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Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

i.blackhat.com

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Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#21

Post by seanp2k2 »

asddubs wrote: post #8
bradleykingz wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Me too. My guess is that my brain has subconsciously tuned out engaging pdf content because of how difficult it is to use in-browser... Especially when dealing with text sizes and zooming sigh . It's even worse with pdfs on mobile :( Also the sudden break from "website" to "pdf" format is often jarring.

i prefer to let it download and just use a dedicated viewer, cuts down on the sluggishness as well.

Just amusing that after all these decades this is still not a solved problem. Why can’t the browser just translate the PDF into HTML and display it normally in a “virtual” webpage? Make it pdf:// or whatever.

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#22

Post by grawprog »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #21
asddubs wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i prefer to let it download and just use a dedicated viewer, cuts down on the sluggishness as well.

Just amusing that after all these decades this is still not a solved problem. Why can’t the browser just translate the PDF into HTML and display it normally in a “virtual” webpage? Make it pdf:// or whatever.

I thought of making something like this once. Then I started to look into the PDF standards and realized it's one of those things that you're thinking, why has nobody done this? Then you start looking into it and you realize why nobody's done it. The task would be monstrously difficult if you want to cover all the things that can be in a PDF.

PDF is a beast. It's a ridiculous file format. There's a reason why even after all these years, reading PDFs still kinda sucks.

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#23

Post by jsploit »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #21
asddubs wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i prefer to let it download and just use a dedicated viewer, cuts down on the sluggishness as well.

Just amusing that after all these decades this is still not a solved problem. Why can’t the browser just translate the PDF into HTML and display it normally in a “virtual” webpage? Make it pdf:// or whatever.

Isn't that exactly what browser PDF viewers (e.g. PDF.js [0]) already do?

[0] https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#24

Post by jchw »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #21
asddubs wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i prefer to let it download and just use a dedicated viewer, cuts down on the sluggishness as well.

Just amusing that after all these decades this is still not a solved problem. Why can’t the browser just translate the PDF into HTML and display it normally in a “virtual” webpage? Make it pdf:// or whatever.

I mean, that sounds basically like what PDF.js is. It’s not static, though.

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#26

Post by jl6 »

etaioinshrdlu wrote: post #12

By the way, iOS devices also run a completely different OS on the secure enclave: https://sel4.systems/About/seL4-whitepaper.pdf The SEL4 kernel is different because it has actually been "proved correct" and "proved secure" according to the authors.

ObKnuth:

> Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#28

Post by joecool1029 »

jsploit wrote: post #23
seanp2k2 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just amusing that after all these decades this is still not a solved problem. Why can’t the browser just translate the PDF into HTML and display it normally in a “virtual” webpage? Make it pdf:// or whatever.

Isn't that exactly what browser PDF viewers (e.g. PDF.js [0]) already do? [0] https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/

iOS solved this in like version 3 (well more specifically, safari did). For all the bitching HN does about safari at least they managed to get pdf viewing right on mobile.

On android I have to use a firefox fork called iceraven to be able to install pdf.js extension to use mozilla's own pdf.js to load pdf's in my tabs. Afaik, there's no other way to do it.

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#29

Post by smnrchrds »

jl6 wrote: post #26
etaioinshrdlu wrote: post #12

By the way, iOS devices also run a completely different OS on the secure enclave: https://sel4.systems/About/seL4-whitepaper.pdf The SEL4 kernel is different because it has actually been "proved correct" and "proved secure" according to the authors.

ObKnuth: > Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.

Layperson here: what does that mean?

Re: Everything has changed in iOS 14, but Jailbreak is eternal [pdf]

#30

Post by crazygringo »

iJohnDoe wrote: post #15
hr2016 wrote: post #2

I see many submissions from blackhat.com are direct PDF links, but that does not make me feel very comfortable.

Agreed. PDFs are still considered very unsafe from unknown sources. Always be cautious. They are constantly used in phishing attacks.

All phishing attacks require you to click on a link embedded in the PDF, right?

On the one hand, you'd think anyone technologically savvy wouldn't do that.

On the other hand, accidentally clicking on links in PDF's is the bane of my existence. I constantly consume academic books and papers as PDF's on my iPad in the built-in Books app, tap somewhere with my Apple Pencil for any number of reasons (to pan, to zoom, to highlight), and bam I'm transported 100's of pages away and with no back button.

If I could ask for any PDF reader feature, it would be to improve link handling. If it's an internal link, for the love of god include a back button. And if it's an external link for a web browser, for the love of god require a confirmation dialog first. I should never be led to a malware URL because of an accidental click.

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