It appears that users are being banned from 3DS online services, en masse. There's no direct cause right now, and seemingly no linking factor. This post is meant as an announcement for users, to be wary, and that GBAtemp will keep you updated as soon as more info rolls in. If you have been banned, please post in the thread below, and we will try to keep tabs on the situation. To be extra sure, it can't hurt to turn off your 3DS's wireless capabilities, so you might as well do that for now.

Edit 1: it appears that e-Shop access isn't restricted if you are banned.

Edit 2: A caller to Nintendo reported that the company said this ban is due to "unauthorized software usage".

Edit 3: @LinkSoraZelda is collecting info. Contact him if you are banned.

Edit 4: Click and fill this out if you were BANNED.

Edit 5:

[11:28:19 PM] Clector: Curiously the page of that error in Nintendo Support website used to have this:Error Code: 002-0102 Situation: You receive the error code 002-0102 when attempting to connect online. What to Do: If you continue to experience this issue, please contact Nintendo by calling 1-800-255-3700. Representatives are available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Pacific Time, 7 days a week.
[11:28:44 PM] Clector: Now it says this: What to Do: If you are experiencing this error code, your Nintendo 3DS family system has been banned due to unauthorized system modifications, play of unauthorized versions of one or more games, and/or connecting to the official game servers in violation of our terms of service. This ban is effective immediately and requests to remove the ban will not be processed.

Thanks to @Joom

Edit 6: Aurora Wright is taking another poll here

Edit 7: Not a lot is known but

There are bans happening, they are happening in all regions.
All models in the 3ds family seem to be candidates for banning.
There is no indication they will be anything other than permanent.
A game or DLC may end up being a cause but there is no one game or DLC that ties banned users together.
The cause or causes are as yet unknown, though it does seem to be related to modifications. Reports of unmodified consoles being banned are as yet unproven.
The banning is tied to something you can modify, thus you can unban. Doing it while the causes are unknown is likely only going to burn a working token though.
There are semi public tokens out there, Nintendo knows how to browse a forum as well as you so don't be surprised if they also get banned.
It does not seem to be limited to a given base firmware version, it does not seem to be limited to any one custom firmware type. There is some speculation that older hacking methods are not being hit as hard but nothing to confirm this yet.
The data collection could have happened this morning, or it could have been months in the making.
A simple check to see is checking your friends list, by itself it will not ban you.
Some are turning their wifi off. It is doubtful this will be of much use and being banned does not seem to come with any downsides that wifi being off will not also mimic.
You may have escaped a ban thus far but it could happen at any point. It could be that they stop in the future, it has happened on other consoles, but you would be living in hope rather than any particularly well founded logic.
The bans are done on the side of Nintendo's servers rather than your 3ds so there is also that.

If you hack your devices/games then their online functionality may be troubled. This has been known for decades, Nintendo seems to have finally caught up with that.

Please continue to share information with the thread or the links in previous edits.

Update 5/30

HOW TO HELP AVOID BANS (we think)​

If I was to guess from the information we have gathered since the ban wave, it seems likely that they are looking for TitleIDs that don't exist. Homebrew shows up in the activity log as the Download Play app, and fake CIA's show up as just ??????. That last one is what I'm guessing they are looking for.

If you are not banned yet or before you unban yourself, go into your friends list, choose settings, and turn off the option to "show friends what game you are playing." This will prevent you from playing games online with friends, so turn it back on when you wanna game with someone, but ALWAYS keep it off when running custom CIAs. Next, go into system settings -> internet settings -> spotpass, and turn off BOTH options. One is auto download software, the other sends system information to Nintendo. Also, make sure you don't have your favorite title set to something stupid like FBI or any other non-Nintendo CIA.

Its VERY likely that these options are what tipped off Nintendo, but we aren't 100% certain yet. The amount of banned people that had one of these options turned on was over 80% for each. If I was to assume that some of those people overlap, its very possible (but not confirmed) that 100% of banned people in the survey had at least one of those options turned on. I personally had all of them off and I have TONS of reasons for Nintendo to ban me.... yet I am not banned (yet).

