Hacking Question Ban prevention!? Risk reduction!?

jteteabagg · Oct 5, 2018

Hi fellas !! Before I start, warning to OPs flaming artists, I’ve already looked around for answers, threads like this one for example: https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-banning-hub.508710/. Still nothing concrete so please calm down !!
Now ... I ain’t no idiot I know I might get banned one day and I accept that risk !! I ain’t no pro but not a total noob neither. I never connect to the internet while under CFW plus I never boot OEM FW with my se card inserted .. prevention only! When Nintendo started issuing bans I’ve reset my switch completely since my common sense tells me NSPs uses certs somehow to install on memory just like eshop purchased titles therefore there’s a good chance it leaves traces behind “I might be wrong here” .. since then I only uses xci files.
My question is : how does Nintendo detects the hacks exactly? Other than being dumb enough to load an illegal nsp or xci under CFW and still connect to the eshop or play online !? If you don’t have any installed NSPs on the console, only game saves from prior loaded XCIs, what else do we know right now Nintendo’s looking after? Tbh I only play Fortnite once a while “rarely” on Oem fw and might play smash bros in December so I’d like to reduce ban possibilities, at least try to !!

Thanks folks !!

Chris

Itzumi · Oct 5, 2018

jteteabagg said:
Hi fellas !! Before I start, warning to OPs flaming artists, I’ve already looked around for answers, threads like this one for example: https://gbatemp.net/threads/nintendo-switch-banning-hub.508710/. Still nothing concrete so please calm down !!
Now ... I ain’t no idiot I know I might get banned one day and I accept that risk !! I ain’t no pro but not a total noob neither. I never connect to the internet while under CFW plus I never boot OEM FW with my se card inserted .. prevention only! When Nintendo started issuing bans I’ve reset my switch completely since my common sense tells me NSPs uses certs somehow to install on memory just like eshop purchased titles therefore there’s a good chance it leaves traces behind “I might be wrong here” .. since then I only uses xci files.
My question is : how does Nintendo detects the hacks exactly? Other than being dumb enough to load an illegal nsp or xci under CFW and still connect to the eshop or play online !? If you don’t have any installed NSPs on the console, only game saves from prior loaded XCIs, what else do we know right now Nintendo’s looking after? Tbh I only play Fortnite once a while “rarely” on Oem fw and might play smash bros in December so I’d like to reduce ban possibilities, at least try to !!

Thanks folks !!

Chris

One word: telemetry.

FAST6191 · Oct 5, 2018

jteteabagg said:
My question is : how does Nintendo detects the hacks exactly?

That is the question. Various hackers* have figured out methods for other things before but it takes a fair bit of effort*, effort that is seemingly still being spent on getting the basics down (it is only Nintendo online so it is something of an afterthought). As you said there are things which are blatantly obvious, and there might be things you can do to lessen things but we don't know if there are any hidden checks. People have their little setups they reckon work but when Nintendo have shown they are happy to wait a while and nobody is really putting any effort into looking at the detection methods it is all just speculation.

*be they those playing in these circles or doing things for anti virus companies. For this sort of thing to be reasonably sure I would expect people to use similar tools and techniques to said AV companies (full function mapping sort of thing) and a full disassembly would be nice as well, oh and it would need to be done for every region's update.

Resetting your Switch might not do that much. There is some evidence that logs survive such a reset, certainly I would not lose the logs if I was on Nintendo's security team and plenty of devices have done as such over the years.

In the meantime the only surefire way is to keep a clean version of your NAND and restore that every time you want to go online, or go offline completely in the hope that you can alter the relevant logs in the future to appear clean.

RHOPKINS13 · Oct 5, 2018

Since you play .XCI backups, I'm inferring that you use SX OS.

The BEST method of ban prevention, aside from having a separate console, is to revert to a "clean" NAND backup each time you go online, and make a new "clean" NAND backup before each time you switch from playing online to using CFW/homebrew. You can save time restoring and backing up NANDs by buying a second eMMC board online and restoring your NAND backup to it. Then you can have one eMMC dedicated to online play and one dedicated to CFW and homebrew.

jteteabagg · Oct 13, 2018

FAST6191 said:
That is the question. Various hackers* have figured out methods for other things before but it takes a fair bit of effort*, effort that is seemingly still being spent on getting the basics down (it is only Nintendo online so it is something of an afterthought). As you said there are things which are blatantly obvious, and there might be things you can do to lessen things but we don't know if there are any hidden checks. People have their little setups they reckon work but when Nintendo have shown they are happy to wait a while and nobody is really putting any effort into looking at the detection methods it is all just speculation.

