Hacking Let's hack the DSi

[Deleted member 94204]

So, since the DSi can't run old flashcards or DSi mode, I thought having a list of possibilities might give the hackers some ideas.

First a brief explanation of the different modes (so we don't get completely off the wall ideas):
DSi mode will let you access the cameras, ram, and any other DSi addons that were not in the original DS lite/phat.
This seems to be very similar to GBA mode.
Hence: You couldn't have GBA emulators (not to mention you wouldn't have the cart's hardware) and you can't run DSiWare from a current flash card.

So here are some of my ideas and I would ask that anyone clever enough to think some up should post them.
Most ideas will be contradictive. Let others clarify why it would or wouldn't work. If there are ideas that aren't contradictive then we may be on to something.

Running older flashcards:​

Idea:
Using wifime for sending some type of loader to bypass security and boot slot1.

Objection:
RSA (or whatever the hell the ds uses) has been updated since DS lite came out so wifime probably won't work anymore

Objection:
Maybe we could slip past RSA by injecting the loader into a XXXX - DS Download Play Dump. However, it would require having a second ds.

Idea:
Make a new passme but let it boot slot1 instead of slot2 (since none exsists).

Running in DSi Mode:​

Idea:
Finding a buffer overflow in the System Menu or Opera Browser.
Or trying a PSP tactic and modding the DSi's battery.

Objection:
I highly doubt the PSP idea will work but it was worth listing for brainstorming's sake.

Idea:
Swapping out the cards quickly while still at the DSi's menu (this might also work for old flashcards)
This has been used across various consoles (regionfree gamecube games on the wii, ps1 backups after using a legit disc, ps2 swapmagic)

Objection: Easily fixable with a firmware update, like the rest of them.

There's my ideas, how about yours?

 

[Chris_Skylock]

we already have DSi flashcarts and we are happy with it. i wonder if people will have money to buy these new cards?

 

[Deleted member 94204]

No new cards, just ideas for hacks. I've noticed a lot of people complaining of DSi flashcards' half-assed thrown together job. I don't have a problem with it but some people are picky. Plus, I would love to see my Cyclo live again.

 

[ether2802]

Actually....Bushing is trying to hack the NDSi without any other hardware but the SD, you should check his blog out...!!

 

[jackdanielchan]

Your hack to revive non DSi specific Flash Cards, would be a great idea, because you would need custom firmware, and that would just open up the DSi like the PSP.

As for hacking ideas, we can't really do anything until we find the common-key for a DSi

 

[stinkoman]

How do ips patches work? Do they list hex values that should be changed to other hex values? If they do, what if we took the free points, bought something with them, downloaded it to the pc using an sd reader, and ips patched a dumped version with it, would this give us our DSi's specific key?

 

[Deleted member 94204]

I think it might be encrypted but I'm not sure. Also, if it works like the Wii, it would need things like tickets to verify that you've purchased it. However spoofing it's ID might just work. As a side note, we still don't know if those titles have been dumped correctly or not.

We should also try disassembling a DSi Enhanced game and see if we could find any major differences.

 

[jackdanielchan]

Well lets try it then...
My download limits be used up though...

 

[Da-Bomb1]

I think it might be encrypted but I'm not sure. Also, if it works like the Wii, it would need things like tickets to verify that you've purchased it. However spoofing it's ID might just work. As a side note, we still don't know if those titles have been dumped correctly or not.

We should also try disassembling a DSi Enhanced game and see if we could find any major differences.

I noticed a few random differences in the header. It seems to be a bit bigger, and a few parts that are the same across all normal DS games are different. It doesn't seem to boot with flashcarts, but it runs in an emulator...kinda badly.

 

[Deleted member 94204]

This leads me to another idea. The header might tell the DSi if it's enhanced or not. If so, then a change of header with the bootstrap(or whatever the firmware file on a card is) could let the flashcard function in DSi mode.

Also, are you saying DSi enhanced titles don't run on a flashcard at all? If so then a solution for that could also be a changing the header.

