The clock has started on when this will be hacked. Bets?
Microsoft silently patches Xbox 360
When you’re hunting, it’s important to remember the US Naval submarine cliche of “Run silent, run deep.” Particularly when you’re hunting pesky bugs. At least, that’s what Microsoft says – both in the motto and in that it really is hunting bugs. A quiet little patch was released recently for the Xbox 360 – but it may not do what you think.
The patch was released via Xbox Live as an “OS Update” that lacked a whole lot of further description. What wasn’t in that description was the primary cause of the update – to seal up a hole in the tamper protection that could allow “harmful or malicious code” to run on your 360. So far, it all sounds above-board.
What hasn’t been discussed is that the “harmful or malicious” code would have to be installed by someone with physical access to the device. In other words, this “harmful or malicious” code is homebrew code. The patch is meant to seal up a potential opening where someone could install Linux or otherwise alter the default OS.
Of course, you can’t really blame Microsoft for wanting to protect its investment. The “mod” scene for the original Xbox may have sold a lot of units, but it helped to damage game sales with rampant piracy. Reverse-engineering the OS led to understanding the chips and the eventual creation of the famous mod chip for pirated games. Others used the unit for a cheap Linux box – but none of the mods actually helped sell the only thing that made the company any money: legitimately purchased games.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder that MS is a little eager to seal up any potential holes that have been found, particularly since this one has been discussed since early November of 2006. What’s questionable is the silent and undisclosed patch to seal the vulnerability – not only was the online update completely sans specifics about the fix being included, but games made after February 20th will ship with the update piggybacked to them.
IF IT WAS A MAC IT NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE–
whoa sorry, channeled pedro there for a minute
eh… MS has the right to lock down their product. It’s only a recent trend to have OS hackable consoles anyhow. Try that with the SNES!
While the extra uses of the console are nice – no-one bought it because it could run Linux.
My Xbox 360 just died on me last night. Really a big pisser. I just bought a 1080p HDTV mainly for the purpose to use it on my 360. After hooking it up and setting it to 1080p mode, it locked up and DIED on me! Three red lights of death, and I was still on the dashboard, I wasn’t running any games. Thank God for service contracts!
BTW Original Xbox is much better for hacking since it’s built more like a PC; the 360 isn’t.
Sony has done this before (and failed) with their PSP. I bet very soon someone will come up with a “downgrade” for the 360. And for those newer games that requires newer firmware, there will soon enough be hacked version of the new firmwares. It’s always entertaining to watch history repeat itself.
This article is incorrect and should be double checked for its authenticity. The fact is that there WAS an exploit that was released into the wild targeting the xBox and was not as a result of “homebrewed code” as reported. There was a severe flaw in the 360 which allowed attackers to infiltrate the kernal of the Xbox and bypass all of its security measures. This, I guess, would prevent people from installing Linux.
So instead of getting all over Microsoft on the issue. Why don’t you guys point the fingers at the attackers who wrote the freakin malicious code for a change. Jeez.
I don’t suppose the “security flaw in the 360” would also allow attackers to infiltrate the *kernel of the Linux* running and bypass all of the *Linux Security Measures* as well.
Even if Microsoft made it so you could not run Linux on the Xbox hardware by choice. So what? If you are a big Linux guy, why would you be using a Microsoft product?
Because I can.
6 – The item didn’t attack MS for closing the hole, nor did it say MS didn’t have every right to lock down its product. Lighten up. All Unca Dave said was that MS should have been more honest about what it was doing. Are you saying that what a software patch will do to equipment you have bought and paid for is none of your legitimate business?
This is just about honest disclosure, not the right of MS to close security holes or lock down its product.
Thanks for confirming that I did the right move when I sold my 360 last October, guys.
Why would someone want to run Linux on an XBox (besides a handful of curious hackers)?
Can’t you just buy a computer for cheaper?
I could care less, I just don’t want them to patch the flashing I did to mine. Love those burned games… LOVE THEM!!!!!
And I do agree MS has every right to protect what is theirs. As long as I can get around it that is 😉