The hackers, who spoke at the Hack in the Box security conference in Kuala Lumpur, are famous for "jailbreaking" the iPhone's software, the term for using combinations of exploits to allow the installation of unauthorized software. Apple dislikes the practice, which is legal in the U.S. but can void warranties for modified devices.

The release of a new jailbreak is highly anticipated among the select group of iPhone users who resent the company's careful gatekeeping of applications it allows in its App Store.

But the process for creating a jailbreak has become much more difficult with each iteration of Apple's iPhone software, and many of the old tricks used to create jailbreak software in the past simply don't work anymore. French hacker Cyril, known by his Twitter handle "@pod2g," admitted that iOS6 so far has him stumped.

"At the moment, I'm kind of stuck ... but it could change in a week," said Cyril. "It's luck, I think."

It's more than luck: creating a jailbreak is a highly technical, skillful process, and one that requires hours and hours of testing. Cyril spoke on the panel with David "@planetbeing" Wang and another famed broad-shouldered hacker who goes by pseudonym "@Musclenerd" on Twitter.