Xbox 360 Hacks - News, Hacks, Cracks, Mods.

There have been several news reports on Xboxhacker.net of users having success in dumping the keys from new un-moddable Liteon DVD drives. The methods posted so far, are not for the beginner so do so at your own risk. The methods seem crude at the moment, maybe later easier methods will arise. Remember with that DVD key you can install any flash-able DVD drive to that once un-moddable Xbox 360. Good job to all involved !

-Lift pin 101 and 122 (Of The MT Chip)
-solder a wire to pin 100, pin 101, and one to 3,3V
-use a 2-way switch which either connects 101 to 3,3V or to 100
-put the switch into the position so that it connects 100 to 101
-power drive
-start Dosflash, it will recognise the SPI with Status x72
-if you read it out now, it will just give you a .bin full of FFFFFFFF, but thats OK, this is how we tricked the Flash Controller to think the SPI is empty
-put the switch in the other position (so that 101 is connected to 3,3V)
-now read the flash

Zouzzz posted another new application on gx-mod.com.
This application allows you to read-out and modify some KeyVault data from your NAND image (will require your unique CPU-key – which as reminder you can’t get if you upgraded to kernel 849x or higher). You can spoof your DVD drive on KV-side (rather than spoofing the actual drive), change your game-region and read-out/change the DVD-key.

What’s new/fixed:
- add compatibily with kv.bin extract with BinCrypt
- size detection
- some small changes

by Zouzzz at gx-mod.com

FindSecData v0.4 (by boby2pc) – xboxhacker.net
I wrote little program to extract secdata.bin and filetable of NAND dump.
It uses patch latest secdata.bin method (not delete method).
Changelog:
* v0.11 Fixed regional settings problem.
* v0.2 support for 256 MB and 512 MB NANDs implemented.
* v0.3 Different NAND controller support
* v0.4
- “ommit timestamp” parameter removed – this is now default
- added parameter to show more recomendations
- “recommandation” algoritm changed
- support for gaps in filesystem table version
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Secdata Scan v0.2 (by zouzzz) – gx-mod.comSecdata Scan is a small utility that will save you manually open your NAND dump to find the address to hex edit to restore the functionality of the hdd after a ban.
Once you load your nand image in Secdata, it will show you the last secdata updated on your console and the real address of this bloc to use with with nandpro.
___________________________________________________
360 HDFR v1.03 (by SoulHeaven) (French) – gx-mod.com
360 Hard Disk Functinalities Restorer v1.03 will allow you to patch your nand automatically in order to restore the functionality to install games on your harddrive on a banned Xbox 360.
Does the same as Secdata Scan but with more functionality:
- Show you the real date of secdata update
- Can generate a zero filled file from your nand image for nanpro
- Can patch your nand for Cygnos v2
Note: does not work on 256/512MB NANDs yet.

You have all been waiting, so here it is.  Not your easy fix, but the people with the know how can get it done.

As you know Microsoft decided to ‘remove’ some HDD features (like play games from HDD, etc) when your console gets banned.  Microsoft does this by modifying data in the secdata.bin on the NAND (that’s why we write-lock the NAND was a way to prevent HDD-crippling before a ban).

Someone has found out that the NAND has older (backup?) copies of secdata.bin stored on the NAND as well.  Now the hack consists in making your Xbox 360 use an old version of the secdata.bin. All secdata.bin are tagged with a date stamp so you can easily find out which one is newer or older. As your console is already banned, it does not really matter if MS can detect this or not.  Thwack wrote a good tutorial with a method.

This is pure HEX editing in the NAND image, no CPU-key or whatever is needed. However, for those new in dumping the Xbox 360 NAND … if you do via LTP with nandpro, make sure to dump it a few times and to make sure your image is good.  Before wild stories go around, this does NOT unban your console from LIVE.

Datel Design & Development, a maker of memory units for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, has filed an antitrust suit against Microsoft over its moves to prevent the U.K.-based company’s products from working with the game console. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, says Microsoft is unfairly favoring its own Xbox 360 accessories by disabling the functionality of competing technologies.

Microsoft announced last month that a software update would block unauthorized memory units from working with the console. The move was ostensibly meant to crack down on cheating enabled by unauthorized memory units, including a Datel unit that uses removable MicroSD cards. The suit also also drew complaints from gamers over the price that Microsoft charges for its own memory units.

