What changed with Nintendo's security?

[Ondrashek06]

Up to the point of the Switch, all Nintendo consoles were laughably easy to exploit.

Wii? Just visit letterbomb's website, insert the MAC address and boom, you've hacked it.
DSi? Install some files on the SD card and use the camera app. Boom, hacked.
3DS? A myriad of different exploit methods, ranging from Ninjhax through stuff like playing an audio file to the 3DS microphone or even just waiting.
Wii U? CBHC, Tiramisu, Aroma, etc...

Then something changed and Nintendo went from Swiss cheese straight to Fort Knox. The only exploit methods for the original Switch still rely either on a very old image of HorizonOS or a chip exploit that's entirely the fault of nVIDIA, not Nintendo.

The Switch 2 is still unhacked, though that's to be expected given that it's still relatively a new console.

What's the thing that changed in Nintendo? How did they suddenly learn how to properly secure an OS against exploits?

 

[Ligeia]

I think I remember the Wii U took a while to get hacked.

 

[yankii]

How did they suddenly learn how to properly secure an OS against exploits?

Because they wanted to make the best-selling console of all time, which requires money. Until Sony updates the total number of PS2s sold for the 17th time, like the bitches they are.

 

[Lostbhoy]

Up to the point of the Switch, all Nintendo consoles were laughably easy to exploit.

Wii? Just visit letterbomb's website, insert the MAC address and boom, you've hacked it.
DSi? Install some files on the SD card and use the camera app. Boom, hacked.
3DS? A myriad of different exploit methods, ranging from Ninjhax through stuff like playing an audio file to the 3DS microphone or even just waiting.
Wii U? CBHC, Tiramisu, Aroma, etc...

Then something changed and Nintendo went from Swiss cheese straight to Fort Knox. The only exploit methods for the original Switch still rely either on a very old image of HorizonOS or a chip exploit that's entirely the fault of nVIDIA, not Nintendo.

The Switch 2 is still unhacked, though that's to be expected given that it's still relatively a new console.

What's the thing that changed in Nintendo? How did they suddenly learn how to properly secure an OS against exploits?

Seriously?? You expected them to allow the trend to continue and not properly research how to lock their consoles?

Also considering the Switch is an Android device and the recent announcement from them re sideloading... It was always on the cards from the wii, hackers were always willing to try AND report their findings so inevitably.... They learned where they went wrong.

This is how life works my friend! It sucks but it's real.

 

[Latiodile]

all the examples you gave are essentially the end product of years of exploitation and update dodging, the 3ds took years to hack, and even once it was hacked a9lh/b9s only came around in like 2017
imo i think the dsi is still not... fully hacked? idk unlaunch being a replacement to the home menu + having to use something like twilight in order to emulate the dsi home menu isn't fully hacked imo

 

[Eddypikachu]

Wii release date: 2006
Dsi release date: 2008
3ds release date: 2011
Wii u release date: 2012
Switch 2 release date: 2025

They didn't just "suddenly" make a better OS, it took years and years for them to get like this and it shouldn't even come to a surprise to anyone that they made security a top priority given how rampant piracy was on their previous consoles/handhelds.

 

[Jayro]

Before Smealum gave us Ninjahax for homebrew, the 3DS was completely unhacked for a looooooong time, and then the floodgates opened with the B9S exploit. (It was hella dangerous too when doing the downgrade for the OTP extraction.)

The Wii U also took a long time before it got any hax. It's still got a locked bootloader if I remember correctly, meaning we need a hardmod to dump and restore the NAND, instead of doing it within the machine using software.

 

[Ondrashek06]

Before Smealum gave us Ninjahax for homebrew, the 3DS was completely unhacked for a looooooong time, and then the floodgates opened with the B9S exploit. (It was hella dangerous too when doing the downgrade for the OTP extraction.)

The Wii U also took a long time before it got any hax. It's still got a locked bootloader if I remember correctly, meaning we need a hardmod to dump and restore the NAND, instead of doing it within the machine using software.

Yeah, probably should've mentioned that the Wii U still has some barriers, but there is progress - for example the new tool that removes most CBHC bricks.

 

[Jayro]

Yeah, probably should've mentioned that the Wii U still has some barriers, but there is progress - for example the new tool that removes most CBHC bricks.

Yeah, that Pi Pico trick sure is nifty. I love that Picos are being used as mod chips for various consoles too, pretty awesome stuff. PS1, GameCube, OG Xbox, PS1 and PS2 memorycards, all sorts of cool Pico mods lately.

 

[spectral]

Up to the point of the Switch, all Nintendo consoles were laughably easy to exploit.

