22:06Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
AI-Assisted Jailbreak Developed for Nintendo Switch 2
A method called “ns2jb” has been developed to jailbreak the Nintendo Switch 2 console’s software. Developer Sammy Hajhamid, known as “pepsipu,” used OpenAI’s Codex tool for this work. A modified version of Mario Kart World featured Peter Griffin, Hatsune Miku, Cinnamoroll, the red Angry Bird, and Steve from Minecraft. However, “ns2jb” is not a persistent custom system that is easy to install.
The project took about 2 weeks and required substantial human effort. Codex helped investigate security vulnerabilities and write some parts of the jailbreak code. The developer built a separate device that allowed the AI programs to communicate with the console and verify the results. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to say that the AI jailbroke the console on its own. The first attempt tried to run code through the WebKit browser system inside the Switch 2, but this approach did not work. The successful method exploited a vulnerability in the console’s file management service. “ns2jb” can run code directly on the console by leveraging the permissions of standard system modules and the internal file system module. During testing, the method worked on version 23.0.1, which was the latest version at the time. In the future, this method could be useful for running independent homebrew software, meaning applications obtained outside Nintendo’s official store. It could also be used to modify games and back up saved game files. It could also make it possible to study the console’s internal architecture through reverse engineering and conduct new security tests. However, the current result does not mean that any application can be installed with a few taps. The process is still too complicated for most users. The main limitation is that the method remains active only while the console is running. Every time the device is restarted, the jailbreak stops working and the process must be repeated. The method is software-only, so no physical modifications to the console are needed. The current implementation requires the SmileBASIC 4 game because it can be used to create and run games. Another developer, however, claims that the game is not strictly necessary. The research also made use of a security vulnerability in the Switch 1 version of the SmileBASIC 4 software. The software is sold for about $25 (approximately 43 manats) on the US eShop. However, buying it does not guarantee that the jailbreak method will work. Nintendo could block this route by removing the software from the store. For now, “ns2jb” is considered more of a starting point for developers and security researchers.
The project took about 2 weeks and required substantial human effort. Codex helped investigate security vulnerabilities and write some parts of the jailbreak code. The developer built a separate device that allowed the AI programs to communicate with the console and verify the results. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to say that the AI jailbroke the console on its own. The first attempt tried to run code through the WebKit browser system inside the Switch 2, but this approach did not work. The successful method exploited a vulnerability in the console’s file management service. “ns2jb” can run code directly on the console by leveraging the permissions of standard system modules and the internal file system module. During testing, the method worked on version 23.0.1, which was the latest version at the time. In the future, this method could be useful for running independent homebrew software, meaning applications obtained outside Nintendo’s official store. It could also be used to modify games and back up saved game files. It could also make it possible to study the console’s internal architecture through reverse engineering and conduct new security tests. However, the current result does not mean that any application can be installed with a few taps. The process is still too complicated for most users. The main limitation is that the method remains active only while the console is running. Every time the device is restarted, the jailbreak stops working and the process must be repeated. The method is software-only, so no physical modifications to the console are needed. The current implementation requires the SmileBASIC 4 game because it can be used to create and run games. Another developer, however, claims that the game is not strictly necessary. The research also made use of a security vulnerability in the Switch 1 version of the SmileBASIC 4 software. The software is sold for about $25 (approximately 43 manats) on the US eShop. However, buying it does not guarantee that the jailbreak method will work. Nintendo could block this route by removing the software from the store. For now, “ns2jb” is considered more of a starting point for developers and security researchers.