Hacking Best practice for preserving Switch 2 exploitability?

[JayPea]

Heya.

If someone was buying a Switch 2 with the explicit intention of busting it out only if/when it's exploitable, what is the best way to go about it? Polling seems to be a good way to guage responses so please, if you are inclined, make your choice on the above. Following up with reasons for/against your choice would also be appreciated.

Thanks, in advance, for your time.

JP

 

[blashy101]

Heya.

If someone was buying a Switch 2 with the explicit intention of busting it out only if/when it's exploitable, what is the best way to go about it? Polling seems to be a good way to guage responses so please, if you are inclined, make your choice on the above. Following up with reasons for/against your choice would also be appreciated.

Thanks, in advance, for your time.

JP

Buy it on launch, never update, put it straight into airplane mode and never take it off.

 

[Skv0ra]

Same as i did with the Vita 1000 - never allow it online, play that one or two games you got it with and then seal it back and onto the 2 year shelf.

 

[Blythe93]

Buy it on launch, never update, put it straight into airplane mode and never take it off.

I second this. We'll see what the talented people behind the scenes will come up with once it's released.

 

[wischmob]

Buy it on launch, never update, put it straight into airplane mode and never take it off.

But what about the day one update that gives the console a lot of its functions? what about the sd card, which requires you to connect to the net for initial setup? If you do that now, you're on lower firmware than when you have to do it later. Question is if any possible vulnerabilities would be limited to that initial delivery firmware or not, which of course is a question for the magic crystal ball.

 

[blashy101]

But what about the day one update that gives the console a lot of its functions? what about the sd card, which requires you to connect to the net for initial setup? If you do that now, you're on lower firmware than when you have to do it later. Question is if any possible vulnerabilities would be limited to that initial delivery firmware or not, which of course is a question for the magic crystal ball.

If/when an exploit is available, it's almost certainly going to be for a specific firmware (or prior), and it's incredibly likely it will be possible to update to that specific firmware.

 

[Skv0ra]

But what about the day one update that gives the console a lot of its functions? what about the sd card, which requires you to connect to the net for initial setup? If you do that now, you're on lower firmware than when you have to do it later. Question is if any possible vulnerabilities would be limited to that initial delivery firmware or not, which of course is a question for the magic crystal ball.

Da......absolute fuuuuuuuuuuuuk???

 

[Blythe93]

what about the sd card, which requires you to connect to the net for initial setup?

First time hearing about that. Source?

 

[AndorfRequissa]

First time hearing about that. Source?

ive heard that mentioned multiple different times but have never seen it directly from nintendo. alot of legit places have stated it sadly. just to use a sd card you have to be online first time to setup the sd card for some stupid reason.

 

[linuxares]

ive heard that mentioned multiple different times but have never seen it directly from nintendo. alot of legit places have stated it sadly. just to use a sd card you have to be online first time to setup the sd card for some stupid reason.

I wonder if they will have some proprietary format on the sd card, so people can't just plopp it in the PC and transfer files like they could before.

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

I wonder if they will have some proprietary format on the sd card, so people can't just plopp it in the PC and transfer files like they could before.

I mean they did this for extended storage on the Wii U with the WBFS format.

 

[Viri]

Don't buy one until a hack is announced, and pay 30 dollars below msrp one for a "like new condition" one off eBay, like I did for Switch 1.

 

[Ondrashek06]

I mean, I do want to stay hopeful for a softmod, but keep in mind that the OS the Switch 2 will use is just a continuation of HorizonOS, with all the exploit patches that Nintendo has already released, and after the whole Tegra chip exploit thing, you can be sure that Nintendo has done a security review of just about every chip the Switch 2 will use.

The only possibility for a softmod would probably be an exploit in the new sysmodules that allow for things like Download Play (after all, the 3DS had its kartdlphax).

 

[M7L7NK7]

There isn't going to be a softmod

 

[wischmob]

ive heard that mentioned multiple different times but have never seen it directly from nintendo. alot of legit places have stated it sadly. just to use a sd card you have to be online first time to setup the sd card for some stupid reason.

It says it right here on nintendo.com,

***Please note: a system update via the internet is required the first time you use a microSD Express card.

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hard...o-Switch-2-MicroSD-Express-cards-2785637.html

So decisions have to be made. Stay on delivery FW without SD card, or stay on day one FW with SD card. The latter would also allow setting up your Nintendo account on it, have it set as primary, and then cut off internet access.

 

[Pivoine]

It says it right here on nintendo.com,

***Please note: a system update via the internet is required the first time you use a microSD Express card.

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Hard...o-Switch-2-MicroSD-Express-cards-2785637.html

So decisions have to be made. Stay on delivery FW without SD card, or stay on day one FW with SD card. The latter would also allow setting up your Nintendo account on it, have it set as primary, and then cut off internet access.

But the Switch 2 will have 256 gigs of memory anyway (minus the space the OS will occupy), so this isn't a real problem at first, is it?

 

[wischmob]

But the Switch 2 will have 256 gigs of memory anyway (minus the space the OS will occupy), so this isn't a real problem at first, is it?

Of course not, but the point is this: Is it wise to prepare it for a possible future where you might need SD access for hacking purposes or not? If you were forced to do this connection later, you'd also be forced to get a higher FW version.

It's pretty much crystal ball territory, but still worth to think about.

 

[Pivoine]

Of course not, but the point is this: Is it wise to prepare it for a possible future where you might need SD access for hacking purposes or not? If you were forced to do this connection later, you'd also be forced to get a higher FW version.

It's pretty much crystal ball territory, but still worth to think about.

Yeah i didn't think about that you're right.
But now that I think about it, if hypothetically there was a hack, I don't see how the sd card wouldn't be necessary ?

 

[Dust2dust]

I believe it's probably better to not update anything, and just block internet access right away. Chances are if a hack is discovered, hackers will also cover the need to prepare the microSD Express card.

 

[MasterJ360]

Purchasing a 2nd S2 specifically for a possible hack. That way I can still play with my MK bundle while the long wait.