I'll poke around with this when I get a chance.

 

[RiderLeangle]

It seems to be quite simple. The DSi Flashcarts load into DS mode, pretty much the only way you would get a DSi game to run would be whole new flashcarts, which means hacking the DSi. And if the DSi is hacked that would pretty much make flashcart's obsolete as you could just use the SD card slot instead.

Getting old flashcarts to work would be pretty pointless too as those would still be DS mode only.

 

[Da-Bomb1]

This leads me to another idea. The header might tell the DSi if it's enhanced or not. If so, then a change of header with the bootstrap(or whatever the firmware file on a card is) could let the flashcard function in DSi mode.

Also, are you saying DSi enhanced titles don't run on a flashcard at all? If so then a solution for that could also be a changing the header.

I'll poke around with this when I get a chance.

I'm not really 100% sure how I'm supposed to do it, since I think there's some sort of CRC check somewhere...but there was this flag that's apparently always supposed to be set to 00 in normal DS roms, but the DSi one had it set to 02. I tried changing that, but the file just showed up as corrupted. Probably failed the CRC check.

 

[jackdanielchan]

It seems to be quite simple. The DSi Flashcarts load into DS mode, pretty much the only way you would get a DSi game to run would be whole new flashcarts, which means hacking the DSi. And if the DSi is hacked that would pretty much make flashcart's obsolete as you could just use the SD card slot instead.

Getting old flashcarts to work would be pretty pointless too as those would still be DS mode only.

Yeah that's right... Now it just kinda sounds like you can't afford another flashcart, and you want to have DS flashcarts working for your way instead...

 

[RiderLeangle]

It seems to be quite simple. The DSi Flashcarts load into DS mode, pretty much the only way you would get a DSi game to run would be whole new flashcarts, which means hacking the DSi. And if the DSi is hacked that would pretty much make flashcart's obsolete as you could just use the SD card slot instead.

Getting old flashcarts to work would be pretty pointless too as those would still be DS mode only.

Yeah that's right... Now it just kinda sounds like you can't afford another flashcart, and you want to have DS flashcarts working for your way instead...

Actually I don't have a flashcart. But I was just pointing out why the DSi Enhanched Games (wait, why did I say Games? isn't it still just "My Healthy Cooking Coach"?) won't run on the flashcarts out now

I do like the idea of running ROMs from the SD card.. Although it wouldn't be that game I know that XD

 

[Da-Bomb1]

I'm pretty sure that My Healthy Cooking Coach is actually DSi #0004.

Don't remember what the other ones were though. But it is the only one that's been released in NA.

 

[jackdanielchan]

Oh sorry I wasn't directing it at youRider Leangle, I was pointing it out at Ethanx94.

 

[RiderLeangle]

Well I'm sure most of us working on the DSi (OK... I don't know programming so technically I'm not part of it but I'm still trying to help) are in north america.

 

[Da-Bomb1]

Well I'm sure most of us working on the DSi (OK... I don't know programming so technically I'm not part of it but I'm still trying to help) are in north america.

Well, there's always the Japanese programmers.

 

[RiderLeangle]

Well I'm sure most of us working on the DSi (OK... I don't know programming so technically I'm not part of it but I'm still trying to help) are in north america.

Well, there's always the Japanese programmers.

Well Yasu already did at least two "hacks" of the DSi and he's being greedy with them

BTW, might as well transfer my last post's edit to this post.
BTW. I did manage to track down a ROM of MHCC (Wow I'm desperate for homebrew willingly downloading that.. XD). First thing I noticed it was a .dsi file and that it does run open in no$gba.
I did establish you can place it on your SD card in the root, with a title and in the DCIM folder and it won't recognise it.


BTW, I did hear the DSi reads all data on the SD card but doesn't know what to do with the info. Don't know how true that is but it's worth looking into

 

[jackdanielchan]

Well if that's true, then how about decrypting peoples personal DSiware, and injecting a decrypted rom. But if you want to make a public release, you will need the common-key. Which Loopy, or Yasu might have...