And they said it couldn't be done. Almost seven years after its release, @Fullmetal5 (the same developer behind str2hax and flashhax) has finally managed to find an exploit compatible with Nintendo's so-called "unhackable" Wii Mini and crack it wide open! Instead of using internet browsers or loading code from the SD card slot, both of which are (in)famously absent from the Mini, this new approach takes advantage of a vulnerability found in Broadcom's Bluetooth driver to gain arbitrary code execution and run a payload from the included USB port. This finally lets homebrew enthusiasts have fun with the console, and may also open the door to online play as well with the help of hacks and a LAN adapter!

While the exploit is making good progress, having already reached 90% completion for the Bluetooth stager and also being consistent enough to be called usable, there's still a lot of work to be done before a public release is available. There's also the possibility of HackMii Installer being incompatible with the Mini's version of IOS, in which case further new exploits will need to be found in order to make it work. You can get an idea about the state of the project in the roadmap below, which was written and shared by the dev itself:

Just to give a small roadmap: (So that people can get an idea as to what needs to be done now)

1. Write a bluetooth stager to upload payloads (%50 complete) (Note: this was stated to have reached 90% in later posts)
2. Write something to load larger payloads from usb.
3. See if the HackMii Installer's exploits work against the versions of IOS that are there (If they are similar to the Wii U's then it may already have exploits but it's possible they are different)
4. If the HackMii Installer's exploits don't work then I will need to write my own. (Shouldn't be too bad, IOS is known to be buggy. Also I'll probably do this step anyway for the fun of it.)

The exploit doesn't have an official name yet, but it's currently being referred to as "bluehax". Right now it's being tested on some specific games, however, there's a real possibility it will work out of the box with the Wii's System Menu alone due to its nature, thus removing the need of a dedicated game. It only takes a computer with a Bluetooth interface to make it work: there's no definitive usage guide just yet, but it should be as easy as running a program on your PC, hitting the SYNC button on the console, et voila - you're good to go! There is a small catch, however: development is targeting just Linux and no Windows version is planned. If you can get behind that, you'll soon be able to enjoy that sweet, sweet homebrew on the tiniest Wii Nintendo has ever made!

Source 1 (Twitter)
Source 2 (Discord server)

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Okay. I totally expected Foez to open his yap because he went full psycho. But this is just lol-worthy.

Dude contacted me asking if he could have a front page post about his Wii mini adventures. I said it sounded interesting and he could send me a little summary of what he did so I could understand what the topic was. E3 came up mere days later, so I was already had my hands full and was on a plane to LA. Ended up not doing the post because I needed to cover E3, and was far too busy to read any PMs. I have no idea what he’s on about with the N/A thing. I never changed any settings lol. Could just be the inanity talking.

I took a week off to relax after E3, and he ended up contacting me with a frothing furious message about how I’d ruined his only chance of talking to his kids by not talking about the Wii Mini. ??? I owned up to saying I messed up by not posting it, but he already went full psychopath. No way was I going to go back and cover it after he’d gone nutso with screaming and name calling. Then a few random months later he sends like, 4 full drunken wacko ramblings about how much he wishes I would die in another hurricane. Yeah no. That kind of unstable psychotic reaction is disgusting behavior. Cutesy Wii mini soddering tricks or no.
View attachment 179192

*Norio Wakamoto voice impression* Props to you for going full ProJared with those allegations, girl! *Norio Wakamoto voice impression off because his English would be like Terry's most likely* It's weird because I remember seeing his blog post a year or however long ago it was about hacking the Wii Mini, and never heard anything again about it. The fact that he was concerned about going public with this shit though makes me doubt whatever he had up his sleeves, especially when he starts throwing the accusations all over the place! I don't get why he couldn't go to one of the other contributors on the site to get his "feat" published, let alone the other sites with any traffic relating to emulation and homebrew worth a damn! And personal insults are always nice to deal with, especially when you have more notifications than I'd ever want, that's for sure!

 

[Ryccardo]

My question now is, can it be modded to give out component or RGB scart video signals? One of the systems biggest flaws.

Probably, if you replace the video encoder chip with that from a "full" Wii's

One wonders what the heck Nintendo was thinking since lack of Internet means you couldn't use Wiiware on this stupid brick.

Exactly what it's advertised to do - an inexpensive (at full retail price compared to a regular horizontal Wii) machine to play Wii discs!

 

[smf]

If it all works out great then the Wii Mini could become the preferred way to play Wii Games.

No, it really couldn't.

 

[Taleweaver]

It's interesting news. But I really wonder whom this is for.

The very first badge of wii's had a sort of optical drive that would allow to read backup disks. Other than that, the later bunch (including the ones in non-grey'ish colors) were roughly identical. They shipped with different firmwares, but unlike other companies, exploits were found so quickly that (in the latter days) you almost had to explicitly WANT to brick your wii to pull it off.

