Hacking Some questions about demos on SD card and my hack idea

[Wym92]

All game demos I downloaded to my N3DS are composed by .app, .tmd and .cmd. I learned from 3dbrew that .tmd is called“time meta data”, but what is .app? Is there any decryption tool work on Windows can decrypt them?

My hack idea is to imitate how the game demo works, we can put 3DS ROM into SD card in the form of .app, .tmd and .cmd, control the remaining uses(we can modify it to 9999 ), we can use many program on N3DS if this idea gets its place. But to make this, we should know the structure of the demo and how to pass firmware's check.

 

[Qtis]

As soon as the encryption is broken, what you depict would be possible. Before that happens, there is no possibility for this without an exploit making loading of unsigned content possible.

 

[Thesolcity]

All game demos I downloaded to my N3DS are composed by .app, .tmd and .cmd. I learned from 3dbrew that .tmd is called“time meta data”, but what is .app? Is there any decryption tool work on Windows can decrypt them?

My hack idea is to imitate how the game demo works, we can put 3DS ROM into SD card in the form of .app, .tmd and .cmd, control the remaining uses(we can modify it to 9999 ), we can use many program on N3DS if this idea gets its place. But to make this, we should know the structure of the demo and how to pass firmware's check.

>Implying there isn't a check or size limit on the demos.

Wait....why am I even replying to this?

 

[Deleted member 194275]

this is one of many "Awesome 3DS hacking theories!"

I don't understand nothing about hacking, but I think that 3DS data on SD Card are encrypted but future will tell us If a demo is able to "fool" the encryption system

 

[McHaggis]

Without intending to offend, I think people who aren't hackers shouldn't come up with ideas on hacking.

Of course, there are many tools available on Windows that will decrypt an .app file. The problem is, they require the encryption key to decrypt. Even then, it might not be as simple as swapping out the game data for a cartridge's ROM file. Demos might be created and compiled differently, or cartridge ROMs might use absolute paths that refer to a location on the cartridge itself. Take a look at the PS3, it's simple enough to get some game rips up and running from the XMB as if they were PSN downloads, but some games need to be patched and some games cannot work at all. On another note, we also know that demo play counts aren't stored along with the demo on the SD card so, even if you could swap out the game data, you'll also need to separately hack the play counts.

There's a thread made to contain all these idioticawesome hacking theories, please post any of your future brainwaves there kthx.

 

[CollosalPokemon]

I think of this scheme whenever I see the first post:

Steps:

1. Decrypt random app
2. Call stuff by the wrong names
3. Ask myself how I can get dumber
4. Turn a CCI into a CIA using a random method
5. Use Cheats
6. Sign CIA and fool TWCerts (system-unique, non-obtainable without hardware hacking, or possibly a save file exploit (or possibly another file not using TWCert checks), depending on how its done)
7. Tell everyone else of the plan
8. *headdesk*
9. ???
10. Profit.

As everyone's been saying, this doesn't need a thread and should go with the "idioticawesome hacking theories" like McHaggis said.
In all fairness it is possible to convert a CCI into a CIA, but it's not going to be publically available for a while, and while that point is being made it also means shit considering you cannot run it without the TWCert in your system, which is unique.

 

[pelago]

On another note, we also know that demo play counts aren't stored along with the demo on the SD card so, even if you could swap out the game data, you'll also need to separately hack the play counts.

^^^ This. You could do what you like to the files on the SD card, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to the play count which is stored on the 3DS internal NAND and inaccessible to us.

 

[elisherer]

All game demos I downloaded to my N3DS are composed by .app, .tmd and .cmd. I learned from 3dbrew that .tmd is called“time meta data”title meta-data, but what is .app? Is there any decryption tool work on Windows can decrypt them? decryption uses key which we don't have

My hack idea is to imitate how the game demo works, we can put 3DS ROM into SD card in the form of .app, .tmd and .cmd, control the remaining uses(we can modify it to 9999 ) as been said, uses stored on the 3ds (not app nor sdcard) we can use many program on N3DS if this idea gets its place. You just described every homebrew in the business But to make this, we should know the structure of the demo and how to pass firmware's check. goes without saying...

I think this thread is obsolete

 

[sero]

Without intending to offend, I think people who aren't hackers shouldn't come up with ideas on hacking.

Haven't some of the most remarkable inventions and revolutionary changes in our history happened because people who were outsiders to an industry were able to think outside the box and come up with something nobody ever considered before?

Heck, weren't the Wright Brothers bicycle repairmen?

Sure, most of the stuff these kids come up with is going to be wrong. But on occasion they will press forward with an idea that nobody else thinks is viable and hit paydirt anyway. I say we just let them play and maybe, just maybe, one will get lucky and revolutionize the industry.

And keep in mind this is from a guy with two overly expensive degrees on his wall in the field of network security. Someone whose job is to understand "hacking" in its various forms and deal with the malicious side of the hacking industry. I know full well that some kid in his basement could change the industry I'm in--it's happened time and time again with IT.

 

[McHaggis]

Without intending to offend, I think people who aren't hackers shouldn't come up with ideas on hacking.

