After just one weekend, iPad 2 is already jailbroken

Hackers have already managed to break open Apple's latest iPad, with developer and hacker Comex saying he had managed to do so remotely over the weekend. While proof of the jailbreak has shown up in photos and video on the Internet, it will not be made available immediately as it must be packaged for public use.

According to talk on Twitter, versions for both the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad could be released shortly, although no specific date for its release has been given.

While the speed of the jailbreak may be surprising, iOS 4.3 (which the iPad runs on) had also been cracked open quickly: hackers there only needed about 24 hours. In that case developers likely had access to beta versions of the operating system, allowing those working on the crack to test out their work before iOS 4.3's actual release.

Details on the actual jailbreak have not been disclosed, probably to prevent Apple from moving quickly to close the hole. "Would've had it yesterday if I didn't have to spend 1.5 days looking for a replacement exploit (which came from a most unexpected place…)," Comex tweeted Sunday.

He also used a friend's iPad nearly 2,500 miles away and jailbroke it remotely, meaning whatever was done to hack the tablet device may be able to be done akin to what the iPhone Dev Team did with jailbreakme.com last August.

As always, jailbreaking any iOS device comes with risks. There is no guarantee that the hack will work on every device, and updates can sometimes cause the hack to stop working. Additionally, Apple's warranty becomes void if a device is jailbroken.