Hacking GW Team warns against modified launchers

[dragonmaster]

Gateway put a code in their launcher.dat which roughly works like this:

if(<low 4bits u32 output from random-number-generator are zero> && <checksum over arm9 code is invalid>)
brick();

The random-number-generator uses the console date for initialization. That's why all the bricks occured after a certain date. The second part checks whether the launcher.dat file itself is legit. Any modification makes the checksum fail and therefore bricks the console.

LOOL speculations and conspiracy theories...

 

[R4iFanboi]

Neimod! Our Hero!

Thanks for confirming this.

 

[Apache Thunder]

You can argue that they can do this to stop cloners. But it doesn't stop them really. It appears a user already found how to remove that function. Even the most half assed of cloners would know how remove the function as well. It's a very bad form of DRM that doesn't really work and that's what we should be upset about. Stop trying to defend Gateway in this.

 

[R4iFanboi]

LOOL speculations and conspiracy theories...

Dude, Neimod is the God of 3DS. Neimod knows 3ds better than Nintendo does. Exaggeration maybe, but you get the idea.

 

[Flame]

LOOL speculations and conspiracy theories...

loooool. this is the funniest post on the web.


do you even 3DS Scene?

 

[dragonmaster]

loooool. this is the funniest post on the web.


do you even 3DS Scene?

is it the real neimod ? or a pretender?
and if it is real neimod where did the fund raising money gone for decapping 3ds ?
i see i see if i put a username like darth veider then i am darth vader ...

 

[Flame]

is it the real neimod ? or a pretender?

what people have said, real.

 

[WiiUBricker]

is it the real neimod ? or a pretender?

It's LEGACY!

 

[mathieulh]

I was about to write that I took a closer look at the Launcher.dat (I finally am done with work today) and found what appears to be the routine responsible for the eMMC corruption (Corrupts the eMMC by setting its size to 0 among other things.), it's definitely intentional, as in, it's been added on purpose and is by no mean an accident.

It looks like others have found this and were faster than I was but I just wanted to confirm.

 

[mr. fancypants]

yellows8 checked it. Gateway is intentionally bricking consoles, which are using clone carts.

could you create a save 3.2 FW?

 

[hiron]

well to be fair the clones are bricking peoples 3ds's by not knowing what they are doing and copying stuff they dont understand...its a bit harsh on the users, but its not exactly like gateway forced them to copy their launcher

Sure dude, the logic. GW has the INTENTION to brick consoles. They SET this UP.

I put a bomb at your front door and when you walk out of your house it will explode. Its NOT my fault, didnt force you to walk out of your house. But I KNEW you would...so yea.....

 

[WiiUBricker]

could you create a save 3.2 FW?

Normatt patched the brick code, so yes, it should be possible.

 

[Queno138]

Given that if a sd card corrupts the launcher.dat,
any 3DS using GW eventually might be bricked.

If only there's a way to patch out "the corruption portion" of the launcher...

 

[dragonmaster]

It's LEGACY!

sorry but with what troollling i see over this site i am never sure for anyone except of those that are for a long time here.......

 

[gamesquest1]

Sure dude, the logic. GW has the INTENTION to brick consoles. They SET this UP.

I put a bomb at your front door and when you walk out of your house it will explode. Its NOT my fault, didnt force you to walk out of your house. But I KNEW you would...so yea.....

No it's actually like me putting a bomb on the inside of something you might steal from my house......I didn't force you to steal it....that's your problem not mine, if you left it alone you wouldn't get hurt

 

[hiron]

No it's actually like me putting a bomb on the inside of something you might steal from my house......I didn't force you to steal it....that's your problem not mine, if you left it alone you wouldn't get hurt

The end doesnt justify the means. If you really did that, i wonder how long it will take before the police swarms your house searching for a bomb. Even though its just for theft prevention.

Also its like you knew your stuff would get stolen, instead of more security or calling the police, you put a bomb in the item...

 

[gamesquest1]

Well regardless....it's not exactly a bomb....you where the one chucking bombs around.......it's more like me putting a virus on my own USB stick.......if someone robs my USB stick it's not my fault that they didn't know it was there they should get their own work and stop stealing if they don't know how it works...this is what was bound to happen....even if gateway intended it or not

 

[WiiUBricker]

The end doesnt justify the means.

He probably played Ace Attorney 5 a bit too much.

 

[hiron]

He probably played Ace Attorney 5 a bit too much.

Yea that game is awesome, a situation where I could put it to use

 

[gamesquest1]

i think some people need to stop getting their knickers in a twist, the basic truth is. that if the clones didn't copy the code nobody would of been bricked, as much as it isnt the customers faults, its also not 100% gateways fault, and arguing otherwise just makes you seem simple

the execution isnt the nicest of methods, but the code is indeed gateways to protect however they see fit