Piracy is the main problem the videogame industry has faced since its beginning. Currently, video game hacker groups take on average a month to release cracked versions of the latest releases, although they must first find a way to remove protections on consoles, which may take a little longer, as mention by ethical hacking specialists.
Now, about three months after its release, the Nintendo Switch Lite console has been hacked. It should be remembered that the original Nintendo Switch was hacked less than two months after its release.
A couple of days ago, the renowned video game hacking organization Team-Xecuter released a video showing a Nintendo Switch Lite console running their SX OS 3.0 operating system. Although the video does not show further technical details, it is obvious that the hack allows users to install “homebrew” applications (in practice it is another way of saying piracy) on Nintendo’s console.
Ethical hacking specialists are still unclear on how this hack works, so there’s nothing left but wait for Team-Xecuter to reveal the procedure used, which they are supposed to do during the first days of 2020. It is expected that, as they have done on previous occasions, interested parties will have to pay Team-Xecuter to access the technical details of the hack.
To be more specific, it is necessary to mention that the concept “homebrew” is attributed to an open source software package management system that makes it easier for developers to create their own software. Usually this is a resource used for the creation of media players or web browsers without malicious purposes, although in the case of the video game industry, the homebrew applies for unofficial and unlicensed software, created by amateur developers on hacked operating systems.
After a console is hacked it is possible to execute code obtained by illicit means; simply put, a console able to run homebrew is the first step in being able to install cracked video games, which represents big losses for developers.
One of the main problems to be solved in the development of a console is the prompt detection of its weakest points, as hackers will try to exploit these flaws in order to execute pirate code, mention the experts in ethical hacking. This protection work does not end in the development stage, as companies constantly release security updates to correct existing failures and prevent the appearance of new weaknesses.
At this point Nintendo must be working on a way to fix the vulnerability exploited by hackers to install the SX OS 3.0 system, so the flaw could be fixed before Team-Xecuter getting revenues of this security error. In the video game industry this has become a kind of race in which developers try to anticipate hackers’ next movement to prevent the emergence of new exploits beneficial for piracy.
On multiple occasions the ethical hacking experts of the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) have reported the activities of this hacker group, detected more than ten years ago, and that have been linked to the hacking of consoles such as the original Xbox, Nintendo Switch and other systems.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