Haven't some of the most remarkable inventions and revolutionary changes in our history happened because people who were outsiders to an industry were able to think outside the box and come up with something nobody ever considered before?

Heck, weren't the Wright Brothers bicycle repairmen?

*snip*

The Wright brothers had a lot of experience with mechanics and motors. I'm not saying that a good idea can't be posted in that thread, I'm just saying that wasn't the point of its creation. The point of it was to contain all the useless ideas, like this one, that are formed without basis or knowledge of the subject.

 

[sero]

Without intending to offend, I think people who aren't hackers shouldn't come up with ideas on hacking.

Haven't some of the most remarkable inventions and revolutionary changes in our history happened because people who were outsiders to an industry were able to think outside the box and come up with something nobody ever considered before?

Heck, weren't the Wright Brothers bicycle repairmen?

*snip*

The Wright brothers had a lot of experience with mechanics and motors. I'm not saying that a good idea can't be posted in that thread, I'm just saying that wasn't the point of its creation. The point of it was to contain all the useless ideas, like this one, that are formed without basis or knowledge of the subject.

Long before I had my job as a network admin, I was a dumb kid who knew basically nothing about computers. I learned what I did because I was welcomed into the community where I learned my trade. My biggest worry is that we will end up scaring off some would-be prodigy that otherwise would have changed the world, simply because we didn't want to deal with the pile of garbage for the sake of a diamond hidden inside.

 

[Rydian]

And that's why there's a thread to contain the random ideas, so they have a place for discussion. People are hesitant to flame in a sticky since it'll be there as evidence of how they acted for a while.

 

[McHaggis]

Long before I had my job as a network admin, I was a dumb kid who knew basically nothing about computers. I learned what I did because I was welcomed into the community where I learned my trade. My biggest worry is that we will end up scaring off some would-be prodigy that otherwise would have changed the world, simply because we didn't want to deal with the pile of garbage for the sake of a diamond hidden inside.

But you learned your trade, nonetheless. You wouldn't have suggested how someone set up their network security until after you learned it. Most of these ideas are coming from people with no experience in hacking or even programming languages. We won't scare off any would-be prodigies, because anybody smart enough to come up with a reasonable hacking idea would also be smart enough to, A. Check that the idea hadn't already been thought of and tried, B. Check that it's even possible to put the theory into practice, and C. Discuss the idea in a more appropriate place where more experienced hackers are (like IRC or 3dbrew.org). Again, don't get me wrong, there are some lurkers on GBATemp with hacking experience, but I don't think I've seen any of them taking that thread seriously.

I'm not trying to flame anyone, I'm just suggesting that people put more thought and research into their ideas without baselessly suggesting ways we can hack a device with very well thought out security. If you can't be bothered to do that, post it in the Awesome Hacking Theories thread, which was created for those types of ideas. I had a couple of hacking theories myself, but after thoroughly reading relevant pages on 3dbrew.org, I confirmed for myself that they weren't possible. Hacking is a lot more complex than it was 15 years ago and the average Joe like you and me just doesn't know enough to be able to do it.

 

[Rydian]

A problem is if people with so-so ideas post and get flamed and people with good ideas see it, they might not want to post for fear of getting flamed.

Flaming is bad m'kay?

 

[sero]

I'm not saying this post isn't in the wrong place. I'm saying that 1: saying he should stop "thinking about hacking ideas" and 2: saying that his ideas belong with all the other "idiotic" ideas elsewhere isn't going to win any brownie points. Why not just a "This appears to be in the wrong section. Please post it in the random hacking theories section so others can brainstorm with you and perhaps come up with a good solution in the future."?

 

[Astoria]

Why people register just for this?

 

[Rydian]

Woah there. I have the stances of "Don't flame newbies" and "post in the right thread". The sides here aren't black and white. I can agree with one point without agreeing with the other.

 

[frogboy]

Gotta love how there's been no response from the OP for 3 days.

 

[McHaggis]

Like I said, I'm not intending to flame and I don't think I did, anyway. There's a difference between flaming and taking a firm stance on posting trash (and doing it in the wrong place). I didn't say anything directly against the OP, in fact that's not something I'd normally resort to. I actually said there's a thread to contain these useless ideas, which I referred to as "idiotic" with a strike through, intended to be a bit of a joke.

If anything, I was hoping the OP would learn a little from my posts, mostly the researching before posting stuff. At least, if you assume that we're dealing with maturing adolescents to mature adults, we're not scaring anyone off. In the opposite cases, then I'm not so sure they'd be such a valued member of the community.

 

[elisherer]

I don't mind threads opening about hacking ideas...even not posted in the "awesome hacking ideas" thread..
I'll be happy to point out any faults in an hack idea that is wrong just to educate people...

If we are all educated about the system the ideas will evolve..

And BTW, if you wan't to complain about threads opening in the "3DS - Hacking & Homebrew" Forum you might wan't to complain about flashcart threads which are the majority of threads here while there are other forums for that...(so hacking threads in the hacking forum might be OK, don't be judgmental)