While you were waiting in line for the new iPad on Friday, or avoiding the mad-dash-gadget-grab altogether, hackers had already found several ways to jailbreak the coveted Apple device.
Three different groups of "hardware enthusiasts" developed code enabling them to exploit security holes on the new iPad and run unapproved apps on it, The Register reported.
"None of these methods have yet been packaged into point-and-click tools just yet, but the apparent ease with which three different approaches to jailbreaking were developed means that utilities to automate the process are likely to arrive sooner rather than later," The Register's John Leyden wrote.
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Apple did not immediately return a request for comment.
A hacker named "MuscleNerd," from the "iPhone Dev-Team," posted pictures on Twitter demonstrating his hack; the pictures show the new iPad running the Cydia Store and a terminal app, both of which can run only on jailbroken iPads. MuscleNerd reportedly developed his jailbreak for the iPad 2, but found it still works in iOS 5.1.
Also from the Dev-Team, hacker Stefan Esser posted a video showing his exploit, and hackers Grant Paul and Paul Griffin teamed up to create the third jailbreak; none of the three groups included explanations of their techniques.