Hacking Why does nintendo block nand backups from different consoles being used?

[funnystory]

I assume it's because of piracy concerns,but it just occured to me that there are perfectly hardware working 3ds's that become bricks that could easily be fixed with flashing a new nand image. If you send your nintendo in to repair for example,is there some sort of master key that can be used to fix these bricked nintendo's that are only bricked due to software?

 

[Halvorsen]

Many things. Nintendo doesn't exactly block it.
The first layer is your serial code.
The second layer is some seemingly random code, which is basically the OTP deal. This is what encrypts the nand and firm. If the console's hardcoded key doesn't match the firm's key, it'll check for a second firm partition. A failsafe. If the key doesn't match THAT, the nand won't boot. Meaning a brick.

 

[Cuphat]

Because, simply put, there are console specific encryption keys being used, and the encryption is done in hardware, with the keys not being stored in the NAND itself.

They encrypted everything to make it as difficult as possible to crack it. As a result, NANDs are console specific.

 

[MassExplosion213]

It was intentional. And think about what you asked. "Why don't they let you restore the backup from any other console?" Why don't they sell flashcarts? Why don't they let you download games for free? Why don't they let you restore this 1.0 backup from this console? Because. It's just plain dumb. They would have to be stupid to do it.

 

[funnystory]

It was intentional. And think about what you asked. "Why don't they let you restore the backup from any other console?" Why don't they sell flashcarts? Why don't they let you download games for free? Why don't they let you restore this 1.0 backup from this console? Because. It's just plain dumb. They would have to be stupid to do it.

I did state it was because of piracy concerns. I am still curious as to if nintendo has some sort of master key to restore these devices when people send them in.

 

[izy]

I did state it was because of piracy concerns. I am still curious as to if nintendo has some sort of master key to restore these devices when people send them in.

except they dont do that they usually replace the Mobo and Serial on case if it comes to that, just how mobile manufacturers do it.
Its much faster to do, besides it not like they need a Master Key if they did because they own ALL the encryption keys

 

[Deleted User]

I did state it was because of piracy concerns. I am still curious as to if nintendo has some sort of master key to restore these devices when people send them in.

The cryptography that the 3DS uses is based on unique values embedded into hardware, so not even Nintendo could override it by sidestepping it. It is impossible for there to be a "master key", as that simply isn't how encryption works. There is, however, the ability to have access to a tool that reads the encryption of the CPU in order to restore the device to a usable state. Since Nintendo controls the encryption algorithm, they likely also know how to fix software issues by encrypting a non-encrypted copy of the software and installing it on the target device.

 

[Ryccardo]

Actually, at least in the Wii days, Nintendo "proved" they don't have a database of keys, or a way to force a system to boot (as they couldn't transfer saves from hardbricked systems)...

There is a not-so-joke on cell phone forums that a pretty foolproof way of hiding your hacks is deliberately erasing NAND and claiming that it just didn't start the next day!

 

[axemurderer]

another thing to consider is that there are different nand sizes because different chips have been used. that's not exactly interchangeable.

 

[Ryccardo]

That would probably be one of the least problems (dump each individual decrypted partition, as the extra space on the bigger chips is unused...), adjust SecureInfo, and restore)

 

[Halvorsen]

It was intentional. And think about what you asked. "Why don't they let you restore the backup from any other console?" Why don't they sell flashcarts? Why don't they let you download games for free? Why don't they let you restore this 1.0 backup from this console? Because. It's just plain dumb. They would have to be stupid to do it.

I didn't say it wasn't intentional; but the way it was spelled out in OP made it seem like something that was actively checked for or a server-side block.