*be they those playing in these circles or doing things for anti virus companies. For this sort of thing to be reasonably sure I would expect people to use similar tools and techniques to said AV companies (full function mapping sort of thing) and a full disassembly would be nice as well, oh and it would need to be done for every region's update.

Resetting your Switch might not do that much. There is some evidence that logs survive such a reset, certainly I would not lose the logs if I was on Nintendo's security team and plenty of devices have done as such over the years.

In the meantime the only surefire way is to keep a clean version of your NAND and restore that every time you want to go online, or go offline completely in the hope that you can alter the relevant logs in the future to appear clean.

Yeah .. I figured out since I’ve used nxshop.nro about a month ago “requires network” I’m already fawked lol .. First time I’ve used SX OS back then I didn’t knew how to backup clean nand so I’m in a bad position right now !! I’ve now accepted the fact I’ll be banned sooner or later but I can live with it .. I can play Fortnite on my ps4 or pc instead.. I would’ve like to play smash bros in December but hey !! No way I’ll buy a second switch for a single game.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

RHOPKINS13 said:
Since you play .XCI backups, I'm inferring that you use SX OS.

The BEST method of ban prevention, aside from having a separate console, is to revert to a "clean" NAND backup each time you go online, and make a new "clean" NAND backup before each time you switch from playing online to using CFW/homebrew. You can save time restoring and backing up NANDs by buying a second eMMC board online and restoring your NAND backup to it. Then you can have one eMMC dedicated to online play and one dedicated to CFW and homebrew.

Sadly I didn’t knew it was possible to backup my nand back then. I’m pretty sure I’ll get banned as soon as I go online under oem fw .. you know what .. I’ll try it out now !! I’ll tell y’all in a few !

Frexxos · Oct 13, 2018

To be honest? I played for the last 2 Months only in flight mode - and felt like I am banned.
So yesterday I did a full Nand Backup of my 5.1 and updated to 6.0.1 with ChoiDujourNX. I am still not online and don't care anymore.
Still playing "offline" and without internet, but I enjoy all the glorious games.

jteteabagg · Oct 13, 2018

There u go .. I’m officially banned .. I knew it !! I’ve installed NSPs via nxshop a while ago when I didn’t knew much @ certs.. last nsp I’ve installed on my console was about 6-7 weeks ago .. since I’ve heard Nintendo issued bans I’ve formatted my switch and used xci format instead.. last logged in on Fortnite on oem fw @ 3 weeks ago but with the ban waves we had lately I didn’t dare to log back in loll.. oh well I gotta accept it !

Frexxos · Oct 13, 2018

make the best out of it: go for every nsp and game updates you can gradb. Now you can (without fear) get over 1000 games to enjoy, even with updates and dlc's.

jteteabagg · Oct 13, 2018

Frexxos said:
To be honest? I played for the last 2 Months only in flight mode - and felt like I am banned.
So yesterday I did a full Nand Backup of my 5.1 and updated to 6.0.1 with ChoiDujourNX. I am still not online and don't care anymore.
Still playing "offline" and without internet, but I enjoy all the glorious games.

Same here .. I’ve accepted the future ban a while ago .. still worth it !

Chrisssj2 · Oct 13, 2018

jteteabagg said:
There u go .. I’m officially banned .. I knew it !! I’ve installed NSPs via nxshop a while ago when I didn’t knew much @ certs.. last nsp I’ve installed on my console was about 6-7 weeks ago .. since I’ve heard Nintendo issued bans I’ve formatted my switch and used xci format instead.. last logged in on Fortnite on oem fw @ 3 weeks ago but with the ban waves we had lately I didn’t dare to log back in loll.. oh well I gotta accept it !

So you cant play fortnite anymore ?

g00s3y · Oct 13, 2018

"i was so careful going illegal things, I don't know why I got banned."

"I've accepted the ban, but I'm still going to complain, because.... Yeah"

:world's tiniest violin plays:

altorn · Oct 13, 2018

what makes you think making ANOTHER thread despite searching around and not finding answers will give you anything better?
you can't find direct answers because there aren't any direct answers. if there are any, they'd be stickied by now.
buy a second switch or always stay offline. end of story. jesus christ, you kids.

jteteabagg · Oct 13, 2018

g00s3y said:
"i was so careful going illegal things, I don't know why I got banned."

"I've accepted the ban, but I'm still going to complain, because.... Yeah"

:world's tiniest violin plays:

Not complaining at all

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