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The story of Nicholas Allegra, aka “Comex”, is as fascinating as it is unexpected. This young hacker, known for developing a revolutionary jailbreak for the iPhone 4, caught Apple’s attention to the point of being hired. However, his time with the company came to an absurd end: a simple unanswered e-mail cost him his job.
A jailbreak prodigy
Since the launch of the iPhone, Apple has always imposed a highly locked system, limiting the possibilities of system modification. Yet some users have sought ways around these restrictions, exploiting security flaws to jailbreak their devices.
In 2010, 18-year-old Nicholas Allegra developed JailbreakMe, a novel method for unlocking iPhones. His approach was based on a flaw in the Safari library, enabling users to unlock their device directly from the browser. His exploit caused quite a stir in the tech community, and earned him a reputation surpassing that of other hackers at the time.
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Apple recruits him
Given Comex’s ingenuity, Apple decided to hire him as a remote intern in 2011. This was quite a turnaround for the man who had until then spent his time thwarting the protections put in place by the company. We don’t know exactly what his missions were, but this recruitment seemed to be a way for Apple to secure the young hacker’s talents.
However, his adventure with the company only lasted a few months. In 2012, Nicholas Allegra announced on Twitter that he was no longer with Apple. And the reason for his departure was surprising.
A dismissal for a surprising reason
When asked why he had left Apple, Comex simply replied that he had forgotten to reply to an e-mail. In fact, his internship contract was up for renewal for another year, but Apple had asked him for confirmation by e-mail. When he failed to respond, the company decided that he did not wish to continue and terminated his contract.
This abrupt departure put an end to a collaboration that could have led to a promising career with Apple. A simple oversight can have unexpected consequences, even for the brightest talents. Still, it’s a bit harsh.
