David Wang (hacker)

Early Career and iOS Jailbreaking

David Wang, widely known by his online handle planetbeing, emerged as a notable figure in the mobile security community in 2007 as part of the early iOS jailbreaking scene. That year, he developed instructions enabling Windows users to jailbreak an iPhone, broadening access to the process beyond more technically specialized audiences. He also contributed to the initial version of JailbreakMe, one of the most recognized tools in the jailbreaking community.

Wang was an active member of the iPhone Dev Team, a prominent group of iOS hackers, and later joined the Evad3rs, a team responsible for several significant iOS jailbreaks. Among their most notable releases was Evasi0n, a widely used jailbreaking tool. His contributions with the Evad3rs earned him a Pwnie Award, a peer-recognized honor in the information security community.

Wang also authored xpwn, an open source tool related to iPhone hacking that received enough attention to be cited in published books on the subject.

Android on iPhone

In 2010, Wang modified iPhone software to enable the Android operating system to run on Apple's hardware, a technically ambitious project that demonstrated deep knowledge of both platforms' internals. He revisited a similar effort in 2020 while at Corellium, working on an experimental tool to run Android on iPhones.

Security Research and the FBI

While employed at Azimuth Security, Wang worked on a project for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in which he helped unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the attackers involved in the 2015 San Bernardino attack. This work placed him at the center of the high-profile Apple–FBI encryption dispute, a legal and public policy controversy over government access to encrypted devices.

In 2016, Wang and collaborators presented a talk at the Black Hat security conference that provided technical details about the iPhone's Secure Enclave Processor, contributing to the public body of knowledge around Apple's hardware security architecture.

Corellium and Legal Disputes

Wang cofounded Corellium, a company offering virtualization services that allow organizations to test phone software in simulated environments. The platform attracted attention when it emerged that Corellium had offered or sold its product to at least some companies that develop spyware. Apple sued Corellium in 2019, with accusations that included allegations the company sold its product to governments seeking to find vulnerabilities in iPhones. The dispute between Apple and Corellium was ultimately settled in 2023.

Other Ventures

Wang also cofounded Quantum Metric, a data analytics company, reflecting a broader entrepreneurial trajectory alongside his security research work.