Hackers get into Wii, hunt for Angelina Jolie begins

by David Hinkle { Dec 28th 2007 at 4:00PM }

It would seem that the hacking community has finally cracked the Wii, as they've figured out a way to get code up and running on the console. It's a feat that hasn't been performed before and was accomplished after many ~~Bothans~~ people sacrificed time and energy to complete this task. See, inside of the Wii, the Hollywood chip doesn't just handle graphics, it's got a whole lot to do with authentication (you know, to make sure you've got a valid Wii or GC game disc in there). Well, these hackers have found out that upon booting up a GameCube game, this chip will turn off all of the cool Wii functionality (bluetooth, USB, etc.) and restricts the area of memory you're allowed to access. But, there isn't any kind of encryption dealing with the memory, so this is where the folks knew they should focus.

Now, the next part gets too technical for us, but just know that they found a way to get these authentication codes from the memory and trick the Wii into believing it was loading a Wii game (in this case, Lego Star Wars). This then allowed them to load their own code into the Wii. Judging by the clapping in the video, it's a pretty big deal and means that homebrew on the Wii is that much closer to being a reality.

Oh, and if you don't get the Angelina Jolie reference, head past the break.

[Via NeoGAF]

Tags: chips, gamecube, hackers, hacking, hacks, hollywood, memory

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

BrandonIT @ Dec 28th 2007 4:15PM

5 bucks says we get a new "system update" by the end of January to fix this.

"Look, we updated your system! Keeping you safe from those nasty hackers..."

Psy @ Dec 28th 2007 4:41PM

A system update that doesn't render my Wii nothing more than a rectangular GameCube just because I'm playing a GameCube game on it? I'll take it.

Shadow31 @ Dec 28th 2007 4:51PM

No, this will be the system update:

"Lookit! We updated the Wii Shop channel so it loads half a second faster, and we somehow made the Everybody Votes channel slightly more detailed but nobody will figure out why! ...you done downloading? ...good. By the way, your system is unhackable now! Congratulations!"

raindog @ Dec 28th 2007 5:03PM

They didn't just find a way to run custom code, they reportedly got the Wii's encryption keys out of memory. Assuming it's not another hoax, this is an achievement on the level of DeCSS (or the far more difficult HD-DVD and Blu-ray equivalents.)

It may very well mean that Nintendo can't lock them out without locking out every disc made to date from every console made to date, and unlike mod chips, the technique may be undetectable by the Wii itself. But I guess we'll see.

ssuk @ Dec 29th 2007 10:33AM

With this they can:
1) Make custom games and have them boot without having a modchip
2) Make custom firmware updates (patchable through the disc channel) that stops normal games requiring the Wii console to be updated.

Besides this fact, a Wii update wont do anything to stop the user once they have the encryption keys, because if they're universal to all Wii games, that code can't be changed without stopping a large back catalogue of games for playing.
Face it, Nintendo are well and truly buggered with this development, which is fan-fuckin'-tastic for me, it means there will eventually be a homebrew boot disc/Wii firmware update which will allow me to boot import Wii and Gamecube games (And ActionReplay GC again) on my PAL console. I will probably not pirate games, because 3rd parties REALLY need support on the Wii, however I am a prolific importer from Asian regions. This is nothing but music to my ears.

zerocool @ Dec 28th 2007 4:50PM

Hack the planet!

Evangelist Pinto @ Dec 28th 2007 4:56PM

As long as they dont screw with ssbb online I'm okay

ssuk @ Dec 29th 2007 10:35AM

There will be people who WILL use this to cheat, but there's nothing for them to really gain out of the hole venture, plus a large portion of people wont bother hacking the game, nor download different hacked variations of the game when they're at a good 3-4.7GB in size.

Christmas NiGHTS @ Dec 28th 2007 5:05PM

But does it only allow the homebrew to be run in GC mode, which limits you to GC specs?

Nigeria @ Dec 28th 2007 5:44PM

I admire your name.

thethirdmoose @ Dec 28th 2007 7:04PM

That has been out since the Wii came out. The news here is that you have full Wii capabilities

Ztrl @ Dec 29th 2007 2:29AM

No, it allows you to run homebrew in Wii mode. You'll now have full access to RAM, USB, and Wi-Fi.

comtar @ Dec 28th 2007 9:09PM

I remember when the Hackers movie website was hacked by real hackers because they were offended by the way they were shown in the film as crossdressers. Those were the days.

raindog @ Dec 28th 2007 11:12PM

I think the term for someone who breaks into a computer they don't own is actually "cracker", but then, the film got it wrong too.

Onomah @ Dec 30th 2007 5:15AM

No I'm pretty sure a cracker is like a hacker but with phones instead of computers. And if you think that screwing about with phones is easy...well compared to computers it is, but it still ain't easy.