Hacking Preventing system updates on N3DS (current FW is 9.0.0)

d0k3

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Today the package with my N3DS arrived, and it is on system FW 9.0.0-20. Yay :yaysp: ! Now, I want to make absolutely sure it won't update and I also want to be as safe as possible if I let someone else play.


These are my security measures so far:
  • Not accepting Nintendos license agreement
  • Leaving the three Wifi slots empty
  • Disabling wireless communication completely (button on the upper left in the home menu)
  • Always turn it off, don't use standby (easy to forget, though)
  • Careful with retail cartridges, as these contain updates as well. Not many above 9.0.0 as of now, though. Game backups also include these updates, so careful with those, too, when using Gateway / Sky3DS!
  • In short: Don't use online functionality, be wary of other ways of updating FW.
Open questions:
  • Will the N3DS automatically connect to open Wifi networks?
  • Is it better to fill the three Wifi slots with fake information instead of leaving them empty?
  • What about Streetpass? Is it possible to be updated via 'driveby download', too? Can I even disable this completely?
  • Does it make sense to block things in parental control? I doubt this would be able to block system updates on it's own, though.
  • Should system updates be stripped from game backups using romtool?
  • Is there any other way of updating that I forgot about?
Any other security measures you would recommend or something that I forgot? I'm not interested in online functionality at all as I'll be playing on the road most of the time. I might want to try later on EmuNAND, though.

Also, sorry, I know this has been asked before, but I simply cannot find an up-to-date, complete list, and I want to be safe. I might also be a bit paranoid, too.
 

MeisterFenster

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I think you should just keep your wifi turned off. Thats it. Standby is also fine with wifi turned off.

If you need wifi (for example ninjhax) you can always block the Nintendo Servers (a list can be found somewhere in this forum) with your router.
 

krikkit

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my measures: always stay in emunand, never shut down. only emunand can go online, sysnand has 3 fake wifi profiles...
 

Jao Chu

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Why are people so worried about updating? It literally requires multiple button presses before you even get close to the actual update process.

The only thing to truly worry about is if you have children who use it....

Blocking from wifi router like some people do is absolute overkill :blink:
 

GaaraPrime

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Why are people so worried about updating? It literally requires multiple buttom presses before you even get close to the actual update process.

The only thing to truly worry about is if you have children who use it....

Blocking from wifi router like some people do is absolute overkill :blink:

Even I wanna do that overkill, but unfortunately I've been having a hard time understanding the tutorial that's been put up by TPLink :(

I have a TP-LINK TL-WR740N router.

Edit: Found the thread...

https://gbatemp.net/threads/blocking-9-3-0-21-with-your-wi-fi-router.375633/
 

Jao Chu

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I'll do some looking around for the thread where someone actually took photos of an original 3DS during the update process...... It literally is impossible to "accidentally update" whilst the device is in your hands. You don't need this blocking from your router stuff. Trust me.
 

NumberXIIIEdwin

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Why not just disable wireless communications from the menu? If you hit the little button on the top-left corner on the home menu you can switch off wireless communications completely. Sure, it would be a bit of a hassle if you wanted play locally but at least you wouldn't have to worry about it connecting to any networks.
 
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Nollog

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It would be super-cute if someone made that MAC Address spoofer people wanted to try and bypass bans, what I'd do would be spoof a mac address on my emunand, and block my sysnand one in my router.
 

link6155

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I think there was a thread about this before. I believe you can disable updates with Parental Controls, I might be wrong.
 

d0k3

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I'll do some looking around for the thread where someone actually took photos of an original 3DS during the update process...... It literally is impossible to "accidentally update" whilst the device is in your hands. You don't need this blocking from your router stuff. Trust me.
Thankyou! If you find it, I'm sure it would give me some piece of mind :).

Why not just disable wireless communications from the menu? If you hit the little button on the top-left corner on the home menu you can switch off wireless communications completely. Sure, it would be a bit of a hassle if you wanted play locally but at least you wouldn't have to worry about it connecting to any networks.
Good one, thank you! I've missed this before and now adding it to my list of security measures.

It would be super-cute if someone made that MAC Address spoofer people wanted to try and bypass bans, what I'd do would be spoof a mac address on my emunand, and block my sysnand one in my router.
Maybe a stupid question, but are you absolutely sure that updates downloaded via EmuNAND can't be applied to SysNAND?

I think there was a thread about this before. I believe you can disable updates with Parental Controls, I might be wrong.
Checked it and at least haven't found something stating this specifically in parental controls. You can limit internet interactions, disable the browser, eShop and access to system settings, though.
 

