320°

Dangerous Xbox 360 Update Killing new to-be released Homebrew Vulnerability

Free60, a project that aims to enable Xbox 360 users to run homebrew applications and operating systems, announced that todays Xbox360 update overwrites the vital boot block. This is killing a vulnerability Free60 found that has been successfully exploited to run arbitrary code. A complete end user compatible hack has been in development for some time and is planned to be released on free60.org shortly.
Also statistics from other systems have shown that about one in a thousand bootloader updates goes wrong, and unless Microsoft has a novel solution to this problem, this puts tens of thousands of Xboxes at risk.

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xbox-scene.com
ShabzS5372d ago

what?!?!... their software hacks and provides the ability to run linux OS on the 360's???.... and microsoft is killing their attempts after each update ... how did these guys manage to pull this off ?...

pixelsword5372d ago

...but updating a bootloader sometimes goes bad, like breaking the computer bad.

But Microsoft are software gurus, so I think this won't be a bad thing... only for the homebrewers, sadly.

Sean Ryno5372d ago (Edited 5372d ago )

shbzshar, I had a similar reaction to this article. It's almost like a psfanboy is trying to make the "new hotness" of the new update, a "system killing" thing. ? I have been on the beta, and this update is one of the best. Too bad for hackers though, I am a bit sympathetic. But, ya'know, that's how the cookie crumbles.

Kushan5372d ago

The system killing thing comes straight from Free60 themselves, not some PS3 fanboy. Most likely they're a bit annoyed because Microsoft has patched a flaw they've been exploiting for a while, I don't think they're being fanboys.

edgeofblade5372d ago

You know why the exploits and hacks are much more prevalent in the PS3 version of COD4 than the 360 version?

Because Microsoft does such a good job of locking things down, XBL included.

...and now, thank you all for being so kind. I do believe I'll be losing all my bubbles to the sony defense force now...

JD_Shadow5372d ago (Edited 5372d ago )

@Sean Ryno: Stop trying to turn this into a flame war.

@edgeofblade: You just couldn't help yourself, could you? You HAD to post THAT blind comment and then accuse Roger Foor's "group" as the reason behind your bubbles being dwindled (which they'll continue to as long as you continue to post stuff like THAT).

@the article: This is going to come down to how many actually downloaded this hack (something in which festered in the 360 for so long, apparently. So much for MS "locking things down"). This will get interesting in a hurry. Couple that with the usual people that get broken systems as a result of updates, and you will get some very compounded problems.

sunil5372d ago

360 has been hacked
Wii has been hacked
PS3 has not yet been hacked

Noob5372d ago (Edited 5372d ago )

Your limited to what you can copy to the 360 and how your able to do it. It hurts the systems media capabilities, features such a lack of mods, and 360 is still prone to cheats. If I'm not mistaken, running backups on PS3 isn't as easy or common as it is on 360. A lot people are modding 360s and using them to play illegal backups. Hell, I even seen someone hack 360 so that they could unlock achievement points. I think that's way worse then people cheating on ONE game. If you ask me, I think Sony did a better job of locking PS3 down without taking away from features and capabilities.

ultimolu5372d ago

Again, what the hell is the SDF? Why do people like edgeofblade assume that all PS3 fans are part of this imaginary SDF?

Why can't you people talk about your console instead of mentioning this SDF? I still don't know what the hell the SDF is...?

PirateThom5372d ago

Sony Defence Force was a website owned and maintained by members of Wii60.com.

The SDF only exists in the minds of 360 fanboys.

DMason5372d ago

@Sunil

You are incorrect sir. The PS3 has been hacked. It's just not worthwhile for people to bother with because Blu Rays are expensive to buy as well as the bandwidth problems that come with downloading such a large file. Not to mention a Blu Ray burner. Fiscally, it doesn't make sense. And that's one of the upsides of the PS3

Microsoft Xbox 3605372d ago (Edited 5372d ago )

@DMason

Show me one hack that runs homebrew natively on the XMB. Or show me one video of somebody running a burnt bluray game on the PS3.

Only homebrew that exists are the old "PS2" homebrew that works if you insert a Swap Magic Disc that loads .elf files. But this is pretty much nothing as it uses none of the PS3 capabilities. Technically, only the PS2 portion of the PS3 has been hacked.

agentace5372d ago

how stupid can you be, the COD4 hack has nothing to do with sony or MS its IW fault for not encripting there game code(come on thats game making 101), that just shows how lazy they are, i`ve never seen a game with no encription, console or PC

+ Show (9) more repliesLast reply 5372d ago
GiantEnemyCrab5372d ago (Edited 5372d ago )

I'm all for homebrew but with the recent posts about 1 vs 100 possibly being hacked and you have people jacking up their gamer score by hacking their profile I'm kind of glad MS are not letting the abusers get too far.

I've been part of the preview since the 2nd day and have updated my 360 3 times since due to fixes and I've had no problems what so ever. Xbox Scene seems to be fear mongering but probably just mad since they are also dedicated to hacking, cracking and pirating 360 stuff.

I don't think this has anything to do with PS3 fanboys as someone implied earlier.

PS: The update rocks!

Troll-Killer5372d ago

DUH ? Why would MS care about pissing off HACKERS? They have to protect their own interests,as well as their fans/consumers.

sunil5372d ago

Quote from article: "Statistics from other systems have shown that about one in a thousand bootloader updates goes wrong, and unless Microsoft has a novel solution to this problem, this puts tens of thousands of Xboxes at risk"

Is nobody reading this? This is a huge risk to the end user

CrayzeeCarl5372d ago

I don't know why anyone is disagreeing with you.

JackBNimble5372d ago

Well 1 in 1000 is 0.001% a failure rate this low is acceptable in any industry.Althoght I won't believe these claims untill I see them.We may see a much larger failure rate then what is claimed in this artical.We will know soon enough when people start screaming that their 360 bricked up.

Show all comments (31)
50°

Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX

This could be fun as they make great tables. Go big or go extinct. Prime your senses for a neural handshake and step into the cockpit of a Jaeger. It is on you to cancel the apocalypse when Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX on May 16.

130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies22h ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

just_looken17h ago

Here here

Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.

I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing

CrimsonWing691d 9h ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker1d 9h ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo1d 8h ago (Edited 1d 8h ago )

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing691d 8h ago (Edited 1d 8h ago )

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos1d 5h ago (Edited 1d 5h ago )

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt20h ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

just_looken17h ago

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.

120°

6 Fun Games Where You Actually Play As The Bad Guy

While the mainstream media always sees things turning in favor of the hero, here are 6 games that own being a bad guy.

Profchaos1d 14h ago

Pretty much all of these games listed are based around a morality system you don't have to be bad and you don't have to be good.

It seems to have left out some real amazing games like red dead redemption 1/2,ass effect and true crime la/ny

Tacoboto1d 14h ago

Armored Core VI?

Ok, I'm really missing something here. Just beat chapter 3 earlier this evening, unlocked A-rank Arena fights. I'm not seeing or sensing any branching paths or morality system and I've done every side mission and arena fight available to me up to that fight.

Is something big coming soon to branch the story?

banger881d 13h ago

No mention of Grand Theft Auto? Saints Row (original trilogy), Manhunt? Also The Suffering (depending on the ending you get).

ChasterMies1d 3h ago

Trevor in GTA 6 is a sadist and psychopath who dabbles in cannibalism. Should be top of the list. These game “news” sites should hire people that know games.