Hacking What's up with Gateway and Online

[Kingfield]

I don't understand how some are saying programming unique IDs for each cartridge would be too expensive. They could easily have hardcoded a unique ID into the eeprom/save system or stored in the read-only boot code chip that handles the cartridge communication protocol. They can simply program their factory machines to code a different ID for each chip produced and they are then passed along in the production process to be soldered to the game board at a later stage in production.

It would serve that purpose so as to identify that game's serial to the online system. It's no more difficult then programming CD-Keys for Windows OS and using activation checks to prevent two from being activated at the same time on different machines (Lets pretend the activation cracks and piracy stuff is not a factor for this comparison).

Nintendo can then detect if two games are online that share the same ID. Then it's simple. both get banned and any future instance of a game/rom using that ID.

It's also possible game roms lack this ID completely since it could be stored in a different chip. Lack of ID equals auto rejection from any connection to Nintendo's online system.

That's not to say it's fool proof. Gateway could spoof that ID like one would spoof the region/firmware version. But it would be difficult to pull off since the online servers store all the valid game IDs and thus it would reject an ID that doesn't exist. Duplicates also get rejected and results in bans.

Remember how Microsoft can ban hacked Xbox hardware? I'm pretty sure Nintendo can do the same if they wanted to.

CD keys aren't embedded into the software. You manually enter the CD key, which is then verified online. Simple as that. In terms of whether it'd be 'expensive' to do, I don't know, I'm guessing that you're right in that it shouldn't be very expensive to do, but the fact that it has never been done makes it incredibly unlikely that it is being used in this case.

Banning the Xbox hardware is a totally different issue to having IDs in the game itself.

 

[Arras]

I don't understand how some are saying programming unique IDs for each cartridge would be too expensive. They could easily have hardcoded a unique ID into the eeprom/save system or stored in the read-only boot code chip that handles the cartridge communication protocol. They can simply program their factory machines to code a different ID for each chip produced and they are then passed along in the production process to be soldered to the game board at a later stage in production.

It would serve that purpose so as to identify that game's serial to the online system. It's no more difficult then programming CD-Keys for Windows OS and using activation checks to prevent two from being activated at the same time on different machines (Lets pretend the activation cracks and piracy stuff is not a factor for this comparison).

Nintendo can then detect if two games are online that share the same ID. Then it's simple. both get banned and any future instance of a game/rom using that ID.

It's also possible game roms lack this ID completely since it could be stored in a different chip. Lack of ID equals auto rejection from any connection to Nintendo's online system.

That's not to say it's fool proof. Gateway could spoof that ID like one would spoof the region/firmware version. But it would be difficult to pull off since the online servers store all the valid game IDs and thus it would reject an ID that doesn't exist. Duplicates also get rejected and results in bans.

Remember how Microsoft can ban hacked Xbox hardware? I'm pretty sure Nintendo can do the same if they wanted to.

Under this system a Gateway user could easily screw over a paying user by (accidentally or not) using the same ID...

 

[justinkb]

I don't understand how some are saying programming unique IDs for each cartridge would be too expensive.

Sure, you are right.

It's not too expensive.

Yet, it hasn't been done by any manufacturer ever in the history of software.

/facepalm

 

[dehry]

Under this system a Gateway user could easily screw over a paying user by (accidentally or not) using the same ID...

All Gateway users would be using the same rom dump. The only "legitimate" user that would be banned would be the one who bought and dumped the cartridge, or the person who bought that cartridge second hand.

 

[Arras]

All Gateway users would be using the same rom dump. The only "legitimate" user that would be banned would be the one who bought and dumped the cartridge, or the person who bought that cartridge second hand.

Not when Gateway users start faking IDs to be safe and end up accidentally using a random person's ID.

 

[Thirty3Three]

Careful. If they enable WiFi, a ban/block, as well as accidental upgrades are more likely.

I'd say you should choose between going to the newest firmware, and using Gateway.

Look at the PS3 scene for more information.

EDIT:

For those who want to have 100% no risk of being banned or blocked, just keep your WiFi switch off and delete your internet connection settings.

 

[dehry]

Not when Gateway users start faking IDs to be safe and end up accidentally using a random person's ID.

We still don't know if such a system exists and where it would be at. The ROMs themselves have not been decrypted and we have no way of running edited roms. The Gateway just manages to tell the 3DS to ignore some security checks and load the encrypted rom. In the future something like that may become a problem, but as of what we have today, every 3DS dump of a game will have the exact same info and Nintendo could simply blacklist the game ID and/or friend code.

We are talking Nintendo here though. If such a unique ID system is in place, you'll just get a generic error every time you try to connect. There's also the part where they can detect firmware and software versions (like in the case of Mario Kart 7 v1.1) and simply block an online connection because the firmware is wrong.

 

[Thirty3Three]

We still don't know if such a system exists and where it would be at. The ROMs themselves have not been decrypted and we have no way of running edited roms. The Gateway just manages to tell the 3DS to ignore some security checks and load the encrypted rom. In the future something like that may become a problem, but as of what we have today, every 3DS dump of a game will have the exact same info and Nintendo could simply blacklist the game ID and/or friend code.

We are talking Nintendo here though. If such a unique ID system is in place, you'll just get a generic error every time you try to connect. There's also the part where they can detect firmware and software versions (like in the case of Mario Kart 7 v1.1) and simply block an online connection because the firmware is wrong.

But you also need to remember, the GateWay has Kernel access. They can pretty much implement anything, really. They just need to find out more information about the software and hardware to do so.


And guys, just leave your WiFi switch off. Then you'll have no risk for bans or anything.