Slashdot Mirror
Wii Internet Connection Reverse Engineered
AlexTheBeast writes "By packet sniffing his Wi-Fi connection, this hacker has already begun to dig into the internet interactions of the new Nintendo Wii. Basically, by using Firefox and after setting the user agent correctly, anybody can easily browse many WiiShop pages including the WiiShop main page and startup manual. More advanced connections including binary and virtual console downloads are currently in the works. Come join the project."
Once the Virtual Arcade system has been worked out, someone will put up a custom server where you can download the games for 0 points. All you'll have to do is point wii.com (or whichever A/AAA records are needed) to their server.
:/
It seems like this system will be hacked rather easily.
Well, being that Nintendo is not stupid I suspect that ever virtual console game is signed to prevent copying; on top of that (being that each game is only usable on one particular system) it is possible that Nintendo signs the signed code for each console when you buy a game. Now, unless the system is physically cracked, I think that it is nearly impossible to break this system.
If it uses Bluetooth as it is supposed to, what is to stop the Wii remote being used on a PC or even a PS3 if you wanted to? What's the point you may ask - well it would make for useful mouse replacement for presentations, or just for couch surfing.
I assume the phrase "signed code" has never entered your mind?
Something tells me they learned a few lessons from the DS and WiFiMe.
Is this really such a terrible thing for the Wii?
Sure, some people may end up downloading pirated games instead of buying them from Nintendo, but as iTunes shows, people are perfectly willing to pay reasonable prices for things they can get free elsewhere.
And since the Wii hardware itself is actually profitable for Nintendo (as opposed to the PS3), they're still going to make money from people who buy a Wii with no intention of ever buying a legit Virtual Console game or even a real Wii game. And maybe once these hackers have a Wii they'll buy some games after all.
i dont think the point was to be uber by displaying l33t h4ck1ng skillz0r. :)
but its a start at developping homebrewed apps for the wii. heck, maybe create homebrewed wiishops servers so users can share wii games.
thats the good thing with consoles on the net, its fairly easy to fool them once you know what kind of answer they expect.
If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel. - Will Kommen
thats where yellow dog linux is going- with all macs going intel, yellow dog hasno choice but to go to the ps3 because there are no other powerpc processors
www.tdobson.net #### Dare to Dream #### blog.tdobson.net
I suppose this means that there could be a way to get Virtual Console games for free or to leach them from someone else downloading them.
I highly doubt that knowing how the protocol works will enable people to get Virtual Console games for free. Everybody knows how HTTPS works, but you don't see people getting things for free from online stores all over the world. I suppose, in theory, it might be possible for somebody to sniff the connection of a download in progress, intercept the binary game data, and get it over to their Wii -- but the number of people who are capable of doing that, let alone would do it, is insignificant compared to the rest of the market.
Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
I suspect that Nintendo would be very careful about what code was running on their system for fear that it could be exploited to produce a soft-mod to allow for pirated games to be run.
...
Imagine if a buffer overflow error was found in the emulator, which allowed for unsigned code to be run, so the hacker could replace your firmware which allowed for booting from a usb hard-drive
No, they'll just update the Wii software so that all this will be encrypted. Much easier.