Another bit of advice: Only run custom CIAs when offline, and after you close them, run a "legit" game like Smash Bros. or something before shutting down or going back online. This way your most recent title won't show up as a fake CIA

Current Theories as to what causes a ban
​

* SpotPass Settings: 8 users out of 46 users that were banned have SpotPass completely shut off, or SpotPass only (no friends list visibility)
* Firmware Version (Luma, Nintendo): Literally all reports ranged from 10.2+, I can get exact numbers for this if you'd like, but all firmwares were affected.
* Firmware Type (A9LH, B9S): 44 of the 126 B9S users that answered were banned, pattern was mirrored for A9LH users as well.
* Homebrew Titles such as FBI, HBL, Luma Updater, Themely, and freeShop: Literally about 98% of users both banned and unbanned had some combination of these applications installed. However the common ones were: FBI, HBL, LumaUpdater and NTR.
* Save Modification: Equal amounts of users on both sides have reported save modification in some form, either with PKSM or another save editor
* System Transfers: 188 users said that they had not previously system transfered, 61 of those users were banned; 16 users said they transferred from a hacked console, only three of them received a ban; 13 said they transferred from a stock system and likewise were banned. The rest of our sample did not answer this question.
* Activity Log Information: A majority of those who have not been banned have said they had NOT cleaned their activity logs. I can get exact numbers for this too on request.

This information is just what I've found. Like I said, there could be variables or things we haven't even checked for yet. But these are things that I feel should be disproven, at least with the current dataset we have.

• From the information that we've gathered from some people that have used a packet sniffer such as WireShark, the following data is sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers as soon as the 3DS connects to the internet:
  • Amount of time spent online (timer stops when either the system is disconnected from the internet, or connection drops out, then starts the timer again in a new session when it reconnects to the internet).
  • The game being played and amount of time spent on it during that session.
  • The console's unique hexadecimal ID used in the LocalFriendCodeSeedB, along with it's RSA-signed signature.
  • The console's serial number in which is broadcasted from the SoC and is hard coded in the SoC.
  • Friend Code generated on the Nintendo 3DS system, if one has been generated.
  • Internet connection status (either online or offline).
  • The Nintendo Network ID, if there is one linked to it.
  • Even if the sending of SpotPass Information is switched off, or even hiding your currently playing games. It does not prevent the system from sending currently playing information to Nintendo's online gaming servers, it only hides it from your friends in your friend list (like being invisible on the forum, while mods and admins can still see you). Why? Because even people without a Friend Code on their system have been getting banned too!

• The following data is NOT sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers:
  • The data from the Nintendo 3DS's Activity Log. Oddly enough, while Nintendo does explicitly state that they collect Activity Log data, they're actually referring to their own server's Activity Log, which always tracks every console's online activity, and keeps a record of them that is stored forever. And is only collected in increments of data through a timer and a currently playing list.
    
  • Games or apps that have not been played, regardless if they're legitimate or not. You only get tracked when you're online and using that game or app.
  • Using games or apps while offline. Even though it is stored on the 3DS console's Activity Log, that data is NOT sent to Nintendo's online gaming servers.
  • Custom Firmware. Though we can't rule out the possibility of them releasing a 3DS update in the future that adds such function to collect MD5 hashes of files and FIRM data and send them to Nintendo online gaming servers (which would also be updated in a maintenance).

• Things that people think what happens with consoles, but really doesn't:
  • "LocalFriendCodeSeedB is transferred to the system upon doing a system transfer". This is false, the LocalFriendCodeSeedB remains on the system and does not move to another system.
  • "The console generates a LocalFriendCodeSeedB upon first startup". Again, this is false, the LocalFriendCodeSeedB is made during the manufacturing process at Foxconn. It is generated at the factory, flashed to the NAND flash memory storage, then created as an account on Nintendo's online gaming server and Nintendo eShop server immediately when being manufactured. It is absolutely impossible to generate a LocalFriendCodeSeedB and be able to connect to Nintendo's online gaming server and/or Nintendo eShop server, even if you knew the RSA generation key for it. You'd end up with Error Code 002-0102 "This console's online services have been restricted by Nintendo" if you even tried (the error can either mean two things: The hexadecimal ID doesn't exist on the server, or the request to access the hexadecimal ID has been denied which in other words... banned). So a LocalFriendCodeSeedB generator will NEVER happen! Because it's not worth doing, if it can't connect.
  • Switching off "Currently Playing" information. Once again, this does not hide your online activity from Nintendo's online gaming server, it only hides it from your friends.
  • Switching off SpotPass. Nope, this too doesn't hide your online activity from Nintendo's online gaming server, it only opts-out of receiving SpotPass data, sorry.

So pretty much the bottom line is, if anyone has been using custom apps and/or titles not installed through Nintendo eShop while online in the past, guess what? You're screwed! And it is only a matter of time before your console's unique hexadecimal ID in the LocalFriendCodeSeedB is banned from Nintendo's online gaming server. This will mean, your console can't access the Friend List or play any online functions in games.

