iQue Player Code Execution achieved!

dark_samus3

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Today we were able to successfully execute code on the iQue player! This is the first publically known code execution.

Technical details: we were able to implement a known attack on the encryption scheme used with the iQue (AES-CBC) to inject custom data into the game data stored on the iQue NAND. This data is unchecked (but encrypted with keys we don't know) once it has been converted to ".rec" format. We also took advantage of a save file; they're unchecked and mapped to a certain region of RAM, so it's basically free space for us.

The CBC attack: AES-CBC uses the previous encrypted block and XORs it against the next block, after it has been decrypted, to produce the final plaintext decryption. XOR is deterministically modifiable, if you know the plaintext (which we do, thankfully :) ). This attack does sacrifice a block of data (which will decrypt to random garbage) but it gains us control over arbitrary sections of code in the next block, and ultimately doesn't matter; we were able to sacrifice an unused section to control exactly the code we wanted. (see here for AES-CBC decryption procedure: image)

very first successful result: ACE.JPG

In action:


Shoutouts: Marshallh, Normmatt, and Riley/ROL :D
 
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Jhynjhiruu

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Woohoo! Homebrew on a new console. Or close to that? So this is what a padding oracle attack?
VERY exciting stuff, good job! (I'm guessing a ROM loader is out of the question?)
Still quite a long way off from proper homebrew, or a ROM loader. But we're working on it, as quickly as we can!
 

zoogie

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Very interesting direction to take console hacking! I didn't even know about this until yesterday.
These aren't to badly priced online either, thinking about snagging one.

(SUXXORS is credited too? Isn't that a warez group? Not complaining, just a little bit of an unusual greet :P)
 

dark_samus3

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Very interesting direction to take console hacking! I didn't even know about this until yesterday.
These aren't to badly priced online either, thinking about snagging one.

(SUXXORS is credited too? Isn't that a warez group? Not complaining, just a little bit of an unusual greet :P)
It wouldn't have been possible without them; the AES-CBC attack we used required knowing the plaintext of a game, so they indirectly helped us ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

Psi-hate

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Congrats! I've always wanted to import an iQue to get my OoT Romhacks working if there'd be a ROM loader, and it looks like that's now something I can feasibly hope for! Great job, I'm beyond excited to see what you guys manage to pull off.
 
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Jhynjhiruu

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Great work, guys. Really hoping we'll eventually see a homebrew replacement for the defunct iQue download service to inject the retail roms back onto iQue hardware (whether by rom loader or other means). Thanks for the update!
Well, for that, we would have to figure out how to sign tickets... or get psychic paper working. Something more akin to USB Loader GX is more likely, short-term.
 
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