Hackers make progress on Nintendo Switch hack
Since the webkit vulnerability and Pegaswitch were released on the Nintendo Switch a few day after the console’s launch, several hackers have been digging into the internals of the console to learn about its system.
Hacker Plutoo of 3DS/Wii U Fame confirmed yesterday that he has been able to grab what appears to be data/API call names from one of the modules on the Nintendo Switch. The module in question, according to the hacker, is NS, which might be the equivalent of the module of the same name on the 3DS. Plutoo has however stated that given the differences in API names, it appears that this is not based on 3DS firmware code.
The webkit exploit lets hackers look at some parts of the RAM (and of the filesystem) of the Nintendo Switch, the same RAM that was accessible to the webkit process. In that RAM, some modules of the system have been loaded for webkit to interact with the system, and that’s what hackers can poke within the Webkit exploit.
I like to picture this exercise as trying to draw a map of an entire house. The webkit exploit puts you inside one of the rooms, and it’s dark. You have to feel the objects around you to start drawing the map. And you’re going to need to find a way out of that room to be able to inspect the entire house. (and duh, the doors are locked).
Hackers are interested in knowing what’s in RAM, not only to “draw the map” but because one of the modules accessible to Webkit can potentially be leveraged to break out of the webkit process. Typically with a privilege escalation vulnerability. So the idea here is to reverse engineer the modules loaded in ram, understand what they do, and find a bug in one of them.
There’s nothing of use for the typical end user yet. But if you’re interested in how systems get hacked from scratch, you’re at the right point in time to watch this evolve for the Nintendo Switch.
As a reminder, the webkit exploit was patched in Nintendo Switch Firmware update 2.1.
does someone know with which firmware comes a switch that you were able to catch in stock in the recent days?
1.0 or 2.0
I bought mine launch day, and though I don’t recall the initial firmware (which was likely 1.0), I have only updated once to version 2.0.
I bought mine the last week, it is on way. I hope it comes with 1.0 or 2.0
Pegaswitch will not work with 1.0 firmware, as there is no browser. If it comes with 1.0 there is no way to update to 2.0 only 2.1 currently.
This is amazing! Nintendo really doesn’t get it. I heard that BotW is already hacked.
BOTW on the wiiu was already hacked, but thats because the wiiu was hacked wide open about a year ago and ninty didn’t bother doing a firmware update to fix it
Boop
lol nintendo always weak in software department, they can only make indie quality games… the mario mario and mario
compared to other consoles it took a while till 3DS and Wii U(not vWii) were hacked…
archvment drift no fater
Nintendo Switch was already hacked one month after its initial release, however the guys at CERN pulled one of their Mandela Effect-esque reboots and patched our history to where it hasn’t happened yet.