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XBox Hack Unveiled

by Steve Gibson, Jul 04, 2003 8:09am PDT
Related Topics – xbox

Your gaming soap opera for the holiday. The group that was threatening to release a hack for the Xbox unless Microsoft released a signed Linux boot loader has followed through with their threat and released a public proof of concept. The published hack does not allow for the use of pirated games but the revealing of the exploit allegedly makes it fairly trivial for an experienced programmer to modify the hack for naughty uses.

Group representatives reject claims they are encouraging piracy and accuse the software company of failing to protect its game developers' intellectual property. A signed boot loader won't allow the console to run pirated games, whereas the exploit they have developed will. Free-X say piracy is not something they wish to encourage.
If this turns out to be legit which more than a few people believe it is, this is pretty darn significant.


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86 Threads* | 627 Comments*
  • #574
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    By: Rotten Deadite x
    Reply
    Okay, look, maybe it means nothing, but here's my take:

    If you wanna mod your Xbox, go right ahead. It's LEGAL, it's just a violation of your warranty. Just don't bitch when MS disables support for Live or whatever because, just as it's your system, it's their fucking product. And if they decide to stop letting everyone who owns an Xbox (large) controller to get onto Live, that's on them. 'Cause it's their product just as much as it's your property.

    If and when MS arrests you for modding your Xbox, they're not arresting you for fucking with their system. They can only arrest you for piratating their games. Which is stealing, no matter how you look at it. If you own all the games you've copied, and only copied for backup purposes, you're in the right (and you could probably counter-sue them).

    So go ahead and mod the shit out of your Xbox. It's legal. Shit, give it big flashing neon lights that say "Fuck MS" and teach it to swish around in a tu-tu for your friends. But don't act all high and mighty when you get in trouble for using it to play pirated games that you didn't pay for. And don't get all pissy when you can't get on Xbox Live either.

    While we're on the subject, if someone mods their Xbox, MS finds out about it, and then sues them, the strongest leg MS'll have to stand on is if MS claims that the user violated the EULA, and the lawsuit is for a contract violation, not quite as an "illegal" thing as stealing or shooting someone. Contract violation is illegal to keep people from breaking promises. I think EULAs are shitty things to do to people (mostly because I don't think I should have to sign a contract for every little fucking piece of software I install).
    Jul 04, 2003 6:00pm PDT
  • #415
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    By: dopeman x
    Reply
    I remember that you could use a boot loader CD on a DREAMCAST to play burned games/etc.

    How is this any different? I don't think anyone threatened SEGA saying that they would use this exploit against them.

    But then again, the DREAMCAST wasn't a computer turned console system. If the xbox ran on the same tech that the PS2 and gamecube did (not a basic computer), then there wouldn't be a huge fuss about this. The fact that I can potentially run a nice little media station from this console is appealing, but I don't need Linux to do it for me.

    Initially with the threat, I saw a lot of "Anti-microsoft". I mean, Linux is probably a significant threat to Microsoft in terms of PC operating systems. It would be embarassing to put out your own product, and be forced to run a competitor's software. That part was stupid.

    But the exploit is awesome in its own right. The fact that someone made it possible to run alternate software without modification is amazing -you can't deny it. I don't think there is much right/wrong to discuss here..
    Jul 04, 2003 1:44pm PDT
  • #398
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    By: jonc x
    Reply
    Some facts on the matter:

    - The "hackers" are from Austria, there is a DMCA like thing in the EU that was passed July 1st, they may fall into that.

    - The hack is built on other hacks that are just as technically significant, this hack is better marketed and is the first to create totally control without opening the xbox whatsoever

    - The hack is still not easy, it requires a memory card, knowhow and patience.

    - 99% of xbox owns will not hack there xbox regardless if they have to open it or now. This hack will not effect xbox sales, and probably not effect game sales.

    - It might be legal under the DMCA because unlike DeCSS it main use is not for pirating copyrighted material, is has many other legal uses, like running linux. This is based of previous court rulings, not a reading of the law.

    - Is causes a intellectual property flame war for all to enjoy!
    Jul 04, 2003 1:26pm PDT