The suit seeks an injunction to prevent Microsoft from “disabling or erecting technological barriers to Datel accessories,” in current and future game consoles. It also seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Redline99 released 2 new tools:

* XVal 2.0
The X value is used as a visual indication of security “events”. This value is from a field stored in secdata.bin, offset 0×28, for a length of 8 bytes. It is visually displayed from dashboard in one of the system info screens. The X value is encrypted though and this tool will decrypt and display known recorded security events.

We know about the “Z” Value, and it shows “8015-190D” if your console is banned, that was last years ban wave.  No word on what they are this year, and what “X” has to do with it.

The console does not need to be connected to Live to do this procedure. At the same time this does not guarantee that the console with a “clean” X value has not been flagged on the server side.

This can be used as a tool to check the status of a second-hand console and be valuable information in considerations before purchasing someone’s used console.

* Xbox Image Browser v1.0
This application allows file extraction from xbox xdvdfs iso’s.

It should have the same capabilities as Xbox Backup Creator.  Redline99 said made this app  long time ago for a friend, and never got around to releasing it for others.

Vista and Windows 7:  the app will run but you will probably need to install additional components.

Download XVal 2.0: here
Download Xbox Image Browser v1.0: here

GodzIvan strikes again (or so we thought), this time with a diagram which simply write protects the NAND flash in the Xbox 360 by connecting WP to ground pin (if the flash type has different pin-out, just find the datasheet to locate WP). This modification does not stop the ban from M$, but it prevents deletion of the HD installation certificates required by games which means you can still install them on the hard drive. In order to update the kernel this mod must be disabled; a simple switch solution comes to mind.

Here is the Free60 JTAG/SMC XeLL Hack for Jasper (v4) motherboards with 256 and 512mb NAND chips.  This NAND image will boot your Xbox360 right into XeLL, which allows you to launch linux distros or run libxenon homebrew software, as long as you never upgraded it via the normal MS upgrade procedures to kernel 849x or higher.

The diagram below was made by Sandungas, about how to wire the JTAG hack and SPI (for NAND reading/writing via LTP with nandpro) on Falcon/Zephyr/Jasper motherboards.

*Update* Latest version of the diagram made by Sandungas on the free60 wiki.

This is XELL (Redline99′s XeLL) inserted into 6723 Jasper-Kernel.

Of course you should have a working backup of your NAND before you proceed.

Team Xecuter launched a new version of their Blaster addon for the Xbox 360:

The Xecuter Blaster CK3 is the latest version of the Blaster 360 series – new and improved with added support for the Liteon drives – we have also included a FREE CK3 Probe for the Liteon 74850C DVD drive and a FREE Xbox 360 Case Unlock Tool & Screwdriver !

The Xecuter Blaster CK3 is an external switching device when, once fitted, allows you to flash your DVD Firmware without ever having to open up your Xbox 360 case ever again. In the era of constant firmware updates (35+ so far) this is an absolutely essential tool saving both time and effort, making the firmware update process a walk in the park. Also making a backup of your game using the 0800 firmware is now a fast and simple process. A perfect ergonomic design means there is no soldering and no cutting of the external case – just plug ‘n’ go. You only ever have to open up your case once! No longer will you have to have your Xbox 360 in pieces all the time, no longer will you have to take the Xbox apart every time you need to update new features and functions or essential bug fixes, no longer do you have to have your Xbox 360 in bits every time you want to make a backup of your game to your PC.

It was designed to be as ergonomically sound as the Xbox 360 itself. Its functionally perfect and works so good that Team Xecuter believes all firmware modders will be using this as standard by the end of the year, it just makes life SO MUCH EASIER ! – Firmware modding has never been so simple !

