The Leader of the Xbox 360 Firmware Hack , The Specialist Interviewed

[wraggster]

The Xbox 360 Hacker has been interviewed heres the info - Source Xlife.nl

Key Points from the Xlife.nl Dutch interview with The Specialist

* The Specialist is 30 years old and is of Dutch origin, his occupation was not revealed in the interview.

* TS and his team began looking at the original Xbox firmware last year, and had a hunch their were similar patterns with the Xbox 360 firmware, there previous work on the original Xbox resulted in knowledge spill-overs with regards to Hacking the Xbox 360 firmware.

* They decided to really get stuck into hacking the Xbox 360, after Microsoft reps made statements about how hack-proof the Xbox 360 would be.

* TS and the rest of the contributors motivation was a personal challenge to find the exploits on the Xbox 360 and expore if it really was hack-proof.

* The firmware hack is way beyond the average user as specialist (cool pun eh ?) is required as well as correlating hardware.

* Microsoft can easily halt the firmware hack via as a back-up is much different to original, each and every one is different. To create emulation to allow universal Xbox 360 backups to be run without being detected is out of their scope.

* If other people can manage to replicate the Xbox 360 firmware hack, a cat and mouse game will develop between the hackers and Microsoft live updates. I guess in simiar fashion as to what is going on between Sony firmware updates and homebrew software blocking.

* TS went dived straight into the Xbox 360 firmware when looking for an exploit, he was very knowledgable in this area after the origial Xbox and was confident of finding a weak link in there.

* TS reassures everyone the video is not fake, for example look at the outer side of the disc that shows that the security placeholder data is read and if this as a fake in the video he only could fake it with a lot of work and very expensive equipment.

* He has no plans to go hacking any other parts of the Xbox 360, so Microsoft can breathe a sigh of relief over that one .

* Towards the end of the interview he adds, any game worth playing is a game worth buying. He doesn't want to take the moral high ground, the previous saying was from an old Amiga release group.

* He loves how his country is represented in the Xbox hacker scene, and hopes to see more natives around the scene.

Choppy Translation of the Interview from Xlife.nl

1. Xlife: Proposal you even to the visitors of Xlife.Netherlands (who are you, what does you for work, age etc.).

TheSpecialist:

The age question is frequently most indiscreet, but in this case some which I want answer, complete, I am 30 years.

2. Xlife: With hoevelen you have worked for the hack?

TheSpecialist:

In the team 6 hackers sat. However I do not find that you can state that it only these 6 persons have that this for each other had been got: without all contributions of others on XBH it had never succeeded or had it in any case much had been longer lasted.


3. Xlife: How long have you been effectively busy with the hack on X360?

TheSpecialist:

To say with difficulty how many hours will sit there in its eventually. We its end previous year started with the analysis of the Xbox 1 DVD beveiliging, since still nothing was here nearly confessed concerning. The expectation was, as it happens, that the beveiliging in the Xbox 360 be based on this and a good term of this beveiliging would give probably valuable insights in the beveiliging in the Xbox 360 (what proved be indeed this way). The reason that we with the Xbox 1 have started firstly, were mainly because the kernel were of this simply at rippen and we could retrieve thereby when the Xbox 1 kernel go ' agreed ' with DVD.

4. Xlife: Have you already had contact with Microsoft concerning the hack?

TheSpecialist:

No

5. Xlife: Why decided don't these hack have you make public?

TheSpecialist:

The Xbox 360 were announced Microsoft as if it the best protect console would be in the world and that the hackers scene be surprised by the unprecedented high level of beveiliging. This type statement does the heart of most of the hackers be correct of course more rapidly It seemed me personally an enormous select challenge or the beveiliging REAL this way well was. I think that this motivation applies to nearly all hackers on XBH. Zoeken to beveiligings breaches was therefore the aim an sich. Spreading hack has my inziens do NOTHING with hacken and also never our aim has been.

6. Xlife: Aren't you frightened that you have brought now people on ideën and that tries these now still your imitate hack and public make?

TheSpecialist:

I think first that the hack in current form little will be interesting for the average user, since you have specific hardware and knowledge necessary for the drive at flashen. Furthermore the current hack are easily at patchen by Microsoft, since the backup on several points differs from original and here on gechecked can become. ' impermeable ' emulator, which a backup in ALL possible manners presents exactly the same to the Xbox 360 falls outside our scope and this would will cost also rather much work. However, the possibility that a cat/mouse game will arise, where Microsoft with new patches come exists, hackers these will crack etc. This keeps however in that this way long there no ' impermeable emulator ' is, users of Xbox Live for example always risk runs become gebanned and will be obliged if they do not want this risk run, still original buy discs.

7. Xlife: You did right start firmware to the hack of the dvdrom or does have you has been tried still firstly other components of the console at hacken?

TheSpecialist:

No, right with the firmware. The project on XBH appears apart from for example the attempts of the men of free60.

8. Xlife: Is it also possible by means of Xboxlive play with your hack?

TheSpecialist:

At present therefore, however, until Microsoft come with patch.

9. Xlife: What find do you of it that it is speculated on many forums concerning the authenticity of the small film?

TheSpecialist:

The proof sits m. in the hardware details which do not stand on the forum, in the video. Meanwhile the original video gereleased, which makes in any case an end to the speculation of Xbox 360 in the reflection of the TV, is Furthermore I think that if you look at movements well to the laser yourself no longer can claim that it concerns fake. If you a backup in standard Xbox 360 stops, the laser will not move in such a manner (to see for example the movement to the outer edge of the disc, where security placeholder are read dates). Only with complete expensive equipment and much work and costs a video would be such as this at faken.

10 Xlife: Do you intend still further components of X360 at hacken?

TheSpecialist:

At present for that no plans are.

11. Xlife: There still is something that your lost wants to people who read this interview??

TheSpecialist:

Such as the release groups in former days on the amiga already said: ' a game worth playing are a game worth buying ' I do not want aboluut happen moralistically, but I always have been possible find itself and I hope others also. Furthermore I it found very nice to that see Netherlands were well represented on XBH and I hope greet in the future still more interesting Nl-ers to be allowed in this wereldje.
Thanks for this interview!

[XplosS]

These discoveries on X360 hacking are really amazing, but I do not agree with TS in the fact that it's impossible to fake the video. It would be as simple as recording a music disc and inserting it in the open X360, while another one has the original game running. The disc in the open Xbox would continue spinning, while it would be playing only music.

To The Specialist: But I think you really got it running, I do not doubt about your hacking skills. And, of course, the decision of not releasing a modified firmware was great (we need unsigned code running, not piracy).

Cheers.

[Cap'n 1time]

To The Specialist: But I think you really got it running, I do not doubt about your hacking skills. And, of course, the decision of not releasing a modified firmware was great (we need unsigned code running, not piracy).

Cheers.

ahmen to that.