If you have been online while using custom apps and/or titles not installed through Nintendo eShop and haven't been banned yet, that's because Nintendo hasn't caught up to you yet. They're still going through each unique hexadecimal ID's Activity Log on their server, and by Activity Log, I mean the Activity Log on their server, not the 3DS console's activity log. And it will be only a matter of time before you're banned too.

Thanks to @Platinum Lucario @MadMageKefka and @ShadowEO !

 

[KytuzuEX]

So I just noticed something weird, in my activity log the system has connected to download play every day for around 10 minutes... the problem is that I don't remember opening that app AT ALL! in fact, I have a folder for useless apps (health and safety, photos) and Download Play was there, I haven't opened that folder in MONTHS! Why is that app in every day of my activity log?!?!?

When @Platinum Lucario showed his evidence, he also had Download Play strangely used up to 999:99

 

[Suji_Pyo]

It might be a homebrew app using an exploit in DS Download play..?

Yeah maybe that's why, hopefully

 

[Slartibartfast42]

If companies made more/better demos, I guarantee that piracy would go down quite a bit...

Absolutely. Nintendo hardly makes any demos. Every game should have a demo. The demos also need to be bigger and better. The demos are too small to get people hooked. The damn demo of NBA2k13 only lets you play one quarter of a game. Some demos are enough, but other demos stop before it gets fun enough. The damn demo of that dancing game is just one song. Why can't they give you 3 songs? Breath of the Wild should have a demo. Not a dumb custom demo either. It should contain the entire Great Plateau. More would be even better but would make the demo large. I'd like a demo that was great plateau and kakariko. Invisible walls prevent you from going too far. Once you get your main quests updated, learn the story, you get locked into the village until you pay. That would hook people.

 

[BARNWEY]

Absolutely. Nintendo hardly makes any demos. Every game should have a demo. The demos also need to be bigger and better. The demos are too small to get people hooked. The damn demo of NBA2k13 only lets you play one quarter of a game. Some demos are enough, but other demos stop before it gets fun enough. The damn demo of that dancing game is just one song. Why can't they give you 3 songs? Breath of the Wild should have a demo. Not a dumb custom demo either. It should contain the entire Great Plateau. More would be even better but would make the demo large. I'd like a demo that was great plateau and kakariko. Invisible walls prevent you from going too far. Once you get your main quests updated, learn the story, you get locked into the village until you pay. That would hook people.

Exactly what I was thinking...

 

[ShadowEO]

I leave for exactly an hour and a half, and this place is back to being mostly off topic... Really? Why am I the one keeping us on topic most of the time here lol (I'm kidding though... mostly)? The download play thing is interesting though.

 

[Platinum Lucario]

When @Platinum Lucario showed his evidence, he also had Download Play strangely used up to 999:99

It could be related to older exploits used in the past that required installation. Such as MSET and Menuhax. Also, I've noticed that Browserhax causes this effect to show "Web Browser" running in the background instead, and I've noticed savegame exploits also are doing the same effect by using that particular game as running while it's being used.

 

[Halvorsen]

Simple.

Some people pirate no games. Others pirate 50.

Let's assume all cfw users pirate a single game. 1 million users out of 63 million 3DS owners seem like a small percentage, correct?

Now take 40, and multiply it by a million. That's 40 million in lost revenue. Piracy does affect Nintendo and developers greatly.


By the way. The million is taken from downloads of the Luma3DS cfw and FBI. I already took into account multiple devices since the downloads are over 1m anyway.

 

[hellfire420]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with CFW users system version. Non CFW have Ver. and CFW has Sys. Maybe that's why so many CFW users got hit so fast.

 

[Halvorsen]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with CFW users system version. Non CFW have Ver. and CFW has Sys. Maybe that's why so many CFW users got hit so fast.

No.

 

[longxa762]

It keep going off topic because most people here have no clue about hacking 3ds and what is causing the ban. By hacking I'm not talking about follow the guide

 

[Platinum Lucario]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with CFW users system version. Non CFW have Ver. and CFW has Sys. Maybe that's why so many CFW users got hit so fast.

Nope, it has nothing to do with that. Even people with "Ver. x.x.x-xx" string are getting banned too!

 

[Suji_Pyo]

It could be related to older exploits used in the past that required installation. Such as MSET and Menuhax. Also, I've noticed that Browserhax causes this effect to show "Web Browser" running in the background instead, and I've noticed savegame exploits also are doing the same effect by using that particular game as running while it's being used.

Yeah that must be the case.