Features List:
Improved Design – Better than ever !
Once installed never open up the case again to update firmware
Works with ALL firmware updateable drives (Hitachi, Samsung, Benq & Liteon)
Onboard USB Support (Liteon 74850C DVD Key Dump)
Onboard RS232 Support (Liteon 74850C DVD Key Dump)
100% Compatible with all firmware tools inc Jungle Flasher
Includes FREE Blaster CK3 Probe (No Solder Liteon 74850C DVD Key Extraction)
Includes FREE Xecuter Case Unlock Tool & Torx 10 Screwdriver
Xbox 360 mode switch when the Blaster is not in use.
PC mode switch when you connect the SATA cable to your PC
Mode-B Switch for Hitachi 59 & Earlier (Hitachi 78/79 Mode-B via Jungle Flasher)
Eject Button
Includes USB Cable
Includes RS232 Serial Cable
Improved SATA circuit to stop any E64 errors
Ergonomically matched to the 360 case
New Cool Green LED feature
Huge Community Support
Trusted Xecuter Quality & Design

Requirements:
Windows PC (XP/VISTA/7 32 Bit)
Compatible SATA Card (recommend VIA 6421)
Jungle Flasher Software
USB Port or RS232 Serial Port For Liteon 74850C

Info
There is currently no way to extract the key from the NEWER Liteon 83850C and 93450C August 2009+ (The pre August 2009 Liteon 83850C DVD key can be extracted using SATA – the USB / Serial is NOT required. When a 93450c method is available we will let you know.

Warning
DO NOT connect the USB cable if you don’t have a Liteon 74580C DVD drive and DO NOT use the Blaster CK3 Probe on a Liteon 83850C or 93450C DVD Drive – you may cause damage to your Xbox Drive and Blaster CK3.

Official Site: http://team-xecuter.com

v1.0.2 has been officially released.

* Changes affecting all platforms:
- Added support for 4th Wave PFI/Video
- Added support for SS v2
- Added the new check for DMI corruption which the database has been using since 2009/06/14
- Added ability to at least try to verify the game data when no Xex/SS ini is available and we’re not going to AutoFix
- Added support for Avatar Awards
- Added option to select your preferred language to use when displaying strings from the Xex title resource
- Added drag & drop support for the GUI Input panel
- Added option to embed images in the HTML source code as data URIs for better portability (when using HTML output)
- Added JavaScript to HTML output that allows you to check off achievements and see the achieved text (especially useful when the how-to text is vague)
- Added a Donate button to the GUI so you can help me pay the bills and continue working on improvements :)
- Removed “Look for verified files in the local folder only” option from the GUI. I can’t tell you how many people have checked this box without reading it because they saw it in a tutorial or someone else told them to do it, and then they can’t figure out why abgx360 says you need to enable online functions. Please stop writing/following tutorials! Just read the Quickstart topics, the tutorial is right there.
- Checking for updates to GameNameLookup.csv is now optional (the csv was eating 50% of our bandwidth and you probably don’t need it anyway since the game name can be retrieved directly from the Xex)
- Fixed a bug where folders would be considered files when parsing the ISO filesystem on some recent games
- Fixed a bug where default.pe (a temporary file used when decompressing a compressed default.xex) wasn’t being deleted automatically
- Fixed a bug where unicode code point 160 (no-break space) would be displayed in a CLI window as ” ?” instead of ” ”
- Small changes to the way some messages are displayed (harder to miss)

* Changes affecting Windows:
- Now storing data files in the AppData folder to prevent errors related to permissions and UAC. You can open the GUI and hit Ctrl+F to find out where your StealthFiles are now stored and optionally have it opened for you. abgx360 will still check for Video ISOs in the old install directory first though, so you don’t need to move that 3rd Wave Video ISO if you have it saved there already.
- Using libcurl 7.19.6 which should hopefully fix some strange connection problems affecting a small percentage of users

* Changes affecting Linux/BSD:
- Fixed a bug on 64 bit systems which made it impossible to read PFI/Video exceptions from abgx360.dat
- Added code to the unix version of kbhit() to prevent hanging when abgx360 is launched as a background process

* Changes affecting Mac OS X:
- Fixed a bug where abgx360 would fail to launch if you supplied a filename that contained an apostrophe
- Changed the dark gray text used for things like achievement type to normal gray since it was actually showing up black (invisible on a black background)
- Removed GUI option to “Use Terminal font characters” (this refers to a Windows font which replicates CP437 characters and not Terminal.app)

* Special Note: It’s recommended to wait for iXtreme LT (Lite Touch) before you play any more backups or originals on an unbanned console flashed with custom firmware.

Official Site: http://www.abgx360.net/