Hacking Wii U Homebrew Situation and FAQ

[Goku Junior]

Can we confirm that the vWii mode is unaffected by the update, then? As in, homebrew all continues to work fine?

Most of the 'problems' that people seem to be having seem to actually be unrelated to the update itself, people are just putting two and two together and speculating. If we could get confirmation from the major hackers in the scene, then those of us primarily concerned about vWii homebrew can safely update.

Well, it is affected by the update, a IOS is modifyed and it adds a new channel called vWii channel, but it seems the homebrew it works the same.

 

[sj33]

As long as homebrew on the vWii is unaffected, then that's fine. It's a difficult balance - the simple answer would be to just not update, but some of us do actually want to play new WiiU games too. So if we can update without losing vWii homebrew, I'd like to do that.

 

[NWPlayer123]

Can we confirm that the vWii mode is unaffected by the update, then? As in, homebrew all continues to work fine?

Most of the 'problems' that people seem to be having seem to actually be unrelated to the update itself, people are just putting two and two together and speculating. If we could get confirmation from the major hackers in the scene, then those of us primarily concerned about vWii homebrew can safely update.

Wrong thread, this is about Cafe Mode, not vWii. I'm trying to keep vWii and Wii U seperate so when one of the mods/admins finally decides to make a new section for Cafe OS Mode, then we can just move this thread over and not have to worry.

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Looks like OS was updated but browser is untouched, according to WiiUmpersonator, MN1, and the actual user agent, so you're fine updating if all you care about is Cafe OS.

 

[pelago]

I know this is a tad premature, but assuming when a hack comes out to the public it only works on 4.0.? or 4.1.0, is there any information out there on what firmware Wii U's come with? Like all the info the 3DS scene has?

My Wii U that I just got (PAL, New Super Mario Bros U + New Super Luigi U pack) came with firmware 3.1.0E.

 

[ehnoah]

So bascially Update to 5.1 is safe for now. If I read correctly everyting.

 

[jalaneme]

So bascially Update to 5.1 is safe for now. If I read correctly everyting.

no one around here wants to confirm it :S i'm still stuck on v5.

 

[NWPlayer123]

So bascially Update to 5.1 is safe for now. If I read correctly everyting.

Yes, the exploit still exists, and if we're lucky it'll take little to no changes in the chain to get 5.1.0 working once we port it to 5.0.0. However, it still doesn't change the fact that we need more experienced people looking for another kernel exploit and an IOSU exploit so we can finally have the keys and can decrypt binaries and games as we please. We're still at a standstill until that happens.

 

[Goku Junior]

Yes, the exploit still exists, and if we're lucky it'll take little to no changes in the chain to get 5.1.0 working once we port it to 5.0.0. However, it still doesn't change the fact that we need more experienced people looking for another kernel exploit and an IOSU exploit so we can finally have the keys and can decrypt binaries and games as we please. We're still at a standstill until that happens.

In some others threads, someone achieved to use a corrupted Mii in Wii U mode, I don't know but, this it could work as a future exploit? I mean, in Wii (and vWii too) we used to do a buffer overflow hack in the games with modified saves like the twilight hack, in Wii U, with the vWii hacked we can make a some kind of Mii that makes when it's in CafeOS a exploit in Mii Maker when executes the corrupted Mii files, could a new explit be possible?

 

[GorTesK]

In some others threads, someone achieved to use a corrupted Mii in Wii U mode, I don't know but, this it could work as a future exploit? I mean, in Wii (and vWii too) we used to do a buffer overflow hack in the games with modified saves like the twilight hack, in Wii U, with the vWii hacked we can make a some kind of Mii that makes when it's in CafeOS a exploit in Mii Maker when executes the corrupted Mii files, could a new explit be possible?

are you talking about this old thing? http://gbatemp.net/threads/successfully-added-corrupt-mii-to-wiiu.350936/
or did something new surface? AFAIK this didnt lead to anything exploitable

 

[Marionumber1]

In some others threads, someone achieved to use a corrupted Mii in Wii U mode, I don't know but, this it could work as a future exploit? I mean, in Wii (and vWii too) we used to do a buffer overflow hack in the games with modified saves like the twilight hack, in Wii U, with the vWii hacked we can make a some kind of Mii that makes when it's in CafeOS a exploit in Mii Maker when executes the corrupted Mii files, could a new explit be possible?

It's certainly possible that a corrupted Mii could allow executing a ROP chain, but it'd be difficult (though not impossible) to have this ROP chain exploit the kernel. The browser is still our best option.

 

[Goku Junior]

It's certainly possible that a corrupted Mii could allow executing a ROP chain, but it'd be difficult (though not impossible) to have this ROP chain exploit the kernel. The browser is still our best option.

Yeah, I was talking about that, of course now the browser is the best option but we know when the exploit for 5.0.0/5.1.0 is relased Nintendo will try to fix it, so if they launch a update that fix the browser exploit, I was thinking this could be another alternative, of course we need to know better how the system works to make the Mii exploit, I'm right?

 

[Marionumber1]

Yeah, I was talking about that, of course now the browser is the best option but we know when the exploit for 5.0.0/5.1.0 is relased Nintendo will try to fix it, so if they launch a update that fix the browser exploit, I was thinking this could be another alternative, of course we need to know better how the system works to make the Mii exploit, I'm right?