Nollog

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Maybe a stupid question, but are you absolutely sure that updates downloaded via EmuNAND can't be applied to SysNAND?
I don't know how it works, I've never looked into how Nintendo update your nand.

I've never had the problem, I've updated from eshop, spotpass, and system menu on my o3ds emunand.
Gateway re-direct nand access on the 3DS' 3DS firmware as I understand it, so should stand to reason they re-direct everything 3DS software related to the emunand if it's launched from emunand.
 

gamesquest1

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I think there was a thread about this before. I believe you can disable updates with Parental Controls, I might be wrong.
nope that only existed in 3.x or lower, from 4.x onwards, parental controls do not block updates
Why are people so worried about updating? It literally requires multiple button presses before you even get close to the actual update process.

The only thing to truly worry about is if you have children who use it....

Blocking from wifi router like some people do is absolute overkill :blink:
some people have children, and its only 2 presses, A and Agree on the screen, sometimes kids in particular are very much A and "agree" friendly when it comes to getting onto their game ASAP, someone could start a update if its already downloaded faster than you could say "oh btw don't update"

for the OP, safes stuff is
A) make a nand backup from the gateway menu and store it in a safe place on your computer, this is your "if all else fails" solution,
B) remove all connections from sysnand and put dummy connections in there, as if you do set up emunand, and the wifi settings in sysnand are blank the settings you enter in emunand will be copied to sysnand, so dummy connections are a good idea to prevent that
C) get familiar with Emunand, once you have it set up, always leave your system in emunand
 
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Kay|s7eR

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My sysNAND and emuNAND have different internet connection settings (no connection on sysNAND, working connection on emuNAND) but whenever I turn WiFi ON or OFF from a NAND, it also (dis)activates it on the other. Isn't there any way to have a different WiFi activation setting for each NAND?
Edit: on N3DS.
 

pokemoner2500

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My sysNAND and emuNAND have different internet connection settings (no connection on sysNAND, working connection on emuNAND) but whenever I turn WiFi ON or OFF from a NAND, it also (dis)activates it on the other. Isn't there any way to have a different WiFi activation setting for each NAND?
Edit: on N3DS.
If it is the same for both and changing one changes the other that data (if wifi is on or off) probably is on the SD so only unlinking sysnand and emunand would allow separate (unless someone else has a solution, I cannot confirm or deny that unlinking will fix)
 

d0k3

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My sysNAND and emuNAND have different internet connection settings (no connection on sysNAND, working connection on emuNAND) but whenever I turn WiFi ON or OFF from a NAND, it also (dis)activates it on the other. Isn't there any way to have a different WiFi activation setting for each NAND?
Edit: on N3DS.
That's speculative, but I think that Wifi is still a hardware setting (rather than a software setting). The original 3DS having an actual physical button for this would speak for this theory. If it is a hadware setting you can only either turn it on or off, and EmuNAND or SysNAND won't matter.
 

Kay|s7eR

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If it is the same for both and changing one changes the other that data (if wifi is on or off) probably is on the SD so only unlinking sysnand and emunand would allow separate (unless someone else has a solution, I cannot confirm or deny that unlinking will fix)

I believe I have unlinked sysNAND and emuNAND (removed SD card and then formatted sysNAND) which is why (I think) I can have different connections set up on each NAND. But maybe I'm wrong and my NAND are still linked. I'd like to have confirmation than unlinking NANDs allows or not each NAND to have its own WiFi activation setting.
 

pokemoner2500

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I believe I have unlinked sysNAND and emuNAND (removed SD card and then formatted sysNAND) which is why (I think) I can have different connections set up on each NAND. But maybe I'm wrong and my NAND are still linked. I'd like to have confirmation than unlinking NANDs allows or not each NAND to have its own WiFi activation setting.

Oh, you did unlink so I have no idea why, if you have any friends have them turn off their wifi, eject their sd, insert yours (with wifi on) and see if that changes theirs. If so its a common value for all n3ds (meaning the data on the sd will work with all n3ds) so it would be almost impossible to separate them (unless theirs homebrew or something)
 

Kay|s7eR

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That's speculative, but I think that Wifi is still a hardware setting (rather than a software setting). The original 3DS having an actual physical button for this would speak for this theory. If it is a hadware setting you can only either turn it on or off, and EmuNAND or SysNAND won't matter.

That's also what I am suspecting. Nintendo probably stored this setting the same way it was on O3DS.
 

Erol

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Can activating streetpass and spotpass invoke an update in standby even in EmuNand? or is it save when I'm only using DUMMY Internet profiles and LEAVE streetpass on? I really like streetpass lol
 

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