Image: Sammy Hajhamid
Researcher Releases a Switch 2 Jailbreak
Researcher Sammy Hajhamid has published NS2JB, a jailbreak project for the Nintendo Switch 2 handheld. He built it with help from Codex, which analyzed the console as he developed the exploit.
The project uses a software-only chain of flaws to achieve native code execution on firmware 23.0.1. With that access, the console can run homebrew games, modded games, and save backups. It also works with a range of peripherals.
An Unusual Entry Point
NS2JB leans on the Switch 2’s ability to run original Switch games. It uses the programming game SmileBASIC 4 as its way in. The chain ends with code execution rights inside the system’s file service module.
Homebrew means unofficial programs that players or developers write themselves. With this level of access, developers can study games, build mods, and back up saves.
A Mario Kart World Demo
Hajhamid showed one example. He added a non-Nintendo character to Mario Kart World. The jailbreak clearly offers a lot of play value.
It also has a technical barrier, however. Users need a computer to help, and they must install SmileBASIC 4. Nintendo has already pulled that programming game from its stores in Europe and North America.
Not Permanent, and Built With AI
This is not a permanent jailbreak. The jailbroken state disappears when the console restarts, so users must run the process again. Hajhamid has not released custom firmware that keeps the state.
How Codex Helped
Hajhamid says Codex helped him analyze the console and build the jailbreak. He built the test setup. That setup let Codex send control input to the console, read the screen, and restart the machine after a crash. The whole effort took two weeks.
Codex alone failed when it tried to break in through a browser exploit. Even so, once the jailbreak existed, Codex handled the Mario Kart World character edit on its own, at the user’s request. That job took just one day.
Support Our Threat Intelligence
Find our tech and OS security coverage helpful? Support our work today and unlock a 100% ad-free reading experience!