Nintendo Switch 2 has been cracked for the first time through a software exploit named ns2jb, allowing the handheld console to run YouTube and homebrew applications on firmware version 23.0.1, uzone.id reported. Security researcher Sammy Hajhamid, known online as pepsipu, developed the exploit by using a vulnerability in the game SmileBASIC 4, which permits code execution without requiring any hardware modifications.
How the ns2jb Exploit Targets SmileBASIC 4
The security flaw centers on SmileBASIC 4, a programming utility originally released for the first-generation Nintendo Switch and compatible with the new console. According to technical documentation, the exploit combines vulnerabilities in SmileBASIC 4 with the file system services of the Switch 2 to gain higher system-module privileges. Pepsipu utilized artificial intelligence assistance from OpenAI during the discovery process, according to tekno.kompas.com. To demonstrate the success of the exploit, pepsipu modified Mario Kart World to run unofficial characters including Hatsune Miku, Peter Griffin, and Cinnamoroll. Video demonstrations circulating on X also showed the Homebrew Launcher running on the console, alongside tests of the Vulkan low-level graphics API.
YouTube is running on Switch 2 now!Wrote the whole thing in Brainfuck, obviously. Don't ask why I stopped using BASIC.Based on the open-source VacuumTube project.#Switch2 #Jailbreak #Homebrew #ns2jb pic.twitter.com/Ton1OVtPoX
Technical Limitations of Tethered Jailbreak Software
Despite bypassing standard firmware restrictions, the ns2jb method currently carries significant functional limitations for users. The jailbreak is tethered, meaning that the exploited state disappears entirely whenever the console is restarted. Users must reconnect the system to a computer and repeat the execution process every time the power cycles. Furthermore, the exploit does not grant permanent custom firmware installation, kernel-level access, or the ability to run commercial game backups. Meskipun beberapa pihak telah memodifikasi Mario Kart World dan mendemonstrasikan eksploitasi terkait, lingkungan perangkat lunak homebrew yang lengkap, stabil, dan tersedia secara publik bagi pengguna umum belum sepenuhnya terwujud.
Nintendo eShop Removes Vulnerable Software
Nintendo has begun reacting to the security breach by removing SmileBASIC 4 from the digital eShop storefront in North America, Europe, and Japan. Availability varies by region, with some users locating alternative download pathways through the console’s internal News application before storefront listings vanished entirely. Owners of the console have rushed to purchase the utility and disconnect their units from the internet to prevent future firmware patches from closing the entry point. Neither Nintendo nor publisher representatives have issued an official statement regarding the exploit or the removal of the software.
The Switch 2 just got its first software-only jailbreak.A researcher named Sammy Hajhamid dropped ns2jb, an exploit that runs native code on firmware 23.0.1 through a bug in the Switch 1 version of SmileBASIC. No modchip needed. He even modded Mario Kart World to add…
Frequently Asked Questions About the Switch 2 Exploit
Can you watch YouTube on a modified Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes, the console can run YouTube using the lightweight open-source VacuumTube client after the system undergoes a software jailbreak, as uzone.id detailed.
Who created the ns2jb exploit software?
Security researcher Sammy Hajhamid, who goes by the username pepsipu, developed the ns2jb utility using vulnerabilities found in the programming application SmileBASIC 4.
/data/photo/2025/04/03/67edd3fd4c347.png "Photo: Kompas")
Does the ns2jb jailbreak survive a console reboot?
No, the exploit operates in a tethered mode, which means users must repeat the connection process with a computer every time the Nintendo Switch 2 restarts.
How is Nintendo responding to the vulnerability?
Nintendo has started pulling the SmileBASIC 4 application from regional storefronts on the eShop following the public disclosure of the security flaw.
Also it looks like there is no need to update the firmware and buy the game. "Smallbasic4 is not strictly needed. So I wouldn't update to latest firmware to get that game." via Gezine
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