Hacking the Xbox
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$24.99 ($34.99 CDN) SHELVE IN: PC HARDWARE/GENERAL HACKING THE XBOX Get Hacking the Xbox before Microsoft Does! qANQR1DBwU4DiyVm0iq7P8gQB/9IoylwNnOxHExELKfHCTyOxX1m/eKe3+bgN/kc afpcdG1BR0ZV3degJhP2ru8h58Tw/MLU+h+jMYPUOCulwRAMyhxqX+0K1fU0oNAd 1UKi0e8sju0mks0XXzEOXNpM6BO8L90/NCSUTWPBUMgR6/KtezsFJUDAIOlxVuBX IpN1x+6A3O6Tayrg0+Qp+hD3FDRSIVKoD/uiaCnxkp5wxXh3JPRU3JMHWtUcwsr2 ThN1xhandO6Tn gg0dep+hDhackingKwas iaCcekledxby3JheUoriginalwsr2 This hands-on guide to hacking was canceled by the original Hacking publisher out of fear of DMCA-related lawsuits. Following the author’s self-publication of the book (during which time he sold thousands directly), Hacking the Xbox is now brought to you by No Starch Press. Hacking the Xbox begins with a few step-by-step tutorials on the Xbox hardware modifications that teach basic hacking techniques as well as essential reverse engineering skills. It progresses into An Introduction to Reverse Engineering a discussion of the Xbox security mechanisms and other advanced hacking topics, emphasizing the important subjects of computer security and reverse engineering. The book includes numerous practical guides, such as where to get hacking gear, soldering techniques, debugging tips, and an Xbox hardware reference guide. Hacking the Xbox confronts the social and political issues facing today’s hacker, and introduces readers to the humans behind the hacks through several interviews with master hackers. It looks at the potential impact of today’s legal challenges to legitimate Andrew “bunnie” Huang reverse engineering activities, which are further examined in a chapter contributed by Lee Tien of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) about the rights and responsibilities of hackers. The book concludes with a discussion of the latest trends and vulnerabilities in secure PC platforms. BUNNIE Hurry and get Hacking the Xbox before Microsoft does! VurrRyVnZ6EetMHackingyDhi XboxxbEforeaMicrosoft BOesDPGWrkhbxfH VDsdRyVDZ6E0sMGl2Qe9/yDriFn2RJx1E1bmoaSd/+Va3UfEBOXBDPGWrkhbxfH 5+zS6m6B4sG3p+2veuIZSN3CTfHRWCbAjcmYWokhHUN+p2VOpeTit7w08cEqMjDc /du9x6CkPyxGMcL4EwVpNLf3PO6nCevVNRk18pSq64ICUgtRFqmc+JXCg+UZO2Mi ISBN 1-59327-029-1 52499> THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT™ www.nostarch.com 9 781593 270292 Dear Reader, Thank you for downloading and reading this book. No Starch Press and I have decided to release this free ebook version of Hacking the Xbox in honor of Aaron Swartz. As you read this book, I hope that you’ll be reminded of how important freedom is to the hacking community and that you’ll be inclined to support the causes that Aaron believed in. I agreed to release this book for free in part because Aaron’s treatment by MIT is not unfamiliar to me. In this book, you will find the story of when I was an MIT graduate student, extracting security keys from the original Microsoft Xbox. You’ll also read about the crushing disappointment of receiving a letter from MIT legal repudiating any association with my work, effectively leaving me on my own to face Microsoft. The difference was that the faculty of my lab, the AI laboratory, were outraged by this treatment. They openly defied MIT legal and vowed to publish my work as an official “AI Lab Memo,” thereby granting me greater negotiating leverage with Microsoft. Microsoft, mindful of the potential backlash from the court of public opinion over suing a legitimate academic researcher, came to a civil understanding with me over the issue. It saddens me that America’s so-called government for the people, by the people, and of the people has less compassion and enlightenment toward their fellow man than a corporation. Having been a party to subsequent legal bullying by other entities, I am all too familiar with how ugly and gut-wrenching a high-stakes lawsuit can be. Fortunately, the stakes in my cases were not as high, nor were my adversaries as formidable as Aaron’s, or I too might have succumbed to hopelessness and fear. A few years ago, I started rebuilding my life overseas, and I find a quantum of solace in the thought that my residence abroad makes it a little more difficult for me to be served. While the US legal system strives for justice, the rules of the system create an asymmetric war that favors those with resources. By far one of the most effective methods to force a conclusion, right or wrong, against a small player is to simply bleed them of resources and the will to fight through pre-trial antics. Your entire life feels like it is under an electron microscope, with every tiny blemish magnified into a pitched battle of motions, countermotions, discovery, subpoenas, and affidavits, and each action heaping tens of thousands of dollars onto your legal bill. Your friends, co-workers, employers, and family are drawn into this circus of humiliation as witnesses. Worse, you’re counseled not to speak candidly to anyone, lest they be summoned as a witness against you. Isolated and afraid, it eventually makes more sense to roll over and settle than to take the risk of losing on a technicality versus a better-funded adversary, regardless of the justice. The US government is far and away the best-funded and fearsome enemy in the world, and copyright law has some unusually large, if not cruel, penalties associated with it. I never knew Aaron, but I feel that the magni- tude of the bullying he was subjected to is reflected in his decision to end his life. I echo Larry Lessig’s notion that the US legal system needs a sense of shame. To an outsider like me, it seems that certain prosecutors in the US government are obsessed with making a name for themselves at the expense of the individuals they pursue. Winning cases gains them the rec- ognition and credibility needed for promotions and assignments to ever higher profile cases. For them, it’s not about justice—it’s about victory and self-aggrandizement. This system of incentives contributes to the shameless bullying of indi- viduals and small entities who have the guts to stand up and do something daring. Individuals are robbed of the will and strength to fight for what they feel is right, as the mere act of prosecution can be as much a punish- ment as the verdict. As a result, I fear that the era of civil disobedience may be coming to a close. As people, as individuals, as hackers, we need to oppose this trend and continue to do what we feel deep down in our hearts is right. While Aaron’s story came to a tragic end, I hope that in this book you will find an encouraging story with a happy ending. Without the right to tinker and explore, we risk becoming enslaved by technology; and the more we exercise the right to hack, the harder it will be to take that right away. bunnie Singapore, March 2013 Hacking the Xbox An Introduction to Reverse Engineering Unlimited Edition Hacking the Xbox An Introduction to Reverse Engineering Unlimited Edition Andrew “bunnie” Huang No Starch Press, Inc. San Francisco HACKING THE XBOX. Copyright © 2003 by Xenatera LLC. Some rights reserved. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attri- bution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Publisher: William Pollock Managing Editor: Karol Jurado Design and Layout: Xenatera LLC No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. For information on book distributors or translations, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly: No Starch Press, Inc. 38 Ringold Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 USA Phone: 415-863-9900; Fax: 415-863-9950; [email protected]; http://www.nostarch.com The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it. ISBN 1-59327-029-1 In memory of Aaron Swartz Table of Contents Prologue - README.1ST .............................................. 1 The Video Game Console Market ............................................................................ 2 About Hackers and Hacking ...................................................................................... 4 The Politics of Hacking ........................................................................................................ 7 The People Behind the Hacks ............................................................................................ 11 Chapter 1 - Voiding the Warranty .................................15 Tools of the Trade ..................................................................................................... 15 Tools to Open Things Up.................................................................................................. 15 Tools to Attach and Remove Components .................................................................... 17 Tools to Test and Diagnose ............................................................................................... 18 Tools for Design.................................................................................................................