Free your Kindle!
Why Bother?
Amazon recently decided to prevent users from directly downloading the ebooks they’ve paid for.
This isn’t just a small inconvenience. It’s a reminder of how fragile “digital ownership” is when it’s wrapped in restrictive cloud ecosystems and licensing terms.
If you care about actual ownership, offline access, long-term preservation, or simply being able to load your own books onto your own device, this shift is painful. Yes, there are still ways to strip DRM, but these methods are against Amazon’s TOS and noticeably more tedious than before. And even if you manage to free your files, sending them to the Kindle via Send-to-Kindle works only when it feels like it.
I often get books from sources other than Amazon (don’t let Jeff bezos read this), so unlocking the full functionality of my Kindle has been on my to-do list for a long while.
Unfortunately, the newer Kindle OS versions weren’t vulnerable to the older WinterBreak exploit, which only supported up to version 5.18.0.2.
That changed recently with the release of AdBreak, a jailbreak that works all the way up to OS version 5.18.5.0.1.
Note
You need a Kindle with ads enabled. If you previously disabled them, you can re-enable them by switching the account region. This is explained here
How the Jailbreak Works
The AdBreak process is straightforward and takes around fifteen minutes. In short, you let the Kindle download ads, copy those ads to a computer, and then run a script that exploits a use-after-free vulnerability in the Kindle’s browser sandbox. This enables code execution, which then triggers the jailbreak via a specially crafted image.
The Steps in Brief
- Fill your Kindle’s storage with dummy files to prevent automatic updates.
- Wait for the device to download its ad bundle.
- Copy the ads folder to your computer.
- Unzip AdBreak and run the exploit script, which leverages a use-after-free vulnerability described here
- Install the required hotfix to ensure the jailbreak persists after reboot.
After that, you’re jailbroken.
Disabling Updates and Installing Apps
Once the jailbreak is in place, you’ll want to disable OTA updates and install some essential tools.
Installing MRPI and KUAL
Extract MRPI (MobileRead Package Installer) and KUAL (Kindle Unified Application Launcher) to your Kindle, then run the command ;log mrpi in the Kindle search bar.
Inside KUAL, use the Rename OTA binaries option to disable over-the-air updates permanently.
Adding Apps with KindleForge
One of the easiest ways to install additional software is by using KindleForge, a GUI-based app store for Kindle homebrew packages.
Some of my personal favorites:
- Ad Remover: Removes ad banners
- kTerm: A terminal emulator
- Gambatte-K2: A Game Boy emulator (yes, you can genuinely play Game Boy games on a Kindle)
The Real Star: KOReader
KOReader is the main reason I wanted to jailbreak my Kindle in the first place. It supports a wide variety of formats, provides much more control over typography, and integrates beautifully with Calibre, OPDS catalogs, SSH syncing, and more.
I keep all my ebooks in Calibre on my home server, and with KOReader I can browse the entire library from anywhere and download books directly to my Kindle, essentially recreating the Kindle Store experience but for my own collection.
Tip
The KOReader user guide is extensive and worth a look if you’re diving in: https://koreader.rocks/user_guide/
Final Thoughts
This whole process made me dust off my Kindle and use it far more than before. It also brought back the nostalgia of jailbreaking iPods and rooting early Android phones. It was a reminder of the joy that comes with reclaiming control over your devices.
