Release: DNSwitch – a utility to hijack the Nintendo Switch browser
It was well known ahead of the Nintendo Switch that the console would release with a limited web browser. It appears the console actually ships with a full browser that’s simply blocked by hardcoded DNS. The folks over at se7ensins have released a utility that helps you bypass this limitation.
Nintendo Switch: access youtube and more with DNSwitch
DNSwitch lets you access any site through the Switch’s “hidden” web browser, including, it seems, Youtube (although it is unclear if you can actually stream anything once there – update: Red7s has confirmed that streaming from youtube with this trick does not work at the moment. This still gives you access to many websites).
Update: user @Scrxtchy has shared some HTML5 test results from the Nintendo Switch browser, and it seems there is some extremely minimal video capability with H264 support but no audio and no streaming. In other words, streaming from youtube or advanced utilities such as Plex looks like it’s not going to happen.
In practice, the trick is fairly simple, bypassing some functionality of the console and letting you send any site in lieu of the “sign in required” portal that is typically required on some wifi networks.
Red7s over at Se7ensins included a few videos and screenshots for you to feast your eyes on.
Please note that since I don’t own a Switch, I was not able to verify this myself at the time of this writing. Nevertheless, Red7s is a trusted member of the scene so there is no reason to believe DNSwtich does not work.
The full Readme from the tool:
DNSwitch
A utitily for the Nintendo Switch to hijack the web browser
Requirements
- Python 3.6
- A webserver(if you want PHP)
How to use
- Set up your hosts file to set the IP that you would like your DNS to be and run both the DNS server.
- Open the internet settings on your Nintendo Switch and change your connection’s DNS to the one you set in the hosts file.
- Run a connection test and click okay once the switch asks you to register
- ???
- Profit.
Credits
Visual Studio from Se7enSins for creating the scripts
It’s exciting to see that even though the Nintendo Switch has only been out for a couple of days, the hacking community is already hard at work to see what’s inside!
fist me
yuk
not working on my switch, the source from github went into a refresh loop attempting to access sevensins and removing the refesh meta and just trying to access google gives “unable to display page”
scratch that lol if you are an idiot like me that’s been messing around with the switch browser and Charles web proxy REMOVE the proxy from the switch.
works fine 🙂
It’s going to be so awesome if someone manages to hack the Switch almost as fast as the PSP.
NO it would NOT be awesome at all!!! With the failure the wii u was, having the switch hacked as fast as the PSP would kill it in less than a year period, we already had the vita fail miserably and the 3DS was successful but really underpowered.
I am personaly excited to have a neew portable system this gen with capable power to have quality games and not a blur mess.
As much as I love homebrew and backup loaing I rather have a system with games and not another dreamcast…
Video playback on YouTube works and Plex video streaming works when used via this method. (yes, I am the same Driverdis that wrote the tutorial)
It uses Charles to redirect the Nintendo corporate page since it is not HTTPS and will not have and cert issues.
http://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-access-youtube-via-charles-proxy-on-switch-with-working-video-playback.463253/
I am new to Charles so I am sure there are a few things I can change but for now it works.
YouTube works (no login support)
Dailymotion fails to play back any videos (throws an error, not a system crash)
FUNimation does not work for some reason as the HTML5 player messes up and does not allow the video to load
Crunchyroll fails as it requires flash player
ahh spoof the user agent to make plex play in html, nice 🙂
mines crashing after playing a mp4 in the tags
https://image.ibb.co/dW1rMF/20170306_025309.jpg
can you confirm if it plays longer than like 10 or 15 minutes?
Thanks!
it does load plex but wont stream because it does not support flash but it does play html5 video, I have tested a mp4 and it plays but it looks like there is limited memory as it crashes after about 5 minutes of playing.
fun times…
I see there is an update that says no audio with h264, my audio is working playing h264 with AAC audio.
Can you watch ***?
it starts….
I am a bit unhappy about this as I am afraid of how Nintendo will react to another console being hacked like the 3ds was.
I’m completely happy about this as I’m feed up with Nintendo launch stupid, week console year after year. Hope the switch flop once for all so Nintendo understands that nostalgia only does not work and maybe start working a real gaming machine.
Wow.. just.. wow.
Nintendo: We dont want hackers hackin the switch so lets remove the browser
oh but dont ACTURALLY remove it. just make it so that only the hackers will find it and use it…
…. what?
it’s used for networks that force going to a site to connect and for social media. Without it, most of the public networks will be unconnectable and you wouldn’t be able to post things to places like facebook.
Access to serve up unintended website content will be the entry point of the first major buffer overflow hack, mark my words.
Whahahahha laughing as fck Now there is a Simple hack at Nintendo switch i wonder if Nintendo company gonna say about this XDDDD i was expecting to be 6 to 10 years before NS switch will be hack but seems its happening again :3
You guys are wrong. I’ve tested youtube, and some xxx sites….. both work for video streaming…
You have to click the play button, then it will take you to the media player thats built into the switch.
It’s beenke 3 days haha, already there is some kind of user made program to do something Nintendo doesn’t like
wooow i spent 300$ on a game console to browse internet and play youtube videos!!! thats amazing!!!
facepalm…go away fan-boy/girl
rapidvideo works for some seconds, then the system crash
I predict this console is going to be hacked by the holidays or early-mid next year.
and right you are: DOOM has successfully been ran, but video output isn’t there yet so they have to use a pc on spectator mode to see what they’re doing
I created http://switchboard.cool if you want to make web browsing a bit easier. Hope you like it.
nice
nice
Can this be blocked with Parental Controls?