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."

Comments

Roms! \o/

[remembertomorrow]

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. :/

Re:Roms! \o/

[Abcd1234]

What the hell are you talking about? Signing a binary doesn't prevent copying. All it prevents is someone from modifying the ROM and then running it on the Wii. The only thing that will "prevent copying" is full-on encryption. However, the Wii would then need the key to decrypt the content, at which point you just hack the Wii to get the key.

Basically, they're facing the exact same problem content providers are facing: you're trying to lock down content while at the same time giving the user the means to unlock it (so they can use it). And unless you can ensure the hardware is unhackable, this simply cannot work.

Re:Roms! \o/

[named]

This is exactly what client certs were invented for. Using https with client & server certs allows the client to authenticate the server, and vice versa. It would be pretty easy for Nintendo to issue a cert for every Wii.

The only issue might be the extra CPU involved in using SSL, but if they're going to be preventing loss of revenue I can see the accountants springing for the extra hardware :)

Re:So ... What's next

[cloricus]

I was thinking that... Seriously today at work I sat in front of ethereal for two hours sniffing packets for regular network reports and just for general knowledge of what's going on and god knows what I saw go past. It isn't at all skillful to sniff out of a agent string and use a Firefox plugin to put in what ever you want - heck if you want to be 'uber leet' you can code your own agent string into Firefox! How awesome!

So in summery this isn't even remotely interesting. Go home script kiddies...and by home I mean digg! (Yes I do have the karma to burn.)

...Still four weeks till we get Wii's in Australia. :(

Re:So ... What's next

[SausageOfDoom]

Well, seeing as this shows that the channels are web-based, I would imagine that one possible next step would be to hijack the connection when it reaches your router, and then, depending on the page request, return your own content.

I'm guessing this would allow you to create custom channels by returning whatever content you wanted to the Wii. Perhaps it might also bypassing the need to buy Opera, as it sounds like it's already built in.

Squid proxy = Homebrew injection

[palad1]

Good news everyone!
By setting-up a squid proxy one could be able to make homebrews appear as games requiring 0 wii points before being sent to the wii, which will gladly accept it as a runnable executable!

Now we just have to reverse engineer the 'Virtual Game Console'. 100 say it will turn-out to be a Mame clone.

Can't wait till the Wii gets released in Europe. Oh my :)

Besides, we may even be able to stream a divx player using this technique.

Am I the only one who is impressed by.....

[8127972]

..... the fact that this doesn't look like some sort of custom solution that would be forever tied to the hardware. Instead it seems to be very "off the shelf" in nature from what I can see. I'm impressed that Nintendo would go that route. Many companies wouldn't.

Welcome to the New Console Hack-fest

[SalaciousPucker]

Microsoft is really the only console maker that has ventured online in any substantial way. They locked down their hardware and sealed off the wild wild internet (no IE on the 360) for good reason.

I really think the Wii and/or the PS3 are going to be hacked to death. They have browsers, neither are experienced here and with Sony in particular, the whole thing seems kinda....rushed(?). I mean, with the media they are fine - people won't be burning blu-ray cheap enough soon enough. One click pirated downloads would be even worse though...it would be much easier. Given the cost & market for the PS3, a hack like this would be instant death for developer support.

Re:Welcome to the New Console Hack-fest

[xtracto]

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 I am sure their primary userbase is not the hacker that downloads from romhustler or priarrrbay but mom and dad that get out of work, turn on their Wii and choose the newly released game from the Wii Channel.

Re:why does this even work?

[Yosho]

You appear to be under the misconception that the Wii is produced by Microsoft. It's not. It was created by Nintendo. Unlike Microsoft, they're not obsessed with encrypting everything under the sun. Why would they care if somebody figures out their network protocol?

Re:So when will the remote get hacked?

[DrXym]

You don't need the sensor bar functionality as the thing is armed with gyroscopes and accelerometers, which are more than enough to control a cursor on an overhead projector. All those buttons could be mapped as mouse buttons and the D-Pad as a scroll wheel. Gyroscopic mice have been available for quite a while now that do just that, but they cost far more than a Wii remote.

Where's the Opera browser download then?

[assassinator42]

It seems like they have it sort of working. When will they release it? And does this mean we won't be able to use USB keyboards and mice with the browser?

Has anyone done this for XBL or Sony's PNP yet?

[AbRASiON]

Serious question, I always wondered about the MS network.