Goodbye to web browsing the Internet in your 3DS

[raxadian]

"Let's Encrypt, a nonprofit organization that is the largest issuer of digital certificates — which encrypts and protects the connection between devices and websites on the internet — will be forced to expire one of its most popular digital certificates, the IdentTrust DST Root CA X3, on Sept. 30.

This means several phones, computers, video game consoles, smart gadgets, and "Internet of Things" devices bought before 2017 that use the Let’s Encrypt digital certificate in question, and haven't updated their software since then, could face significant issues connecting to the internet.

The problem will primarily affect popular devices, such as iPhones running iOS 9 and below, Android phones running below the 2.3.6 software, Windows computers running software prior to XP SP3, Sony's PS3, and PS4 game consoles, and the Nintendo 3DS." Source: https://news.yahoo.com/millions-old-phones-laptops-smart-210600565.html

 

[zoogie]

Well look at the bright side, this will force users to understand the 3ds browser is really just intended for homebrew exploits, not browsing.

 

[nWo]

Change is melting everything. Always has, always will.

Enjoy the moment.

 

[M7L7NK7]

Who actually uses the browser

 

[Wavy]

Edit: Turns out that GBAtemp is fine, but sites that use Let's Encrypt aren't (like Wikipedia), so there you go =P

Err

Seems pretty functional to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Unless I'm missing something here? Maybe I'm just lucky?

Spoiler

I'm quite suprised that GBAtemp was able to load on the 3DS hehe

 

[ChiefReginod]

This means several phones, computers, video game consoles, smart gadgets, and "Internet of Things" devices bought before 2017 that use the Let’s Encrypt digital certificate in question, and haven't updated their software since then, could face significant issues connecting to the internet.

Not to be too cynical here, but this whole expired certificates thing could easily be abused for the sake of planned obsolescence.

Step 1: Sell people a 3,000 dollar Internet of Things coffee machine.
Step 2: Don't release certificate updates.
Step 3: ??? (Actually, this is the step where people go out and buy the latest model.)
Step 4: Profit.

 

[Kwyjor]

Well, this sucks.

Surely there will be a way to circumvent this using a router setting somehow?

 

[gudenau]

Not to be too cynical here, but this whole expired certificates thing could easily be abused for the sake of planned obsolescence.

Step 1: Sell people a 3,000 dollar Internet of Things coffee machine.
Step 2: Don't release certificate updates.
Step 3: ??? (Actually, this is the step where people go out and buy the latest model.)
Step 4: Profit.

Certs are easy to find and most Internet of Trash devices don't have security so you could just mod them to have up to date or custom certs for a proxy.

 

[AleronIves]

This only applies to websites that use Let's Encrypt. Try to visit Wikipedia on 3DS, and you'll get error 032-1035 now.

 

[The Catboy]

I didn’t realize people used the browser for anything more than just exploiting the system

 

[enarky]

A browser that can't be updated is a liability, even Nintendo recognized that and hid the damn thing on the Switch.

Who uses his 3DS for browsing, anyways?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Who uses his 3DS for browsing, anyways?

There are a few text-only pages which I check with a semi-broken 3DS from time to time. Easier and faster than walking to the PC and starting it up. But honestly the browser running as a limited memory applet is useless.
Sadly the "Don't you have a phone?"-attitude is to blame why there was never some kind of homebrew port of a real browser running as full application.

 

[AleronIves]

That same attitude is why 3DS never got a proper video player... until now. Perhaps the 3DS will yet receive a homebrew web browser because of this.

 

[boot3]

I guess it does kind of suck, but it doesn't bother me too much. Nintendo browsers were never that good, and they were only really useful for running exploits and such.

 

[Pk11]

You can actually still connect to Let's Encrypt websites just fine, just with a warning the the certificate is unsafe. The problem with Wikipedia is something else and it's been broken for a while. Not sure what exactly is breaking Wikipedia but I think it's requiring some kinda encryption that the 3DS browser doesn't support.

Other sites like Universal-DB that use Let's Encrypt still work if you ignore the certificate warning and Wikipedia still works on the PS Vita browser, which is also affected.

 

[deSSy2724]

Even PS4?

 

[Pk11]

Even PS4?

Looks like recent versions work:

Known Incompatible​

[...]

• PS4 game console with firmware < 5.00