I see. But still, wouldn't those keys be per-console, and hence the same elaborate process would be needed to capture them each time?
The ones used to decrypt games wouldn't be but presumably at least some of the ones needed to install things are. Even so, apparently the equipment required is fairly cheap and I could see some of the people who do hardmods getting said equipment should such an attack for the 3DS be developed so they could downgrade even once Ninty blocks the current hardmod downgrade method.