Hacking New 3DS with A9LH?

[JohnTravolski]

So I've got a New Nintendo 3DS with A9LH installed on it so that I can access Hourglass9 before it boots into sysNAND so I can restore my sysNAND backups in case I do any kind of brick. My New Nintendo 3DS's sysNAND is on version 11.0 (USA). However, I have a few questions because I don't entirely understand everything yet:

1. If Nintendo releases a system update and I do update my sysNAND, will the payload that I use to access Hourglass9 always be functional, or will I have to download an updated version of Hourglass9?
2. I installed a .cia file on my sysNAND to access the Homebrew launcher. If a new system update comes out and I update my sysNAND, is it possible that the .cia I installed may not take me into homebrew anymore? Or is it pretty much always guaranteed to work? Basically, can Nintendo stop me from accessing homebrew from my sysNAND on the latest version even with a .cia installed?
3. Is it possible for Nintendo to ever release a sysNAND update that will prevent A9LH from being accessed/used? Is it possible for a system update to totally screw up everything that I've done on my system?
4. Should I even be updating my sysNAND at all now? I want to play games online, but I've heard that there are workarounds even when you're not on the latest firmware. I only ask because I don't know if updating my sysNAND might mess up any of the homebrew .cia files I've installed on my New Nintendo 3DS.

 

[Majickhat55]

1. That depends on what the update may incorporate itself, not something that can really be answered until it arrives. Updates may or may not skew the way the exploit is intended to work.
2. Same thing ^.
3. Pretty sure they can't erase A9LH as it is installed to the portion of the DS that boots BEFORE your sysnand so they essentially shouldn't have any effect on updates one way or the other.
4. Updating sysnand is safe as far as A9LH, it's the CFW that may or may not be compatible with newer system firmware. The best way is to wait for confirmation when new updates are released that the CFW you are using is indeed compatible. Otherwise, yes you can use something like CTRhttpwn to bypass the update nag.

Someone else can probably give you more detailed answers but this is what I've seen from person experience.

 

[Ricken]

1. Same will work. A9LH works before the system can fight back (it is unpatchable)
2. Depends on the contents of the update. It will work as soon as you have a payload for said firmware (but some payloads work after updates, like V*'s 10.7 payload works on 11.0)
3. Read the second sentence of number 1
4. You're safe to update so long as you have FIRM protection (If you don't know what this means then you're likely using Luma, and Luma protects FIRM no matter what. In other words updating with Luma is safe)

 

[The Catboy]

So I've got a New Nintendo 3DS with A9LH installed on it so that I can access Hourglass9 before it boots into sysNAND so I can restore my sysNAND backups in case I do any kind of brick. My New Nintendo 3DS's sysNAND is on version 11.0 (USA). However, I have a few questions because I don't entirely understand everything yet:

1. If Nintendo releases a system update and I do update my sysNAND, will the payload that I use to access Hourglass9 always be functional, or will I have to download an updated version of Hourglass9?
2. I installed a .cia file on my sysNAND to access the Homebrew launcher. If a new system update comes out and I update my sysNAND, is it possible that the .cia I installed may not take me into homebrew anymore? Or is it pretty much always guaranteed to work? Basically, can Nintendo stop me from accessing homebrew from my sysNAND on the latest version even with a .cia installed?
3. Is it possible for Nintendo to ever release a sysNAND update that will prevent A9LH from being accessed/used? Is it possible for a system update to totally screw up everything that I've done on my system?
4. Should I even be updating my sysNAND at all now? I want to play games online, but I've heard that there are workarounds even when you're not on the latest firmware. I only ask because I don't know if updating my sysNAND might mess up any of the homebrew .cia files I've installed on my New Nintendo 3DS.

1: Hourglass9 functions before the homemenu launches. So it will not be effected by system updates.
2: Since the HB Cia is launched using signature patches, Nintendo can't block access to it. You would just need to update your payloads.
3: Nope, so long as your CFW provides FIRM0/1 protection, you are safe. It also helps that any attempts to remove A9LH, would result in a perma-brick, something Nintendo would never do.
4: Update when it's confirmed safe by hardmod users. All updates should be safe, the update from 10.7 to 11, proved that our patches do protect A9LH, but it's still worth waiting.

I've actually been testing FIRM0/1 protections for all of the CFW's to confirm they are safe. I've downgraded to as low as the CFW's allowed, then backed up my NAND's to allow my keep updating. Thus far, I can safely say that the current FIRM0/1 protection methods are confirmed safe. But if you would like confirmation, @chaoskagami can confirm that I tested these methods out.

 

[JohnTravolski]

"2: Since the HB Cia is launched using signature patches, Nintendo can't block access to it. You would just need to update your payloads."

Could you please explain more about "updat[ing] [my] payloads?" Why would this be required/important and where can I find the latest payloads?

 

[The Catboy]

"2: Since the HB Cia is launched using signature patches, Nintendo can't block access to it. You would just need to update your payloads."

Could you please explain more about "updat[ing] [my] payloads?" Why would this be required/important and where can I find the latest payloads?

HB launcher cia is launched the same way a CIA game is launched. Which is, it's launched because your signatures are patched out by the CFW.
You need payloads to launch your homebrew/homebrew launcher. It's the files named something like, "hblauncherloader_otherapp_payload_NEW-11-0-0-33-USA.bin" in the root of your SD card.
You need them for your homebrew to launch and you need to update them with every update. Most of the time, it's just as easy as renaming, example from 10.7 to 11 was as simple as renaming the file from
"hblauncherloader_otherapp_payload_NEW-10-0-0-32-USA.bin" to "hblauncherloader_otherapp_payload_NEW-11-0-0-33-USA.bin"
Other times, you need to download updated versions. Regardless, you need to have them updated to your current firmware for your Homebrew launcher to work.

 

[JohnTravolski]

Okay, that's good information. Is the homebrew launcher the only payload that I'll regularly need to update, though? Or are there other payloads for other programs that I probably should as well?

 

[Temptress Cerise]

Okay, that's good information. Is the homebrew launcher the only payload that I'll regularly need to update, though? Or are there other payloads for other programs that I probably should as well?

The arm9loaderhax.bin on the root of your SD Card is also a payload, but that can be easily updated using LumaUpdater or StarUpdater.

The payloads on your Luma3DS' chainloader are also other a9lh.bin payloads you'd also probably want to keep an eye on updating.

If you followed the guide Recently, those a9lh.bin payloads would be Hourglass9, EmuNAND9 and Decrypt9WIP. These would have to be manually updated from their latest release pages, and of course re-named appropriately to work with Luma3DS' chainloader.

 

[The Catboy]

Okay, that's good information. Is the homebrew launcher the only payload that I'll regularly need to update, though? Or are there other payloads for other programs that I probably should as well?

If you are using Luma3DS, you need to regularly update that as well, but that's easier. There is both an an app (I suggest StarUpdater) or just use this site if you need custom payloads. I personally use Starupdater because it's less work.