Recently, a group of hackers took another step towards unlocking the Nintendo Switch: they managed to run Debian Linux on the console by exploiting a vulnerability in the video game processor. And the most interesting thing about this hack is that the breach cannot be corrected by Nintendo so easily.
Hackers Managed To Run Linux On The Switch And Claim Nintendo Can’t Patch It
A group of hackers took another step towards unlocking the Nintendo Switch: they managed to run Debian Linux on the console by exploiting a vulnerability in the video game processor. And the most interesting thing about this hack is that the breach cannot be corrected by Nintendo so easily.
The fail0verflow members tell TechCrunch that there is a security hole in the Nvidia Tegra X1 boot ROM. Whenever you press the power button of the console, this ROM is triggered and calls the proprietary operating system of Nintendo. However, by exploiting the vulnerability, it is possible to run software not originally developed for the Nintendo Switch.
🐧🐧🐧🐧 #switch pic.twitter.com/4iTjTk9D59
— fail0verflow (@fail0verflow) February 6, 2019
As the boot ROM is stored in the Nvidia processor and can not be changed, the group claims that the failure cannot be corrected by Nintendo with a software update, for example. The only way to fix it would be to fabricate new Tegra X1 chips, which means that only new revisions of the Nintendo Switch would be affected.
However, let me clarify that still this severe exploit is not yet been made public by the hackers and the details to exploit the flaw have not been disclosed. If they leak or release the flaw publicly then obviously Nintendo will face severe problems with pirated games in the future.
So, what do you think about this severe flaw and hack? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
