Hacking Bluebomb: An exploit for the Wii + Wii Mini

[Fawe]

If you have the Nintendo Wifi Usb adapter is possible, but it would be easier to try to run ModMii in Wine.

I actually have that thing but I haven't dared to hack it.

What? You don't need the Nintendo WiFI USB Adapter for Bluebomb, it has nothing to do with it?

 

[raxadian]

What? You don't need the Nintendo lpWiFI USB Adapter for Bluebomb, it has nothing to do with it?

You can use it to push data and updates to the Wii, but yes you don't need it for Bluebomb.

 

[AptMadooms]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this so apologies if it isn't, but I run into a hangup when I try to Bluebomb my semi-bricked Japanese Wii.

I go through the process of creating the FAT32 USB drive with "boot.elf" from Hackmii installer and plug that into the bottom USB port of the Wii. I run the linux process using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on my Lenovo laptop and I can get the connection established with the Wii (i.e. "got connection handle"), but then everything pauses at "waiting for response from Stage0" and hangs there indefinitely unless I kill the process.
I'm not coding minded/particularly IT savvy, but am good at following instructions so I will gladly take any advice from anyone on here (my plan tonight it to remove all other Bluetooth devices from near the Wii when I try to launch the exploit).

Also FWIW I have tried Modmii/Letterbomb and have not had any success.

 

[raxadian]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this so apologies if it isn't, but I run into a hangup when I try to Bluebomb my semi-bricked Japanese Wii.

I go through the process of creating the FAT32 USB drive with "boot.elf" from Hackmii installer and plug that into the bottom USB port of the Wii. I run the linux process using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on my Lenovo laptop and I can get the connection established with the Wii (i.e. "got connection handle"), but then everything pauses at "waiting for response from Stage0" and hangs there indefinitely unless I kill the process.
I'm not coding minded/particularly IT savvy, but am good at following instructions so I will gladly take any advice from anyone on here (my plan tonight it to remove all other Bluetooth devices from near the Wii when I try to launch the exploit).

Also FWIW I have tried Modmii/Letterbomb and have not had any success.

Unless is the Wii mini, you could install BootMii in the SD card using ModWii to try to unbrick it.

 

[Fawe]

Unless is the Wii mini, you could install BootMii in the SD card using ModWii to try to unbrick it.

Unless he already has BootMii installed, putting the BootMii files on his SD card won't do anything.

 

[raxadian]

Unless he already has BootMii installed, putting the BootMii files on his SD card won't do anything.

On firmware 4.3 there is a way to hack the Wii using the sd card. Bluebomb is mostly useful if you have a Wii Mini.

 

[AptMadooms]

On firmware 4.3 there is a way to hack the Wii using the sd card. Bluebomb is mostly useful if you have a Wii Mini.

I don't have a Wii Mini unfortunately. I have a Japanese Wii which I received with 2.0J on it and then inserted Wii Sports Resort and did the update and then SMG2 and did the update (foolishly thinking this would help me letterbomb the thing when instead I should have just used ModMii - hindsight is 20/20).
I tried running the Bluebomb again tonight from a computer with Ubuntu installed instead of just Ubuntu on a flash drive and again I get to "awaiting a response from stage0" where it then hangs.

 

[raxadian]

I don't have a Wii Mini unfortunately. I have a Japanese Wii which I received with 2.0J on it and then inserted Wii Sports Resort and did the update and then SMG2 and did the update (foolishly thinking this would help me letterbomb the thing when instead I should have just used ModMii - hindsight is 20/20).
I tried running the Bluebomb again tonight from a computer with Ubuntu installed instead of just Ubuntu on a flash drive and again I get to "awaiting a response from stage0" where it then hangs.

See if it works in Puppy Linux Fatdog that has quite a good compatibility with older hardware that latest versions of Ubuntu and Mint don't do.

Alternatively just ask in the ModMii thread.

 

[XFlak]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this so apologies if it isn't, but I run into a hangup when I try to Bluebomb my semi-bricked Japanese Wii.

I go through the process of creating the FAT32 USB drive with "boot.elf" from Hackmii installer and plug that into the bottom USB port of the Wii. I run the linux process using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on my Lenovo laptop and I can get the connection established with the Wii (i.e. "got connection handle"), but then everything pauses at "waiting for response from Stage0" and hangs there indefinitely unless I kill the process.
I'm not coding minded/particularly IT savvy, but am good at following instructions so I will gladly take any advice from anyone on here (my plan tonight it to remove all other Bluetooth devices from near the Wii when I try to launch the exploit).

Also FWIW I have tried Modmii/Letterbomb and have not had any success.

