Download this: jb-kindlebreak.zip
Connect your kindle to your PC with an USB in USBMS mode and unpack the contents of the archive you've just downloaded to the top-level of the visible USB storage. (It's the same directory where the documents folder is.)

It should look like this:
Code:
```
... (other folders and files)
kindlebreak.jxr
kindlebreak.html
jb.sh
jb
documents/
... (other folders and files)
```
Unplug your USB, open your Kindle's "Experimental Browser" from the top right menu, and navigate to:
Code:
```
file:///mnt/us/kindlebreak.html
```
(make sure it's 'file:///', not 'file://')

Your browser should freeze, crash and after some time (this can range from few seconds to several minutes depending on your device) your Kindle will reboot. It'll probably give you some kind of error window with the title along the lines of "Application Error" or "Collecting Debug Info".

After your device has rebooted, you're done with this thread.
The jailbreak will delete all of its own files to clean up after itself. The only thing that will be left behind is the debug log, kindlebreak_log.txt. Please keep that file until you managed to install the Jailbreak hotfix, for debugging purposes!

Now, head back to the Open Seasame! thread and continue the jailbreaking process starting from the "Making sure your JB survives updates." section!

If you've ran into any technical issues, please consult the Technical FAQ!

FAQ

Spoiler:

Technical FAQ

Spoiler:

Firmware updating tutorial (If your current firmware is not supported)

Spoiler:

03-24-2021, 08:50 AM	#1
tryol Warm Lighting Enthusiast Posts: 91 Karma: 754136 Join Date: Dec 2020 Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (jailbroken)	KindleBreak - Software Jailbreak for (almost) any Kindle <= 5.13.3 A huge thank you to katadelos, yparitcher, SKK, jp12323 for helping me develop and debug this exploit! Thanks to NiLuJe for customizing his jailbreak to work with it and everyone from the KindleDrip thread who helped me test it! KindleBreak is based on KindleDrip, discovered by Yogev Bar-On, who did an amazing job finding and documenting this vulnerability. They were not involved in the making of KindleBreak in any way. Start here! First of all, if you're here from the Open Sesame! thread, then welcome, keep reading! If you're not, you should go there and read it from the beginning until it directs you to come back here. If you have any questions, consult the FAQ! Even though this method has been extensively tested by every supported device / firmware version, you may encounter technical issues (none that may harm you device in any way), in that case consult the Technical FAQ! Check if your device is supported using the steps below: Use the Wiki to identify your device and make sure that its nickname is on this list: Spoiler: KOA3 KT4 PW4 KOA2 KT3 KOA KV PW3 KT2 PW2 If you didn't find your device and you're wondering if it'll ever get added, consult the FAQ! If you did, then make sure it's running one of these firmwares: (You can check your firmware version in Settings->Device Options->Device Info->Firmware Version) Spoiler: 5.13.3 5.13.2 5.13.1 5.12.5 5.12.4 5.12.3 5.12.2.1.1 5.12.2.1 5.12.2 5.12.1.1 5.12.1 5.11.2 5.11.1.1 5.11.1 5.10.3 Versions that don't work: Spoiler: Anything above 5.13.3 5.12.2.2.2 : (With this version you can't upgrade either, it's actually newer than 5.13.3 despite the name.) Anything below 5.10.3 Keep in mind that versions >= 5.12.x DON'T have a sure-proof way to block automatic updates right now. There is a method but I'm not sure it's been tested extensively enough for me to recommend it. If you still want to try it, check this thread for more info. Please report your results to either that thread or this one if you end up trying it! Without an OTA blocker, you'll have to keep airplane mode on if you want to be sure to avoid updates that can possibly remove your jailbreak. If your firmware is not on this list that can be for 3 reasons: It's higher than 5.13.3: Your device is not supported by this jailbreak. It's lower than 5.10.3: You can update it to one of the versions on the list. If you want to stay on your current version for some reason, consult the FAQ! If you want to update to a later version and you don't know how to, check the Firmware updating tutorial! It's neither, but still not on the list: I might have missed some firmware versions, so please reply to this thread and I'll make sure to get your specific version tested. If you don't want to wait, then feel free to update to one of the higher versions that are on this list. If you don't know how to do that, check the Firmware updating tutorial! If your firmware is on the list, let's begin the Jailbreaking process: Even though this method uses your browser, you DO NOT NEED WIFI enabled for it. Turning airplane mode off / wifi on will just risk your device updating. Download this: jb-kindlebreak.zip Connect your kindle to your PC with an USB in USBMS mode and unpack the contents of the archive you've just downloaded to the top-level of the visible USB storage. (It's the same directory where the documents folder is.) It should look like this: Code: ... (other folders and files) kindlebreak.jxr kindlebreak.html jb.sh jb documents/ ... (other folders and files) Unplug your USB, open your Kindle's "Experimental Browser" from the top right menu, and navigate to: Code: file:///mnt/us/kindlebreak.html (make sure it's 'file:///', not 'file://') Your browser should freeze, crash and after some time (this can range from few seconds to several minutes depending on your device) your Kindle will reboot. It'll probably give you some kind of error window with the title along the lines of "Application Error" or "Collecting Debug Info". After your device has rebooted, you're done with this thread. The jailbreak will delete all of its own files to clean up after itself. The only thing that will be left behind is the debug log, kindlebreak_log.txt. Please keep that file until you managed to install the Jailbreak hotfix, for debugging purposes! Now, head back to the Open Seasame! thread and continue the jailbreaking process starting from the "Making sure your JB survives updates." section! If you've ran into any technical issues, please consult the Technical FAQ! FAQ Spoiler: Q. What does this jailbreak do exactly? Is there any chance of it harming my device in any way or bricking it? A. There are zero risks involved. The worst case scenario is that nothing will happen. The only thing this jailbreak does is it puts a developer key on your device, essentially jailbreaking it. Q. I didn't find my device on the list, will it ever be supported? A. The only other device that might get supported is PW. I'll start working on that after the initial burst of people trying this method slow down. The older devices are immune to this exploit. Kindles releasing after KOA3 will almost definitely have firmware versions above 5.13.3, they won't be supported. Q. I didn't find my firmware on the list, will it ever be supported? A. Technically it's possible to generate new jailbreaking kits for any firmware version between 5.3.0 and 5.13.3. If your firmware is in that range and you have a good reason why you'd refrain from updating (not something like "I'm too lazy / don't know how to update"), then leave a reply in this thread and explain your point. Testing a new kit - especially if it's for a really old firmware - takes a long time, but if there is demand, I'm willing to try. If you didn't find an answer to your question, feel free to ask in this thread! Technical FAQ Spoiler: Q. My browser successfully loads the website and it won't crash, what am I doing wrong? A. Double check step 2 and 3 of the jailbreaking process. Maybe you've made a typo or put the files to the wrong location. Make sure that your browser has images enabled in the Browser Settings menu on the top right! If you ran into any issues not present here, please leave a reply to this thread where you describe your problem! Make sure to include answers to these questions before your problem description: 1.) What device were you using? 2.) Which firmware version is on that device? 3.) What did the browser do when you navigated to kindlebreak.html? 4.) Do you have a file called kindlebreak_log.txt in your USB's root directory? If so, what's in side it? Firmware updating tutorial (If your current firmware is not supported) Spoiler: Choose your device from the list below, copy the URL displayed next to its nickname and replace 5.XX.X with your desired firmware version. Make sure that the firmware you chose is on the list of supported versions above! PW2 and KT2 don't have firmwares above 5.12.2.1.1, you won't be able to download them. KOA3: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_all_new_oasis_v2_5.XX.X.bin KT4: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_10th_5.XX.X.bin PW4: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_all_new_paperwhite_v2_5.XX.X.bin KOA2: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_all_new_oasis_5.XX.X.bin KT3: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_8th_5.XX.X.bin KOA: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_oasis_5.XX.X.bin KV: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_voyage_5.XX.X.bin PW3: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_all_new_paperwhite_5.XX.X.bin KT2: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_5.XX.X.bin PW2: https://s3.amazonaws.com/firmwaredownloads/update_kindle_paperwhite_v2_5.XX.X.bin Connect your kindle to your PC with an USB in USBMS mode and put the downloaded update.bin file to the top-level of the visible USB storage. (It's the same directory where the documents folder is.) Unplug your USB, go to Settings on your Kindle, then from the top right menu, choose Update Your Kindle. Your kindle will restart and update to the new firmware version. Now go back to the supported firmware versions section and continue from there! Last edited by tryol; 01-27-2022 at 01:48 PM. Reason: Fixed typo (ty AlanHK)