The wii mini was released at the very, very end of the wii life cycle. The wiiu was already announced and have backward compatibility, and with the success that the wii was, those little things were pretty quickly competing with wii owners who ditched their console in favor of a wiiu (or because they got tired of it).

Sure, the thing was cheaper than a new wii, but only one USB port, no SD card, no freaking internet and not even component output were...pretty serious disadvantages. Honestly: the only people I would ever see buying such a thing are the sort of soccer moms who have no idea about anything but buy it purely on its price and looks (which, admittedly, looks pretty slick).

I honestly can't remember a single person saying that exploits "couldn't be done". It's just that there was zero interest in it, for the reasons outlined above.
Yes, I remember Deadlyfoez as well, gauging for interest. There was none. I had no idea about the drama behind the scenes, but even so...even if it was huge-ass frontpage news with neon letters and glitters all around, it still wouldn't have garnered any results whatsoever.


...which reminds me: the reason that I find it interesting is more in the sense that it means that normal wiis with broken SD-cards could, at least hypothetically, also be hacked with this method.

 

[Shubshub]

No, it really couldn't.

If it gets everything the wii can do via hacking (Including Online) Then yeah it would.

 

[smf]

If it gets everything the wii can do via hacking (Including Online) Then yeah it would.

Wii Mini and a wifi dongle plus a hub, usb to sd adapter, will be more expensive than buying a Wii.

Even then the missing component video is a major issue. Unless they just disabled it in software, which I kinda doubt

How will that be preferred?

 

[Ryccardo]

but only one USB port, no SD card, no freaking internet and not even component output were...pretty serious disadvantages.

Kids and seniors, people in the caravan or second home don't care about those things
One port is one more than needed for the vast majority of games, nintendo only loves restricting people's right to save backups, removing wifi was a fairly obvious cost cutting target and so probably was removing most video outputs (all provided by a custom chip now with less internals)

the reason that I find it interesting is more in the sense that it means that normal wiis with broken SD-cards could, at least hypothetically, also be hacked with this method.

Well, if you're thinking the "regular Wiis had all of this and more for years" way, might as well have used str2hax (or you know, fixed the actual problem by replacing the slot)

 

[Taleweaver]

Kids and seniors, people in the caravan or second home don't care about those things
One port is one more than needed for the vast majority of games, nintendo only loves restricting people's right to save backups, removing wifi was a fairly obvious cost cutting target and so probably was removing most video outputs (all provided by a custom chip now with less internals)

I know all that: hardly any games used 2 USB ports (if there even were any ), the online stuff never caught on and though the quality is miles better with component, it's not like the default connectors are unplayable. But still: everyone and their dog already had a wii, and those whose device ended up broken could find a secondhand one dirt cheap (or had a reason to get a wiiu...if they HAD to go with nintendo again). Saying "kids and elderly" isn't really a convincing answer to me.

 

[retrofan_k]

Ordered a boxed complete Wii Mini today for the fun of it when a release does happen.

 

[Ryccardo]

But still: everyone and their dog already had a wii, and those whose device ended up broken could find a secondhand one dirt cheap

You don't gift people used stuff you bought cheap, k?
Yes, it wasn't something that most console users bought - it was more of an option for tournaments, relatives, etc to be cheapskates (for a respectable 2/3rds of the official price) while still offering a reputable-name product (with that cool new design too!)

And yes, there's an uncomfortably large amount of people who hate buying used && compare products almost only on price...

 

[DjoeN]

Just call it WiiMiniHax clear and straight to the point

 

[linuxares]

I'm just curious if an external DVD reader could get the mini to be able to read disc's. Probably require a few cios then

 

[DinohScene]

I'd like to have a Wii Mini to experiment on.
But it'll end up gathering dust anyway :c

 

[altorn]

Funny thing: I really didn't know there was a Wii Mini. lol

 

[Issac]

I'm just curious if an external DVD reader could get the mini to be able to read disc's. Probably require a few cios then

What? Why would you need an external DVD reader to read discs?

 

[linuxares]

What? Why would you need an external DVD reader to read discs?

Hmm didn't it not have a disc drive?

 

[Issac]

Hmm didn't it not have a disc drive?

Of course it has a disc drive Otherwise you'd only be able to play WiiWare games, more or less xD except it didn't have internet....

 

[Draxikor]

Just composite, no online no GC compatibility.... Why waste efforts to make hackeable this cheap revision?

 

[Ryccardo]

Just composite, no online no GC compatibility.... Why waste efforts to make hackeable this cheap revision?

Why contribute to e-waste by not using hardware that's already out at the peak of its potential?

 

[raxadian]

Probably, if you replace the video encoder chip with that from a "full" Wii's


Exactly what it's advertised to do - an inexpensive (at full retail price compared to a regular horizontal Wii) machine to play Wii discs!

Funny enough, in some parts of the world it was actually more expensive because it was "new" and included a game. While the old white Wii was on sale. And even in places were it wasn't an used white Wii cost way less.