You forgot to include a link to the previous discussions we had on this so everyone can fully get up to speed without having to ask the same questions:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/well-i-feel-sheepish.583838

@raxadian, if you look at the sheepish thread you'll see we tried a bunch of things and he cannot get letterbomb\wilbrand or str2hax to work (and iirc also disc won't load so disc based exploits don't work), so that's why he's trying bluebomb to try to unbrick his Wii

 

[raxadian]

You forgot to include a link to the previous discussions we had on this so everyone can fully get up to speed without having to ask the same questions:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/well-i-feel-sheepish.583838

@raxadian, if you look at the sheepish thread you'll see we tried a bunch of things and he cannot get letterbomb\wilbrand or str2hax to work (and iirc also disc won't load so disc based exploits don't work), so that's why he's trying bluebomb to try to unbrick his Wii

Uh.

So we have a Japanese Wii with no disk drive that's half bricked.

And neither Ubuntu or Mint work on the computer, at least not for this.

My best guess is that's because both Ubuntu and Mint latest versions have compatibility problems.

Instead of Mint 20, use a live CD of Mint 19.3.

Mint 19.3 is the last Mint version that's compatible with a lot of olf hardware and is still supported until the year 2023.

Alternatively try Puppy Linux Fatdog 64. Is the version of puppy linux most compatible with hardware that has problems or is old. But it has to he 64 bits hardware or it won't work. Also to use Bluetooth for this hack you need to use Terminal programs.

 

[AptMadooms]

Well, tonight I tried to run the Bluebomb exploit using a bootable USB version of Mint 19.3 and I stop at the same "Awaiting a response from Stage 0" .

Should I expect anything different from Fat Dog or is there a different problem plauging me/the Wii? (FWIW I have been using the guide here https://wii.guide/bluebomb.html)

 

[raxadian]

Well, tonight I tried to run the Bluebomb exploit using a bootable USB version of Mint 19.3 and I stop at the same "Awaiting a response from Stage 0" .

Should I expect anything different from Fat Dog or is there a different problem plauging me/the Wii? (FWIW I have been using the guide here https://wii.guide/bluebomb.html)

Fatdog is different from Mint and Ubuntu but you will need to use terminal programs to do stuff like send files by Bluetooth.

However it seems the problem may be that the computer Bluetooth adapter may not be fully compatible with Linux?

Have you tried borrowing a different computer?

Edit: Completely useless for this but here I found an old guide for Wifi on the Wii.

http://web.archive.org/web/20150927083939/http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/wii/file/wii_networking.txt

... Wait can you Wii get online?

 

[AptMadooms]

I downloaded FatDog, but I honestly don't know how to follow these instructions (https://github.com/Fullmetal5/bluebomb) since I don't have a Wii Mini and as much as I can follow instructions I don't really know what all of the Linux commands are doing.
I've tried the packaged bluebomb on two different Lenovo computers running Linux so far (one fully installed, one via USB)
The Wii was connected to the internet at one point (right before I did the wrong region disc update with SMG2), but I don't know how to tell if it is anymore (and I dont have the internet channel)

 

[raxadian]

I downloaded FatDog, but I honestly don't know how to follow these instructions (https://github.com/Fullmetal5/bluebomb) since I don't have a Wii Mini and as much as I can follow instructions I don't really know what all of the Linux commands are doing.
I've tried the packaged bluebomb on two different Lenovo computers running Linux so far (one fully installed, one via USB)
The Wii was connected to the internet at one point (right before I did the wrong region disc update with SMG2), but I don't know how to tell if it is anymore (and I dont have the internet channel)

In settings you can set up an Internet connection. Can you still access settings? It may also be possible to load the Internet channel from a SD card. Then you can use the Webpage hack... or not.

Otherwise you may try with a Wii recovery disc... but that may brick your Wii even more.

 

[AptMadooms]

In settings you can set up an Internet connection. Can you still access settings? It may also be possible to load the Internet channel from a SD card. Then you can use the Webpage hack... or not.

Otherwise you may try with a Wii recovery disc... but that may brick your Wii even more.

Cannot get into settings. Tried the various channels and selecting news and weather brings up "This channel is not available" (in Japanese) and the shop channel says that I did not agree to the terms so I cannot use.

I tried searching for ways to install the internet channel from an SD card and came up empty...

 

[raxadian]

Cannot get into settings. Tried the various channels and selecting news and weather brings up "This channel is not available" (in Japanese) and the shop channel says that I did not agree to the terms so I cannot use.

I tried searching for ways to install the internet channel from an SD card and came up empty...

Loading the old homebrew app doesn't from just the sd card doesn't work past firmware 4.0 and that could have been used as a gateway to install the Internet channel.

Anyway if you really wanna risk it, use the recovery disc for your region of Wii. Best case your firmware will be restored to an old version and you will end with a few bad sectors. Worst case your Wii will brick even more and become unfixable.

