Hacking *WARNING* Sharing Wii U Homebrew (Brick Warning)

[Mathew_Wi]

I'm making this thread to warn people that it is very easy to brick your Wii U with just the webkit exploit. So, if you want to run a specific homebrew, be sure to get the source code. Wii U bricks caused by this are not currently fixable.

Just a friendly reminder to those testing out homebrew made by other users.

 

[zoogie]

I'm making this thread to warn people that it is very easy to brick your Wii U with just the webkit exploit. So, if you want to run a specific homebrew, be sure to get the source code. Wii U bricks caused by this are not currently fixable.

Just a friendly reminder to those testing out homebrew made by other users.

Has this been happening? Seems like a stretch to write to nand when everything so far seems userland.

 

[Mathew_Wi]

Has this been happening? Seems like a stretch to write to nand when everything so far seems userland.

This hasn't happened yet, as far as I know. Nintendo is very generous with what they give you in userland. I've personally caused a brick to a devkit with just userland, however they have easy restore functions.

 

[wj44]

@Mathew_Wii
Ok then please share a html that "BRICK" the Wii U.
(I think it can't brick the Wii U because Nintendo protects sys files)

 

[EmceeKerser]

I find this so hard to believe

 

[The Real Jdbye]

@Mathew_Wii
Ok then please share a html that "BRICK" the Wii U.
(I think it can't brick the Wii U because Nintendo protects sys files)

This sounds like a really bad idea. Some skid will end up abusing it to brick people's consoles.
Anyway, I see no reason why he would lie about this. There could be any number of ways to brick a Wii U that doesn't involve sys files, and for that matter, don't you think that protection is what causes the brick in the first place?
If there was no protection, we could modify anything without causing a brick, as long as the files are correctly made.

 

[thekarter104]

Hmmm, wonder why and how a brick happens with just userland and not writing to NAND?

Well, I got the blinking red light after using the Browser exploit with a USB in it, maybe that's it?? And I just turned on the Wii U that time.

 

[FaTaL_ErRoR]

Hmmm, wonder why and how a brick happens with just userland and not writing to NAND?

Well, I got the blinking red light after using the Browser exploit with a USB in it, maybe that's it?? And I just turned on the Wii U that time.

Red blinking light? At exploit or upon boot? More than likely it's just your controller about to run out of power....(lol j/k)
Are you able to read the RAM? If this is happening during the exploit it's ppc shutting down. Kinda like an internal hard reset.(if this is when it's happening then I am officially wrong with webkit not having enough access) If this happens when you simply boot your console up then well guess that's a big oops on your part.

 

[thekarter104]

Red blinking light? At exploit or upon boot? More than likely it's just your controller about to run out of power....(lol j/k)
Are you able to read the RAM? If this is happening during the exploit it's ppc shutting down. Kinda like an internal hard reset.(if this is when it's happening then I am officially wrong with webkit not having enough access) If this happens when you simply boot your console up then well guess that's a big oops on your part.

The exploit just showed Hello World.
After I held the power button for 4 seconds to turn it off, the red light started blinking and couldn't turn on the Wii U again.

 

[FaTaL_ErRoR]

is it still this way as in is this permanent or after shutting off your pc then rebooting wiiu all is good?

 

[thekarter104]

is it still this way as in is this permanent or after shutting off your pc then rebooting wiiu all is good?

Wii U is good now and can play for hours again. I was shocked when I saw the red light blinking.

 

[FaTaL_ErRoR]

The red light blinking and only being temporary is actually a real good sign. (well for these guys anyway not for my post about webkit not getting enough access)

 

[thekarter104]

Forgot to mention I unplugged the power of the Wii U, and back on and it worked again for hours.

 

[Cyan]

it's a general warning, or one specific to an existing/released homebrew?
Is it a specific function name or API that we should look and fear in the sources? or a write or access to some place? or deliberately bricking codes (like deleting files would be obvious hint)
saying to always check the sources is a good advice, but not knowing what to look for might be hard to find.
simple homebrew are easy to check I guess, but if users start making bigger projects it will be harder to understand for the end users.

Also, you should compile it yourself!
there's always a possibility someone provide different sources than the compiled binary.

 

[AboodXD]

Hmmm, wonder why and how a brick happens with just userland and not writing to NAND?

Well, I got the blinking red light after using the Browser exploit with a USB in it, maybe that's it?? And I just turned on the Wii U that time.

it's a general warning, or one specific to an existing/released homebrew?
Is it a specific function name or API that we should look and fear in the sources? or a write or access to some place? or deliberately bricking codes (like deleting files would be obvious hint)
saying to always check the sources is a good advice, but not knowing what to look for might be hard to find.
simple homebrew are easy to check I guess, but if users start making bigger projects it will be harder to understand for the end users.

Also, you should compile it yourself!
there's always a possibility someone provide different sources than the compiled binary.

NWPlayer123 said that the red blinking light means that the system is overheating.

 

[Captain_N]

i used to get the blinking red light back in 2012 when turning off the wii U right after closing a game or turning if off right after it was turned on. Somtimes it took a few times to get it to boot. Unplugging it often worked. My guess it was a software bug. it stopped happening after one of the large updates in 2013.
Mine was not over heating since it happened after being on for like 10 secs.

 

[AboodXD]

Mine was not over heating since it happened after being on for like 10 secs.

Maybe it was overheating when it was off too?

 

[EmceeKerser]

Maybe it was overheating when it was off too?

The wii did that when wiiconnect24 was on

 

[Mathew_Wi]

it's a general warning, or one specific to an existing/released homebrew?
Is it a specific function name or API that we should look and fear in the sources? or a write or access to some place? or deliberately bricking codes (like deleting files would be obvious hint)
saying to always check the sources is a good advice, but not knowing what to look for might be hard to find.
simple homebrew are easy to check I guess, but if users start making bigger projects it will be harder to understand for the end users.

Also, you should compile it yourself!
there's always a possibility someone provide different sources than the compiled binary.

I can say if you want, but I feel like it's just begging kiddies to start doing it maliciously.

 

[Cyan]

Yeah, I thought it was something like that because you didn't tell it explicitly.
If you think it's best to not say it, then don't.

But you warned users, they are free to try random homebrew or be careful.

I think knowlegeable developers should know it, and check project's released sources and warn users if needed. eventually, someone will find it by narrowing the changes between revisions.