The Amazon Kindle devices are likely the first thing you will have in your mind when you think of e-books. While that goes to show how popular the device is, there also are many who’d like to jailbreak a Kindle to achieve even more out of it. A hacking group has done just such a thing, releasing a new jailbreak which they said is applicable to any Kindle device running firmware version 5.14.2 or earlier.

As Liliputing mentioned, the jailbreak relies on some vulnerabilities that the Kindle firmware comes with to break through the standard Kindle security features. However, these vulnerabilities have been patched with the firmware version 5.14.3, which means one should not opt for the latest update if offered if they wish to jailbreak their device. Better still, the safest thing to do to prevent the Kindle from downloading the update automatically is to keep the Wi-Fi off.

With the Kindle, jailbreaking the same has its own set of advantages. This will let you install third-party e-book apps, change the interface, load the fonts and screensavers of your choice, and so on. In other words, you won’t be tied to the Amazon ecosystem after you have jailbroken the device. You can also revert back to the old user interface as well if you are not too fond of the latest UI.

Another thing you need to be wary of is that the jailbreaking process requires factory resetting your Kindle. So, make sure you have backed up all your files before proceeding. In any case, there always are risks involved with any jailbreaking attempt which can seriously jeopardize the hardware as well. So, make sure you are prepared for the worst case scenario before proceeding.

As for the steps, you will find them all at the MobileRead forums.

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