Nintendo may update the WebKit component, but there are always new bugs we can find in WebKit. You're correct that the Mii exploit would require more knowledge of the system, since you'd need to figure out why the system crashes, turn the crash into code execution, and start a ROP chain using gadgets in the application.

 

[linuxares]

Great work guys!
Thank you for all you do for the Wii U hacking scene. Me as a humble peasant loves what you're doing.

 

[SirByte]

Now that Cheddarz can help with the decrypting, any chance lower firmware versions will also be supported? Wouldn't that be useful with the kernel exploit (assuming that f0f's exploit may be patched in higher versions)?

 

[Marionumber1]

Now that Cheddarz can help with the decrypting, any chance lower firmware versions will also be supported? Wouldn't that be useful with the kernel exploit (assuming that f0f's exploit may be patched in higher versions)?

I honestly see no point in supporting older versions. Most people are using relatively recent versions (4.0.0 or higher), all of which the browser exploit works on. If you're on an old version, update now and you'll still be able to use the browser exploit. As for the kernel exploit, there's no evidence fail0verflow's was patched, and Chadderz has a working one on at least up to 5.0.0 (not sure about 5.1.0).

 

[Goku Junior]

Now that Cheddarz can help with the decrypting, any chance lower firmware versions will also be supported? Wouldn't that be useful with the kernel exploit (assuming that f0f's exploit may be patched in higher versions)?

Yeah, are you in 3.1.0? or something similar? update to 5.1.0 as fast as possible, we don't know when Nintendo will launch a new update (the possibilitys for now are low).

 

[SirByte]

Yeah, are you in 3.1.0? or something similar? update to 5.1.0 as fast as possible, we don't know when Nintendo will launch a new update (the possibilitys for now are low).

Yes I am on 3.1.0 as all the games I have work with it. I have no auto-update worries. HBC works fine on the vWii. My HDD works as the USB port power hasn't been lowered (these issues started in 4.0.0 when people's HDDs suddenly stopped working).

There's really no rush as any current Mario Kart 8 disc will update to 4.0.0 which is the lowest supported homebrew version. But there's no way back.

I've always lived by the rule not to update firmware that cannot be rolled back; this saved me back in 2005. No matter what the Wikipedia entry says, Sony released firmware v1.51 -which broke the swaploit exploit- on March 24, 2005 while the exploit for 1.50 wasn't released until June 15. So if you updated sometime in those 3 weeks, you were out of luck. Same goes for the Nintendo 3DS: if you kept up with current firmwares, when the Gateway was released (Jun 2013) the then-current version was 6.1.0; again when you updated you were SOL as it only supports up to and including v4.5.0.

So it's entirely possible that -once the keys are dumped and decrypting/analysis starts- someone will find out what Ninty patched going from 3.1.0 to 4.0.0 and find a useful exploit that can be used for a "emuNAND" / emu-eMMC; in that case I can update the "emuNAND" to v.5.x.0 and keep realNAND to 3.1.0. If that happens with a higher "realNAND" version, I can always update.

 

[Goku Junior]

Yes I am on 3.1.0 as all the games I have work with it. I have no auto-update worries. HBC works fine on the vWii. My HDD works as the USB port power hasn't been lowered (these issues started in 4.0.0 when people's HDDs suddenly stopped working).

There's really no rush as any current Mario Kart 8 disc will update to 4.0.0 which is the lowest supported homebrew version. But there's no way back.

I've always lived by the rule not to update firmware that cannot be rolled back; this saved me back in 2005. No matter what the Wikipedia entry says, Sony released firmware v1.51 -which broke the swaploit exploit- on March 24, 2005 while the exploit for 1.50 wasn't released until June 15. So if you updated sometime in those 3 weeks, you were out of luck. Same goes for the Nintendo 3DS: if you kept up with current firmwares, when the Gateway was released (Jun 2013) the then-current version was 6.1.0; again when you updated you were SOL as it only supports up to and including v4.5.0.

So it's entirely possible that -once the keys are dumped and decrypting/analysis starts- someone will find out what Ninty patched going from 3.1.0 to 4.0.0 and find a useful exploit that can be used for a "emuNAND" / emu-eMMC; in that case I can update the "emuNAND" to v.5.x.0 and keep realNAND to 3.1.0. If that happens with a higher "realNAND" version, I can always update.

I understand that, the 3DS and PS3 hacking is quite difficult, but this is another case, for now, it seems now the homebrew possibility for 4.1.0, 5.0.0 and 5.1.0 are the same so don't worry, if you want buy Mario Kart 8 and keep in 4.1.0, but for now, nothing to fear, anyway, Mario Kart 8 it's a pretty good game, I liked it so much .
Anyway, the exploit lowest firmware is 4.0 so get a game with that firmware, and the kernel exploit works in all firmwares so it seems all firmwares have the same possibilityes.

 

[tech3475]

Are there any advantages to updating to 5.1 if I'm on 5.0 (besides possible future game minimum requirements)?

Looking at the changelog on wikipedia the changes either dont affect me (as they're online based) or the generic 'system stability' but I don't know if the latter is actually true.

 

[NWPlayer123]

Are there any advantages to updating to 5.1 if I'm on 5.0 (besides possible future game minimum requirements)?

Looking at the changelog on wikipedia the changes either dont affect me (as they're online based) or the generic 'system stability' but I don't know if the latter is actually true.

Other then the convenience of being able to use the eShop, not really.