Nintendo has again fallen victim to hackers, as the source code and design files for its best-selling console, the Nintendo Wii, have been leaked online.
Over the last few weeks, multiple leaks related to old Nintendo systems have surfaced on online forum 4chan, according to ResetEra member Atheerios. The leaks, however, were leading up to what he considered “the biggest of them all,” which is the full source code, design files, documentation, and everything else that was used to create the Wii.
The servers of BroadOn, the company that Nintendo hired to develop most of the Wii’s hardware and software, was apparently hacked to obtain the files, according to Atheerios. Included in the leak were the datasheets, block diagram, and Verilog files for all of the Wii’s components, which reveals how every single piece of the console was made.
Other things that have been leaked in the past few weeks include debug builds and source codes for Pokémon Blue and Yellow, Spaceworld ’99 demos, an official GameBoy emulator, and source code for the Wii’s predecessors, the Nintendo 64 and GameCube.
Atheerios also posted a video that showed a demo ROM used to test the Nintendo 64.
With the consoles involved in the leak being the older ones, it is unlikely that players will be affected. However, the Wii source code and design files will likely prove to be interesting for people who would like to know how Nintendo’s most popular console works.
Nintendo security breaches
Nintendo recently confirmed that the sensitive information of about 160,000 Nintendo Network ID accounts have been compromised since the start of April.
An investigation was launched after several players reported suspicious logins and fraudulent transactions. Nintendo found that hackers may have accessed the personal data of the breached accounts, with registered credit cards and PayPal accounts possibly used at the My Nintendo Store or Nintendo eShop.
This hacking activity hits closer to home for players, especially after Nintendo suggested everyone to enable two-factor authentication as protection against such attacks, compared to the Nintendo Wii source code leaks. However, Nintendo will need to improve its security, or else it will be a matter of time before hackers deal massive damage.
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