Console hackers are some of the most headstrong people out there. If they want unfiltered access to a console’s hardware and software, they’ll always find a way. Usually, this is done through some soft-modding techniques, like taking advantage of a buffer overflow somewhere in a game’s code, or exploiting a port on the console. Occasionally, hard-modding techniques are used, like hardwiring a modchip onto the board. If that already sounds like an invasive method to you, you’re in for a real treat.
The Xbox 360’s security system
Microsoft took extra measures this time around
The original Xbox was a learning experience in many ways for Microsoft. Their first gaming console was a success, although security was a big issue, as it was for many consoles released in the early 2000s. Microsoft responded by implementing a hypervisor security system in the Xbox 360, which essentially stops any kind of unsigned code from being run on the system. If you wanted unfiltered access to the hardware, you needed to go through the hypervisor.
When hackers were initially taking stock of the Xbox 360 and its potential attack vectors, they quickly realized that coming up with a method to defeat the hypervisor would be a big challenge. Instead, focusing on breaking the DVD drive’s security could allow them to at least play backup disks, hypervisor notwithstanding. Homebrew would take a complete defeat of the hypervisor, and that’d have to wait.
Since the DVD drive is
How a drill defeated the Xbox 360’s console security
