Last month, a group of hackers teased the public with its claims that the Switch can be hacked with a future-proof exploit.
Some advances in the hacking scene were put on display previously and only flaunted homebrew apps that ran on the hybrid game system. However, the latest one shared by fail0verflow, a hacking group, flaunted a picture of the Nintendo console with a Linux boot screen on display, the photo of the team's achievement was shared via Twitter for the public to see.
Moreover, it was noted that the exploit was supposedly future-proof and cannot be patched out via official software updates.
Track Record Versus False Claims
Upon its reveal, several sources immediately called it out as a possible fake. Current photo-editing software could easily reproduce a doctored image of almost anything people can find on the web. However, most industry experts acknowledge fail0verflow's track record when it comes to hacks released from the Nintendo Wii up to the Sony PlayStation 4, which lends to the group's credibility concerning the Switch exploit.
We made a nice scroller for Switch :) pic.twitter.com/kUWTVMQf8s — fail0verflow (@fail0verflow) January 7, 2018
Linux Indicates Great Progress
Over the years, hacking groups like fail0verflow made it a point to showcase their progress on certain exploits whenever Linux finally runs on the system. These milestones usually indicated that unsigned code can be freely installed on a particular gaming platform.
#switch pic.twitter.com/4iTjTk9D59 — fail0verflow (@fail0verflow) February 6, 2018
The hacking team's latest Twitter photo does show the Nintendo Switch with Linux on board, which suggests that more than just homebrew apps can soon run on the portable console. Eventually, the final build of the code will permit users to play pirated copies of games, emulators, unsigned apps, and more.
Another tweet from the hacking team highlighted some of the relevant features of their Switch exploit.
In case it wasn't obvious, our Switch coldboot exploit:
* Is a bootrom bug
* Can't be patched (in currently released Switches)
* Doesn't require a modchip to pull offhttps://t.co/LLadlEmm44 — fail0verflow (@fail0verflow) January 16, 2018
Estimated Release Window
Although it might seem like the final build completion is just a few months away, past exploits for other game systems did not release until more than a year after. Referring to the image from fail0veflow, it might still be a while, judging by the external wires and cables.
Nintendo Crowdsources Help Against Vulnerabilities
For the record, previous consoles and handhelds from Nintendo were usually hacked and exploited for different reasons. There are users who used it to backup important files, create copies of owned games, add functionality, and more.
However, the sad fact is that there are individuals who intentionally hack their game systems in order to run bootleg copies of games, which can be found on certain file-sharing websites for free.
The company apparently continues to offer bounties for white hat hackers to discover and report potential vulnerabilities that could allow hackers such as fail0verflow to exploit the Switch.
