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The following is a write-up of how I initially achieved kernel code execution on the Nintendo Switch, very much inspired by hexkyz's write-ups. The work discussed was completed over the course of a single conversation between hthh and I during the evening of November 21st, 2017. A number of snippets are attached from that conversation as inline links, in the hopes that they'll be interesting to readers.

Background information


I would recommend one read hexkyz's recent write-up on how the switch was broken into via GPU DMA attacks. It's a great read!

In particular, he describes:

Additionally, the kernel itself would start allocating memory outside of the carveout region
//
// This file should be used in the following way:
// - reload executable into IDA with using switch -c
// - use File, Load IDC file and load this file.
//
// NOTE: This file doesn't contain all information from the database.
//
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
//
// This file should be used in the following way:
// - reload executable into IDA with using switch -c
// - use File, Load IDC file and load this file.
//
// NOTE: This file doesn't contain all information from the database.
//
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
//
// This file should be used in the following way:
// - reload executable into IDA with using switch -c
// - use File, Load IDC file and load this file.
//
// NOTE: This file doesn't contain all information from the database.
//
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
//
// This file should be used in the following way:
// - reload executable into IDA with using switch -c
// - use File, Load IDC file and load this file.
//
// NOTE: This file doesn't contain all information from the database.
//
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
static main(void)
{
// set 'loading idc file' mode
set_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS, INFFL_LOADIDC|get_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS));
GenInfo(); // various settings
Segments(); // segmentation
Enums(); // enumerations
@GiantPluto
GiantPluto / KernelLdr.idc
Created December 27, 2019 10:42 — forked from SciresM/KernelLdr.idc
9.0.0 KernelLoader IDA database
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
static main(void)
{
// set 'loading idc file' mode
set_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS, INFFL_LOADIDC|get_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS));
GenInfo(); // various settings
Segments(); // segmentation
Enums(); // enumerations
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
static main(void)
{
// set 'loading idc file' mode
set_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS, INFFL_LOADIDC|get_inf_attr(INF_GENFLAGS));
GenInfo(); // various settings
Segments(); // segmentation
Enums(); // enumerations
@GiantPluto
GiantPluto / creport_901.idc
Created December 27, 2019 10:42 — forked from SciresM/creport_901.idc
Crash Report system module IDC for 9.0.1
// This file should be used in the following way:
// - reload executable into IDA with using switch -c
// - use File, Load IDC file and load this file.
//
// NOTE: This file doesn't contain all information from the database.
//
#define UNLOADED_FILE 1
#include <idc.idc>
Atmosphere Fatal Report (v1.0):
Result: 0x1BF802 (2002-3580)
Title ID: 010000000000000c
Process Name: bcat
Firmware: 9.0.0 (Atmosphere 0.9.4-master-c62c4846)
General Purpose Registers:
Start Address: 0000003551e00000
Stack Trace:
ReturnAddress[00]: 0000003551f79edc