Hacking What's the challenge with the XCI loader?

[FR0ZN]

there is what is called Telemetry data on the console itself, that keeps track of pretty much everything that you do on your switch. if you factory reset that report remains, there are ways to wipe but calls for almost an instant ban as you break the natural sequence if it and it flags nintendo when they check it.

That's why the only way to really be safe is to have a clean NAND and restore before doing online activity. An NAND restore everything from the point of the backup, including the telemetry report.

Well I used the Homebrew launcher via the web applet while I was on 3.0.0 - that was way before any of the good RCM exploits happen.
These old homebrew methods weren't very stable and modified the error code to something like *****-1337 or so.
I'm pretty sure these are all over my telemetry data as well.

 

[_hexkyz_]

Could that solution be used if paired with the requirement that the user needs to dump their own sector data from a game card? Like, include everything up to the game card sectors? It would obviously need to come with a homebrew capable of doing that or does the type of dumping needed require specialized hardware or tools?

Yes, it's definitely possible. However, dumping the necessary data will require specialized tools that don't exist yet.
Essentially, you must forge most of the gamecard controller's authentication process and then request these special sectors from the gamecard. I've documented all that some time ago in the wiki: https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Gamecard_ASIC

However, this is detectable if you go online by accident, for example. If you bought a game and used the card's authentication sectors for something like this, you could be tracked down fairly accurately.

 

[Nezztor]

Yes, it's definitely possible. However, dumping the necessary data will require specialized tools that don't exist yet.
Essentially, you must forge most of the gamecard controller's authentication process and then request these special sectors from the gamecard. I've documented all that some time ago in the wiki: https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Gamecard_ASIC

However, this is detectable if you go online by accident, for example. If you bought a game and used the card's authentication sectors for something like this, you could be tracked down fairly accurately.

Thanks for all your support! I am happy that you are on the light side aka hacking ninty instead of sony dark side jk, any Christmas gifts planned like some way to activate rcm without payload? Santa hexkyz

 

[nl255]

Yes, it's definitely possible. However, dumping the necessary data will require specialized tools that don't exist yet.
Essentially, you must forge most of the gamecard controller's authentication process and then request these special sectors from the gamecard. I've documented all that some time ago in the wiki: https://switchbrew.org/wiki/Gamecard_ASIC

However, this is detectable if you go online by accident, for example. If you bought a game and used the card's authentication sectors for something like this, you could be tracked down fairly accurately.

I would think it wouldn't be that easy to track down as from what I have seen most retailers don't record the individual serial number when you buy games and even if they did tracking the person down would require getting the store records and then credit card records which is slow and expensive and that assumes the person didn't buy the game card with cash. Not to mention that if it was rented there might be no way to determine that information assuming the person in question waited a month or so before using it.

As for tracking them down by their IP address why haven't they already done that for people using SX's XCI loader which should be even easier to detect via telemetry since the same data is used for everyone rather than requiring users to rip the data from one of their own cards.

 

[Sticker]

The key is load game without installation. All will be happy if you can load nsp like xci

 

[Deleted User]

This feater would be amazing. Because the xci loader is the only thing why i payed for the sx os.

 

[KhenemetHeru]

An XCI loader and running the games from USB External HDD are the two things needed in the free CFWs, and why I feel I got my money's worth with SX OS from Day 1 - I consider it paying for the dongle, not for the software, the rest was gravy. I agree with the convenience argument, it's much more desirable to have single XCIs built with the DLC and updates stitched in so you never have to install any data to the SD at all. I would be using the free CFW if not for that lack - well that, and the anti-piracy moralizing which is bull.

On the other hand, if I had a 1TB microSD card I wouldn't care so much (but $400+ is not worth it to me, now that they're out), or if a method to run NSP files like XCI files (without installing them) would be developed.

 

[Deleted User]

I think if there is a open sorce XCI loader the feature with the external HDD is no big problem.

 

[josete2k]

• You can install DLC and updates with .NSP unlike .XCI which have to rely on buying/downloading them (or using .NSP in conjunction which defeats the purpose using a .XCI in the first place)
• .NSP are smaller than even a trimmed .XCI file
• .NSP have faster load times than .XCI files
• .NSP can be installed without an SD card
• .NSP can be launched without an SD card

- nsp updates don't need fake tickes
- nsp and xci (cleaned, not trimmed) are exactly same in size.
- nsp and xci have same time access while nsp is installed on SD.
- true
- how can you launch a fake nsp without an SD card?

 

[linuxares]

- nsp updates don't need fake tickes
- nsp and xci (cleaned, not trimmed) are exactly same in size.
- nsp and xci have same time access while nsp is installed on SD.
- true
- how can you launch a fake nsp without an SD card?

By installing it on the NAND.

 

[josete2k]

By installing it on the NAND.

I don't know how can I launch a CFW without an SD..

 

[linuxares]

I don't know how can I launch a CFW without an SD..

By injecting the payload fully?
By all means, 99% of them need the SD Card, but I'm talking about NSP files.

 

[Absintu]

I don't know how can I launch a CFW without an SD..

U don't. He was referring to NSPs

EDIT: got ninja'd

 

[Condemned87]

What causes users to be banned for using .NSP files are not the .NSP files themselves (these are 1:1 copies of eShop games once installed) but the fake tickets used to install/launch them. Therefore, if you install anything that doesn't need a fake ticket, then Nintendo won't know that you're launching it using CFW (because it won't have a fake ticket).

That means I can install my xci files which was made from my original games without any problems? No higher ban risk as playing xci files without installtion?

 

[josete2k]

By injecting the payload fully?
By all means, 99% of them need the SD Card, but I'm talking about NSP files.

U don't. He was referring to NSPs

EDIT: got ninja'd

Fake tickets for your installed NSPs need signpatches...

You can't launch any non-owned nsp without any SD card...

 

[pcwizard7]

to the people against xci loader i understand the fight against piracy but what if the xci must have a valid certificate in it? so people can play their own backups. as using your own roms are ok as long as you brought the game

 

[smf]

to the people against xci loader i understand the fight against piracy but what if the xci must have a valid certificate in it? so people can play their own backups. as using your own roms are ok as long as you brought the game

The problem is that TX did it first and people hate TX, so they hate XCI loading.

The piracy thing is mostly a smoke screen. There are plenty of hackers who don't care about that, but with the toxicity of the switch scene there is no point.

 

[Condemned87]

The piracy thing is a classic case of double standards. If I want, I can do it also with NPS files. Therefore... no real arguments against XCI files.

 

[linuxares]

The problem is that TX did it first and people hate TX, so they hate XCI loading.

The piracy thing is mostly a smoke screen. There are plenty of hackers who don't care about that, but with the toxicity of the switch scene there is no point.

More of that XCI can't be implemented as it is at the moment since it's extremly illegal. That's why NSPs are "fine-ish" for now.
Or just use 4nxci to convert the xci to nsp and install it

 

[Draxzelex]

That means I can install my xci files which was made from my original games without any problems? No higher ban risk as playing xci files without installtion?

.XCI files don't have tickets so it is about as detectable as mounting the .XCI file.