BlackBerry PlayBook Simulator “Rooted” Before Launch!

I never thought this day would come! We have been informed that the BlackBerry PlayBook has been successfully rooted to expose the soft underbelly of the QNX OS. While Android devices are designed to have security/root exploits and each release of Apple’s iOS is Jailbroken within days of launch BlackBerry devices have always stood strong… until now.

A Belarusian hacker calling himself BrAFj is reporting that he has successfully accessed the BlackBerry PlayBook’s underlying QNX OS. He reported that the exploit successfully works in the BlackBerry simulator allowing low level access to the QNX OS terminal. He is currently experimenting with what he can accomplish from the QNX terminal but you can check out a video showing off the successful rooting process at the link below!

BrAFj explained that “if your device runs Adobe Flash it is not a matter of if you will be hacked but when.” For the yet to be released BlackBerry PlayBook it looks like today is the day. BrAFj cannot confirm that the root exploit will work on actual BlackBerry PlayBook devices but reports that “RIM will have to drastically change how Flash works on the BlackBerry PlayBook to patch the exploit.” That is not surprising considering Flash Player has a long storied history of critical security flaws.

My mind is still reeling from the implications of what this means for RIM. For years they have withstood any serious exploit. I am hoping this means we can get some CyanogenMods and other goodies for the PlayBook. The possibilities are endless if this exploit carries over to actual BlackBerry PlayBook devices at launch.

More details to come as the story develops! You can watch a video of BrAFj executing the BlackBerry PlayBook rooting exploit at this link.