A hardware-focused memoir of bypassing Xbox 360 secure boot explains how brief voltage glitches can subvert silicon-enforced trust chains. The Xbox 360’s 1BL boot stage is hardwired to verify the next stage (CB) with Microsoft signatures, so conventional software exploits fail. Fault injection - toggling the CPU_RESET line with a nanosecond-scale pulse - causes the CPU to mis-execute instructions; researchers exploited this to turn a critical mr (move register) operation into a zero, effectively skipping signature checks and enabling arbitrary code execution. The piece situates that primitive in a broader trend: secure-boot and hardware-rooted trust are common now, and fault injection attacks (ESP32, AirTag, Nintendo Switch examples) show attackers instead target physical assumptions like stable energy.
The author recounts buying a Matrix CoolRunner Rev D in 2017, failing due to expensive, fiddly tooling (NAND/JTAG dumps via LPT), then returning in 2026 armed with Raspberry Pi Pico tools. The Pico’s PIO blocks and 133 MHz clock (~7.5 ns step) let PicoFlasher and Pico-dirtyJTAG quickly dump NAND and program timing files (Octal450/urjtag), turning a once-costly mod into a trivial task. The takeaway is that accessible microcontrollers have lowered the barrier for fault-injection attacks, making previously exotic exploits practical - even though a recent software-only exploit made the author’s multi-year effort technically unnecessary, the hands-on exploration still proved illuminating.
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Libreboot 26.10 introduces full UEFI support and adds support for 233 Intel/AMD Chromebooks using the EDK2 payload. The release features major design changes, including a new anti-AI policy and enhanced hardware compatibility. (libreboot.org)
X removed 13,000 accounts believed to be involved in election interference before the US midterms. The purge aims to prevent misinformation and foreign meddling during the election period. (theregister.com)
Ukraine has conducted strikes on a fourth Russian data center at Sberbank's facility in the Balakovo region. The attacks target critical infrastructure amid ongoing conflict, with implications for Russia's economic and military capabilities. (reuters.com)
Europe's dependence on US liquefied natural gas is increasing, with US supplying up to two-thirds of the EU's LNG by 2028. US officials have indicated that this reliance could be used strategically, raising concerns about energy security and reliability. (euobserver.com)
EU citizens' private messages are scanned for images and videos under the temporary 'Chat Control' law, with companies like Palantir involved in analyzing the data. Critics argue this law enables mass surveillance, while companies claim it helps combat child abuse. (arvidgrange.substack.com)
Noma Labs discovered a vulnerability in Claude Code Desktop's preview pane that allows arbitrary file reading and data exfiltration through malicious HTML embedded in public repositories. The exploit bypasses sandbox protections, enabling attackers to access sensitive credentials, secrets, and IP addresses. (noma.security)
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