Nintendo Switch Console Proof-Of-Concept Hack Offered A Few Days After Launch

Can a Nintendo Switch console be hacked? It appears so, according to a proof-of-concept presented by a hacker, which is currently available as of writing on Github.

TechCrunch said Twitter user qwertyoruiop released a pseudo-jailbreak, which consists of a “web server that sends over some code that will let you “overwrite anything in memory,”” that anyone can use to take advantage of the software update bug used on the console. The site notes that the jailbreak is the same one used by iOS 9 users to modify their phones.

The hacker wrote, “Just to be clear: I did not jailbreak the Switch. I simply demonstrated a proof of concept exploit that gives me code exec in the browser.”

BGR said no one doubted the hacker because of the person’s reputation. However, a follow-up proof offered by LiveOverflow on Sunday revealed that it was possible. Jacob Siegal for the tech site wrote, “As both qwerty and LiveOverflow explain, this is just a proof of concept for now. No one is going to be playing emulators or pirated games on their Switch consoles quite yet, but hackers now have the ability to begin making strides in that direction. As popular as the Wii U and 3DS were for the hacking community, the Switch — mashing up portability with the power of a home console — is a prime target.”

However, Vocativ said the jailbreak was promising. Alejandro Alba explains, “The Switch was released with a very closed operating system, which means that developers can’t create apps, install them, or run them without having permission from Nintendo. However, using exploits to jailbreak the Switch would allow gamers to load homebrew apps, play ROMS that simulate Nintendo classics, and even browse the Internet as one would on a computer.”