Do the Wiimotes even work on that Wii? Otherwise the Bluetooth exploit won't work.

Edit:

https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Bluebomb

Edit2: Bluetooth does have problems in Linux in some laptops. Usually Mint or at least a version of mint will work.

Edit3: https://github.com/Fullmetal5/bluebomb

Edit 4: Wii mini hacking Discord? Clarify you have a bricked White Japanese Wii:

https://discord.gg/MYm9kB7

Edit 5: I had a similar brick ages ago but it didn't include trying to update to the wrong region. In that case the restore disk worked but again,; is risky as hell.

 

[AptMadooms]

Loading the old homebrew app doesn't from just the sd card doesn't work past firmware 4.0 and that could have been used as a gateway to install the Internet channel.

Anyway if you really wanna risk it, use the recovery disc for your region of Wii. Best case your firmware will be restored to an old version and you will end with a few bad sectors. Worst case your Wii will brick even more and become unfixable.

Do the Wiimotes even work on that Wii? Otherwise the Bluetooth exploit won't work.

Edit:

https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Bluebomb

Edit2: Bluetooth does have problems in Linux in some laptops. Usually Mint or at least a version of mint will work.

Edit3: https://github.com/Fullmetal5/bluebomb

Edit 4: Wii mini hacking Discord? Clarify you have a bricked White Japanese Wii:

https://discord.gg/MYm9kB7

Edit 5: I had a similar brick ages ago but it didn't include trying to update to the wrong region. In that case the restore disk worked but again,; is risky as hell.

An update - all is well in the end - I didn't realize that Super Mario Galaxy 2 only updates to 4.2U instead of 4.3U so now I have been able to install homebrew once I used the right version.

Thanks so much everyone for your efforts. Greatly appreciated!!!

 

[raxadian]

An update - all is well in the end - I didn't realize that Super Mario Galaxy 2 only updates to 4.2U instead of 4.3U so now I have been able to install homebrew once I used the right version.

Thanks so much everyone for your efforts. Greatly appreciated!!!

What did you do to fix things?

 

[XFlak]

What did you do to fix things?

he reported this in his other thread:

Well, I feel like something of an idiot. Everything you did worked, it was strictly me who didn't understand.

I found out last night that Super Mario Galaxy 2 updates to 4.2U, not 4.3U so I was trying to wrong method the whole time. Additionally, I was trying to access bannerbomb via message board instead of using the SD card menu.

All this to say, your program actually worked like a charm. Thank you so much!!!!

 

[WiiCrazy]

WiiCrazy LIVES!!! Nice to see you active my old friend.

Time passing fast but I take these experiments rather slowly... finally I tried the exploit yesterday with a bit of effort I was able to use it against a 003 error region changed korean wii (4.3U)

Here is my take
- I used a raspberry pi 4 since that was lying around... I got 64 bit Ubuntu installed on it and because of the 32 bit libc.6.so dependency prebuilt binaries errored out with "There is no such file or directory" ... I knew it would work with an alternative os on that but I chose the other alternative : building...

- With satisfying dependencies I got everything to build the main executable... But stage0 part needed powerpc-eabi-gcc stuff which I was not able to satisfy... Joining the discord and asking people should have helped possibly but again I chose the non easy alternative... stage0 is included in the main binary with a c header.. I thought If I can extract the relevant binary from the prebuilt main binary than I can easily generate the needed header file... Downloaded Ghidra, identified the location of the stage0 array, I generated a header file out of it. I was able to build it! It was straight forward to use it against a non bricked wii, it worked at the first try...

Then came the 003 bricked korean wii... All over the place people complaining about that it doesn't work either in the recovery menu or in the error reporting screen so I skipped testing it that way... In one site developer has instructions for creating the necessary file to use the exploit with other dol files... I used that...

I prepared my wii drive to boot a game...
- Using wiiscrubber got the main dol of the game, throw it at stage0-ldsgen python script provided by the exploit author like

./stage0-ldsgen --no-template main.dol

Script print outs 4 values... You create a 4 byte binary file out of printed l2cb value and you use it as the payload in the program instead of WII_SM4_3U.bin in my case....

The game I used was Carnival games... First try was in the selection screen of the game... Stage 1 transferred up to 40K and the game freezed... Second try was in the health & safety screen then it perfectly worked!

So ; to unbrick a 003 error wii with this exploit,

You need,
1- Autoboot supporting drivechip (same with the disc swap thing which I was never fully successful although it worked)
2- Some game
3- PC side preparations to create the 4 byte payload for the game you have
4- Exploit magic already provided by the FullMetal5... Thanks a lot FullMetal5
*5- Once the wii spits the 003 error it doesn't load games so a recovery dongle (savemii or savemiifree) is needed too.

Now I can finally assemble this Korean wii sitting in the shelves

* Forgot to add this