Xbox 360 Consoles Can Now Be Hacked With Just a USB Key

An anonymous reader shares a report: Xbox 360 modders have discovered a new way to get homebrew apps and games running on the console. A new software-only exploit known as BadUpdate allows you to use a USB key to hack past Microsoft's Hypervisor protections and run unsigned code and games.

Modern Vintage Gamer has tested BadUpdate and found that you don't even have to open up your Xbox 360 console to get it running. Unlike the RGH or JTAG exploits for the Xbox 360, this BadUpdate method just requires a USB key. If you have the time and patience to get this running successfully, you'll be able to run the Xbox 360 homebrew store which includes games, apps, emulators, utilities, and even custom dashboards.

Not bad security

[TheMiddleRoad]

Not bad at all for security. A kludgy, software-only hack released over 25 years after the console shipped. Of course there are hardware hacks, but that's not new or surprising. I still have my hardware hacked PSX, which I bought pre-modded. I played some Tekken 2 on it recently.

Re: Not bad security

[50000BTU_barbecue]

Um, the 360 came out in 2005.

Re:

[TheMiddleRoad]

Yep. My bad. I looked it up. Did the math 19 years and then wrote 25 anyway.

Re:

[olsmeister]

https://science.slashdot.org/s... [slashdot.org]

Re:

[TheMiddleRoad]

I don't understand.

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[DamnOregonian]

Nope, not bad at all.
And bonus, it just breathed new life into the antiquated console. I love shit like this.
Fuck console makers for locking their shit down.

I'm still salty-as-fuck over having to purchase a second PS3 after Sony removed OtherOS in an update that you needed to continue playing games.

Re:

[rsilvergun]

It wouldn't be so annoying if there weren't so many games that are unobtanium now. I was pretty hard up for cash for most of the Xbox 360 life cycle so I didn't get one until years and years later and I missed out on getting things like after burner climax and the marvel versus Capcom HD remake. Because of licensing they're never going to be anywhere to buy again.

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[DamnOregonian]

Agreed :/

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[Hodr]

There were software hacks contemporary with the console. They required owning one of several different games that had a compromised key. If you wanted to make it "permanent" you had to bridge one connection on the MB to write-enable the EEPROM.

I guess this is slightly better, but not exactly revolutionary and far too late for anyone to care.

Awesome news!

[JBMcB]

I just bought a 360 with a stack of games, extra hard drive, and Kinect at an estate sale for $40. I'll be hacking it and filing the drive with MAME games. It'll be perfect.

Can one use ...

[PPH]

... the same USB key used for starting Kias?

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[DarkOx]

Gotta say it would kinda fun/funny to make a pologot USB exploit stick.

What's that? :
Oh it starts Kia cars, unlocks Xbox360, jailbrakes several kinds of mobile phones, and an is a Linux live environment...

Re:

[PPH]

Oh it starts Kia cars,

Cool!

unlocks Xbox360,

Neat!

jailbrakes several kinds of mobile phones,

That's fine.

and an is a Linux live environment...

What are you? Some sort of scumbag criminal?!!

WinNT USB Stick

[meandmatt]

Cool, I want a USB key with this hack plus the PPC version of WindowsNT installed. (another recent achievement)