Wii? Just visit letterbomb's website, insert the MAC address and boom, you've hacked it.
DSi? Install some files on the SD card and use the camera app. Boom, hacked.
3DS? A myriad of different exploit methods, ranging from Ninjhax through stuff like playing an audio file to the 3DS microphone or even just waiting.
Wii U? CBHC, Tiramisu, Aroma, etc...

Then something changed and Nintendo went from Swiss cheese straight to Fort Knox. The only exploit methods for the original Switch still rely either on a very old image of HorizonOS or a chip exploit that's entirely the fault of nVIDIA, not Nintendo.

The Switch 2 is still unhacked, though that's to be expected given that it's still relatively a new console.

What's the thing that changed in Nintendo? How did they suddenly learn how to properly secure an OS against exploits?

All the explots you mentioned while easy in the end took years to find. The consoles weren't hackable right away.

 

[BlueFox gui]

Because they wanted to make the best-selling console of all time, which requires money. Until Sony updates the total number of PS2s sold for the 17th time, like the bitches they are.

what best selling console? the nintendo playstation 2? sorry i can't remember the name when you say "best selling" or something idk lol

 

[spectral]

what best selling console? the nintendo playstation 2? sorry i can't remember the name when you say "best selling" or something idk lol

To be fair they didn't say Nintendo HAD the best selling console, they said they WANT to make the best selling one. Which is true they do. But so does absolutely everyone who makes anything.

 

[SylverReZ]

Yeah, that Pi Pico trick sure is nifty. I love that Picos are being used as mod chips for various consoles too, pretty awesome stuff. PS1, GameCube, OG Xbox, PS1 and PS2 memorycards, all sorts of cool Pico mods lately.

The Pi Pico was one that really took modchipping to a whole another level. It's quite the powerful microcontroller that can do almost roughly the same things as to what an FPGA does. I've seen memory card readers for the PS1, full on Mac Classic emulation, IPL modchips for GC - so much more you can do with one these days.

what best selling console? the nintendo playstation 2? sorry i can't remember the name when you say "best selling" or something idk lol

PlayStation 2 sold around 160 million units if I remember (maybe more).

 

[Taleweaver]

I think I remember the Wii U took a while to get hacked.

Depending on the definition, i thought it wasn't long. Compared to the wii, there wasn't much of a modding scène. I think cbc was fully operational within a year.


Edit: I'm not sure what to think of the op. Yes, of past consoles the exploits were stable compared to the competition, but a lot goes to competence and curiosity of the hackers. Gamecube usb-loading hacking on the wii took a long time because it was deemed impossible to get running smooth... Until Nintendont proved everyone wrong

 

[Ligeia]

Depending on the definition, i thought it wasn't long. Compared to the wii, there wasn't much of a modding scène. I think cbc was fully operational within a year.


Edit: I'm not sure what to think of the op. Yes, of past consoles the exploits were stable compared to the competition, but a lot goes to competence and curiosity of the hackers. Gamecube usb-loading hacking on the wii took a long time because it was deemed impossible to get running smooth... Until Nintendont proved everyone wrong

I don't remember the exact timeline but that's my general impression, maybe that's because Wii U modding was somewhat "hard" (at least to me) compared to Wii modding and it took me longer to get into it.

 

[sexually_inactive]

Before Smealum gave us Ninjahax for homebrew, the 3DS was completely unhacked for a looooooong time, and then the floodgates opened with the B9S exploit. (It was hella dangerous too when doing the downgrade for the OTP extraction.)

Wasn't the first hack the DS mode exploit which Gateway used and got patched after version 4.5? I'm not too familiar with the history of 3DS hacking but I remember Gateway starting it then years passed by without me paying much attention to 3DS hacking and next thing I knew free solutions did a better job.

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

I'm not convinced Switch 2 will manage to get hacked before it's no longer relevant. I know people have said this before, but seriously.

Furthermore, I don't think Switch 2 emulation will be going anywhere fast. It's not just their security that's increased, their attitude towards ROMs and emulation is getting more brutal too. The Switch 1 emulation scene is scared shitless enough as it is after Nintendo sued Yuzu and stalked the makers of UltraHLE at their homes and offices.

The wild west days of emulators, flashcarts, and console piracy in general are over. At least for Nintendo. The PS5 kinda-sorta has exploits still. But the PS6 won't.

 

[Ondrashek06]

The PS5 kinda-sorta has exploits still.

It has, but only if the console has a very low firmware still flashed on it - eFuses prevent any and all downgrading, so your only option if you already updated beyond the cut-off point is selling your PS5 and buying one with 5.10 firmware on it for a very high premium.

 

[BlazeHeatnix]

It has, but only if the console has a very low firmware still flashed on it - eFuses prevent any and all downgrading, so your only option if you already updated beyond the cut-off point is selling your PS5 and buying one with 5.10 firmware on it for a very high premium.

That was how it was with PS4 for the longest time, but later firmware had exploits of their own. It might happen again with time.