Nintendo 3DS hacker uses obscure game to crack its previously impenetrable security

Shawn Knight

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nintendo 3ds hacked obscure game nintendo 3ds homebrew modding hack hacker

Nintendo’s 3DS has been on the market for what’s coming up on four years now yet somehow, modding enthusiasts have been unable to find a pure software hack that allows the portable console to run homebrew games.

That all changed this week, however, as 22-year-old Jordan Rabet revealed the results of his year-long quest to crack the 3DS’ previously impenetrable security.

The aspiring hacker found an incredibly simple backdoor into the system that works across all 3DS types. Best yet, it doesn’t require any programming skills. All you need is a copy of an old, obscure game called Cubic Ninja.

Once news of the hack spread, copies of the now out of print game became a hot commodity, commanding anywhere between $30 and $100 online depending on where you shop. The game, which had been available via download from the 3DS eShop in Japan, was pulled within hours of Rabet’s tweet.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Rabet said he expected attention but not this much. He described the way the game shot up in price as nothing short of insane.

Rabet actually had the exploit working back in July and planned to release it in August. One day before his scheduled release, Nintendo announced its new 3DS. Rabet decided to hold off on releasing the exploit over fear that Nintendo might somehow fix it in the new model.

Full details on how to pull off the hack can be found on Rabet’s website.

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Cuz no one cares about DS, otherwise it would have been hacked in 24 hours.
 
Cuz no one cares about DS, otherwise it would have been hacked in 24 hours.
It's true that not many people care about the 3DS but it must've been difficult to crack because no matter how obscure or unloved a platform is it will quickly be hacked because that's what gives hackers their fix.
 
Cuz no one cares about DS, otherwise it would have been hacked in 24 hours.

It's like saying that no one would care about PS4 because you are a pc gamer, it's only your opinion and no fact at all. I've seen great mods on older DSs.
 
It's true that not many people care about the 3DS but it must've been difficult to crack because no matter how obscure or unloved a platform is it will quickly be hacked because that's what gives hackers their fix.
Unfortunately not true for AppleTV 3rd Generation. March 2012 release date, so maybe there is still some hope.
 
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