Looks like this is it. According to a tweet from SciresM, the latest 3DS firmware update 11.8 has ported the Nintendo Switch's piracy detection systems to the console. This strategy enables Nintendo to perfectly distinguish pirated and legit games going online and has been used before to detect and ban pirates on Switch. This is not something that can be avoided with homebrew. According to SciresM, Nintendo hasn't acted on 3DS pirates yet, but can choose to do so any time in the future.

Be careful, guys.

Looks like 11.8.0 backports the Switch's aauth ideas to 3ds -- network comms now send an encrypted(?) copy of app ticket to the server.

They may not act on it immediately, but like on Switch this lets N perfectly detect pirate accesses vs normal ones, and ban however they like.

— Michael (@SciresM) July 31, 2018

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[Sliter]

wait a bit confused here
this would be for CFW detection or ONLY about playing online pirated/out of region games?

 

[Lacius]

wait a bit confused here
this would be for CFW detection or ONLY about playing online pirated/out of region games?

Neither. It's creating the infrastructure to stop freeShop and other things like it from working.

 

[Sliter]

Neither. It's creating the infrastructure to stop freeShop and other things like it from working.

the OP said about distinguishing pirated games

 

[Minox]

I know I keep repeating this but I don't see actions like this as a bad thing. People who pirate games should not expect access to Nintendo's servers. They have not paid for the access and therefore Nintendo is well within their rights to limit access so that resources they pay for is only used by paying customers. If you want to pirate games you need to be able to accept the trade-off that your system is likely to get banned.

 

[MohammedQ8]

are sky3ds plus users safe from the update 11.8? since Nintendo can't detect xci loaded games on switch.

 

[Bladexdsl]

see what you guys done now you've finally pissed nintendo off

 

[TUK_Pyroman]

I understand that Nintendo can make the difference between an hacked game and an original game (eshop or cartridge),
but how can they see the difference between a pre-installed game and an hacked game?

Is there a difference between them?

 

[Kyusetzu]

So basically updating to 11.8 is the dumbest idea for downloading & going online with pirated games?
Well. GJ Nintendo.

 

[lAkdaOpeKA]

You're probably safe until Nintendo starts requiring 11.8 for online play. After that, you won't be able to connect online on 11.7, and any method of bypassing the 11.8 requirement could be met with a ban itself.

It's already required, although strangely it's not for the friend list

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I guess the CFW guys need to patch this AP bullshit out, eh? Kind of weird that they haven't... It's almost as if they've never heard of Wireshark before.

Again, it can't be really avoided even with CFW, because now Nintendo servers except some extra data to be sent

 

[PedroKeitawa]

It's already required, although strangely it's not for the friend list

Really? Becouse i try to go online with Pokemon US and i still trade and battle (i have not try ranked battle becouse i don't have a account for the ranked competition). So i guess is not for all game but only some games? I don't know, i have try Smash Bros and that require me to have to update the system at 11.8. Have not even try with badge arcade becouse im 100% sure i need to update...yes i still use the badge arcade.

 

[lAkdaOpeKA]

Really? Becouse i try to go online with Pokemon US and i still trade and battle (i have not try ranked battle becouse i don't have a account for the ranked competition). So i guess is not for all game but only some games? I don't know, i have try Smash Bros and that require me to have to update the system at 11.8. Have not even try with badge arcade becouse im 100% sure i need to update...yes i still use the badge arcade.

Ah yes, pardon me, itsi only required for the eShop, online multiplayer still works (for now)

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SciresM's tweet was misleading. The check only happens when installing a title using the 3DS' built in content installer service, NIM (source 1 source 2 source 3).

Installing and going online with titles installed through FBI or similar are safe. Downloading games through something like Villain3DS is safe (but will probably break real soon when 11.8 is enforced and a valid ticket is REQUIRED to get content from CDN). You can still safely source your CIAs from whatever naughty iso site.

Basically, freeshop can get you banned in its current form (it can be updated to stop using the NIM service, but again, it will probably stop functioning like other CDN downloaders).