 

[Slartibartfast42]

I thoroughly agree with you. For example, I use Netflix and not because I care about the movie/TV industry. I used to download torrents, but paying $10/month to avoid the inconvenience (you have to work out what you want to watch, find it, download it, download another one when it turns out the one you downloaded had Nvidia protection so there's no sound, etc) is worthwhile to me. If Nintendo had a system where I could pay $20/month and play all the games I wanted I would do that rather than install CFW and pirate, cause it is just easier. I'll go to a little inconvenience to save a lot of money but I definitely won't go to a lot of inconvenience to save a little bit of money.
In fact I was really sure that the Wii U dump of Breath of the wild was going to have some sort of timebomb in it that effectively just made it a demo. I think this would be clever - if you could get that file into as many download places as possible, people might not be able to tell the difference, and then do they really want to go and try to find another copy and start the game again, only to find it is another stubbed version? No, it would be easier to buy it. Especially if they make it so it is really easy to carry your save file over to a paid version.

Absolutely dude. Netflix is too good to cancel. I could save money and share with my sister, but I don't even want to do that. My account has my list and knows me. Same with Hulu Plus, it's so much better than piracy. Game subscriptions would be fantastic. They could even offer a premium version that included leasing of the console. Get rid of upfront costs for the noncommittal people. Offer the first month 50% off. Make there be a 30 day delay for games to be added to the service. All the people who preorder and must have right away will still pay full price. People won't want to send their console back. This will hook casual customers without losing anything from the hard cores.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

If you catch the 200 dollar stealing amounts a month with your 500 a month guard, you prob going to gain a ton pending on how many stole. It's called suing someone if you catch them. Whathe you think they catch you and let you GO? Shut. I wonder y stores have security guards and cameras, what a waste of money............ you just want a reason to say pirating is okay.....but if your friend stole your 3ds, you find out, you gonna get it back right? Or is it ok, and he can keep it, cuz he didn't get all your games just most of them.....

look, the analogy is not perfect, but the general idea is sound.

 

[ShadowEO]

Nope, it has nothing to do with that. Even people with "Ver. x.x.x-xx" string are getting banned too!

Not to mention that even people on older versions were hit, and some on the current version too.

 

[Platinum Lucario]

If there was a way to remove MSET exploit from systems, I'd really be happy to see that. So that way two applications won't be running in the background.

I think that's it! Nintendo is detecting users that have two apps running at the same time. Normally, a 3DS isn't supposed to be running two apps at the same time. But MSET exploit, Menuhax, Browserhax and savegame exploits are causing this problem.

 

[marbles73]

If there was a way to remove MSET exploit from systems, I'd really be happy to see that. So that way two applications won't be running in the background.

I think that's it! Nintendo is detecting users that have two apps running at the same time. Normally, a 3DS isn't supposed to be running two apps at the same time. But MSET exploit, Menuhax, Browserhax and savegame exploits are causing this problem.

It can run two apps at the same time, one full title and something from the top bar like the browser.

 

[RustInPeace]

I'm getting in my own way, has anyone else called Nintendo about the ban and have been told it was permanent? And what's with these random unbannings, either they changed their minds or people are just straight up lying (latter is more likely because internet).

 

[Platinum Lucario]

It can run two apps at the same time, one full title and something from the top bar like the browser.

Or even a third app. Normally Nintendo wouldn't worry about the Web Browser app running at the same time, but if it's something like Download Play, then that will trigger the alarm.

 

[Quantumcat]

But that would lead to less income, letting you play ANY game for $20?

The alternative is I pirate everything I want to play, and they get NO money. They need to make it much more convenient to pay money if they want to get me to pay money. At the moment, CFW is a tiny bit inconvenient, but not inconvenient enough to get me to spend hundreds of $ per year on games. I don't want to spend $60 on a game only to find I don't really like it. It's a big risk. If, however, I had a fixed cost per month and if I don't like a game it won't matter cause I can just start a new one and not be out any extra money, then that's much better.

I spend money on Netflix because it's more convenient than piracy. If I had to buy DVDs or spend money on pay-per-view then I would just pirate everything I wanted to watch, and they'd get zilch. If I don't like a show I can just stop watching it and try another one. If I had to spend $50 a season on DVDS of a show only to find I didn't like it, well, I wouldn't take that risk. Same for games. If they want my money, give me convenience and no risk of wasting money by having it be a fixed cost.

 

[ShadowEO]

I'm getting in my own way, has anyone else called Nintendo about the ban and have been told it was permanent? And what's with these random unbannings, either they changed their minds or people are just straight up lying (latter is more likely because internet).

We've been told people have called and been told so, but there's been two uses for this error code previously, the permanent ban ala SuMo, and temporary bans before that, no reason not to believe that it could be permanent too. As for random unbannings, not sure.