But apparently, freeShop only uses nim when doing sleep mode installs, but doesn't use it when doing normal installs, although if downloadong from the CDN will entirely break then it won't matter much

 

[PedroKeitawa]

Ah yes, pardon me, itsi only required for the eShop, online multiplayer still works (for now)

I was a bit confuse becouse last time i was wating for a Luma update, before update the FW, Pokemon online was not working for me. It was asking to me to update the system. This is why i was confuse. But i agree this is probably a temporary situation.

 

[Sliter]

I know I keep repeating this but I don't see actions like this as a bad thing. People who pirate games should not expect access to Nintendo's servers. They have not paid for the access and therefore Nintendo is well within their rights to limit access so that resources they pay for is only used by paying customers. If you want to pirate games you need to be able to accept the trade-off that your system is likely to get banned.

I agree with you in parts, just exept the part they lock us from stuff like playing the game unsensured, the dub we like or the game we don't have how to get anyway (exept from buying the console from other region but this is ilegal in a similar way of piracy since having [thisgame] that isn't licensed for [this region] is illegal technically less bad but still)
but the thing is that if wasn't the piracy my acess to games would be very low, because theyoverpriced even digitally, less availability from brazilian eshop( a lot here do an usa/canada eshop instead to get more acess but that case above) and other dificulties, I only bougth games that I really wanted (or was cheap XD) .
This aside I agree that piracy is wrong in a bigger scale, my partns had and videl rental shop and it bankrupted because of DVD piracy around here that time, I really think they should make better price policy for countries like here ...
Anyway what I want to say is that I used it but I haven't abused(since if I really like the game I look for buying it/ don't pirated if I want and can't buy but plan to buy, like Hyrule warriors...), if to still use it means to get banned, in my case, I just want to be safe, even if mean getting rid from the piracy stuff

 

[omega59]

I'm not too worried, i don't play online anyhow. big deal.

 

[LinusRG]

Is it recommended to downgrade to 11.7 using a nand backup if you updated to 11.8? Also this is just a general question, would about the 11.8 update. Would it be possible to convert the cia to a legit cia and then install it? Because mabey this way Nintendo servers or whatever detects if the cia is legit or not will see it as a ligit cia and allow you to use it completely fine.

 

[Minox]

I agree with you in parts, just exept the part they lock us from stuff like playing the game unsensured, the dub we like or the game we don't have how to get anyway (exept from buying the console from other region but this is ilegal in a similar way of piracy since having [thisgame] that isn't licensed for [this region] is illegal technically less bad but still)
but the thing is that if wasn't the piracy my acess to games would be very low, because theyoverpriced even digitally, less availability from brazilian eshop( a lot here do an usa/canada eshop instead to get more acess but that case above) and other dificulties, I only bougth games that I really wanted (or was cheap XD) .
This aside I agree that piracy is wrong in a bigger scale, my partns had and videl rental shop and it bankrupted because of DVD piracy around here that time, I really think they should make better price policy for countries like here ...
Anyway what I want to say is that I used it but I haven't abused(since if I really like the game I look for buying it/ don't pirated if I want and can't buy but plan to buy, like Hyrule warriors...), if to still use it means to get banned, in my case, I just want to be safe, even if mean getting rid from the piracy stuff

I certainly see what you mean about availability and pricing, but sadly the ball is in Nintendo's corner as far as making things more available. Luckily they seem to have been more reasonable with the Switch than they were with the 3DS.

 

[HEADBOY]

well,you need newest fw for online so.. and freeshop can use any fw and nintendo may be able to detect an access from a older fw and ban it since it isn't the newest.

Are you sure? I was just playing Smash 4 online and my 3ds is still on 11.7.

 

[lAkdaOpeKA]

Are you sure? I was just playing Smash 4 online and my 3ds is still on 11.7.

It usually takes a week before the update is enforced for online play

 

[HEADBOY]

It usually takes a week before the update is enforced for online play

Oh okay, that makes sense. Honestly if I do get banned, it isn't the end of the world for me because I hardly play online. Although I'll update my 3DS after looking at the methods to fix the Luma block.

 

[lAkdaOpeKA]

Oh okay, that makes sense. Honestly if I do get banned, it isn't the end of the world for me because I hardly play online. Although I'll update my 3DS after looking at the methods to fix the Luma block.

Luma has already received an official update (9.1)