Hacking Nintendo Switch Banning Hub & Warning

[mariogamer]

The user in question as well as the rest of us send a lot of data to Nintendo. One of these things are error logs. You know, those error codes you see from time to time? If you've never encountered an error code, then your error log is probably empty. However, if you connect online, these error logs are sent to Nintendo. What happened to this particular user is that when he connected online, his Switch had no error logs despite having sent error logs previously meaning he hacked the console to clear them which resulted in a ban.

Ahhhh I wasn't understanding. So it was clearing them that got him banned.
(Because I was arguing over the fact that crash log/error log aren't a ban flag if none are sent)

 

[M7L7NK7]

If they're implementing blocking them in atmosphere then surely they would've tested that it doesn't result in a ban

 

[TunaKetchup]

I cleaned my logs on 4.1 more than I can count

But I have not once cleared my logs on 5.1

Still not banned since my last report

 

[YugamiSekai]

Could the error logs from the 3.0.0 web homebrew exploit get you banned?

 

[Tzuba]

My Switch's fan stopped working around the time the first bans were going around. Switch kept overheating and giving me an error. I decided to install CFW and backup my saves before sending it into Nintendo just in case. When I called they asked me for the error I got. I went to the error logs and while I don't remember ever clearing the logs when I installed CFW, there were no errors there whatsoever. Long story short, he said that was weird, set up my repair, and I sent it in. Saves were intact when it came back and I haven't been banned at all. Its been over a month now. Was on the latest update at the time too.

I've also never launched homebrew again after getting it back so that might be why I was never banned.

 

[Draxzelex]

Could the error logs from the 3.0.0 web homebrew exploit get you banned?

Possibly, but its more likely that you will be banned for clearing those error logs than actually sending them according to this new bit of information.

Also while providing anecdotal evidence as to why you were or were not banned is good to know, I would also recommend filling out the form so we can reference it much easier in the future rather than digging through a 100-page long thread. Thank you all for your cooperation.

 

[TheCyberQuake]

If they're implementing blocking them in atmosphere then surely they would've tested that it doesn't result in a ban

Blocking new entries shouldn't be detectable. It's clearing the log when you already had entries.

 

[sim3001]

It's been quite a while since my original post and I believe it's been long enough to come to a conclusion.

Since this post was made I have been using SX OS 1.3 and recently 1.4 to load XCI and with 1.4 install NSP files on my device and run them in airplane mode.

I have been updating every single one of them thru Nintendo by going online, pressing + and updating software.

I have never used devmenu, never used layeredfs, basically only using the tools available by SX OS.

Today I attempted to access the eshop and everything was fine.

This will be the last time I post regarding this as it seems a closed case. Not sure if anyone else tried this with me, the steps I took and all my variables are included in my original post so feel free to recreate it if anyone wants to fact check.

Experiment is complete, updating XCI and NSP backups does not lead to a ban.

TL;DR Using SX OS offline and going online to update backups has not led to a ban.

Hey, question have you been updating the backups in horizon?

 

[fadx]

A user contacted Nintendo and was confirmed the reason why they were banned. Such information has been added to the OP as well as where that information originated from so please read up on that. To those too lazy to check, that person was banned for having no error logs after having sent error logs previously which Nintendo claims was a big red flag. Now in a red box in the first post, I will repeat myself: exercise great caution when you are clearing error logs.

Isn't this from the guy that supposedly had emuNAND before there was even a public cfw but then he couldn't provide any evidence? I have a hard time believing that guy, he said he was working on loading backups on his emuNAND he made but then came to GBATemp to ask for help with an error code (which I don't think anyone even knew how to clear at that point so if he went online after that that'd be a reason for a ban). I'll believe it when other people also get the same confirmations from Nintendo. I obviously understand that Nintendo could have the ability to determine if you've cleared logs and ban you based on that but I've crashed in SX OS multiple times and I clear logs every time I go into OFW and I've never been banned. I've seen others also not be banned doing the exact same thing. Why would Nintendo pick and choose who they ban? If Nintendo bans based on reports being cleared that would have to be an automated system to detect reports being cleared(sure maybe it's flagged for manual review but even still that wouldn't explain the low number of consoles banned allegedly caused by clearing reports) so why wouldn't thousands of people be banned for this by now?

 

[CaptainKRN]

Hey, question have you been updating the backups in horizon?

Yep always. I originally removed my SD card as well but now that I have NSP files on it I can't update them if it's removed so I just keep it in.

 

[XaneTenshi]

So I don't know if this belongs here, but since we are on the topic of errors logs and clearing, I have a theoretical question regarding the safety of Nand backups and error logs.

Let's say you have a clean Nand backup with the latest FW and no error logs. Currently your Switch have been hacked, and you have error logs, but all of them are normal errors (not specific to hacking) and you know they have been sent to Nintendo, since you have been online.

You then mess around with some hacking related stuff offline, you end up bricking your Switch and you must restore your Nand using your clean backup. If you now go online with your Switch, could you not end up getting banned for "clearing" your error logs, even though you technically didn't actually clear them? I'm asking because this potentially lead to a ban even with a clean Nand.

 

[fadx]

So I don't know if this belongs here, but since we are on the topic of errors logs and clearing, I have a theoretical question regarding the safety of Nand backups and error logs.

Let's say you have a clean Nand backup with the latest FW and no error logs. Currently your Switch have been hacked, and you have error logs, but all of them are normal errors (not specific to hacking) and you know they have been sent to Nintendo, since you have been online.

You then mess around with some hacking related stuff offline, you end up bricking your Switch and you must restore your Nand using your clean backup. If you now go online with your Switch, could you not end up getting banned for "clearing" your error logs, even though you technically didn't actually clear them? I'm asking because this potentially lead to a ban even with a clean Nand.

If you restored a clean NAND backup with no logs in it after your console had uploaded other logs to Nintendo you'd be getting rid of the logs that Nintendo knows your console has had therefore it'd basically be the equivalent of clearing the logs. So if you're going by the theory that clearing logs = bans then yes that'd get you banned.

 

[fallingrat]

Would it be possible to fake an error log? I mean, adding "controlled errors" so we know what we are sending.

 

[mariogamer]

Blocking new entries shouldn't be detectable. It's clearing the log when you already had entries.

What I was saying ^
Tho I'd be interested to know if all sort of errors are reported to Nintendo or which one (Including but possibly not limiting to crash log?)

 

[XaneTenshi]

If you restored a clean NAND backup with no logs in it after your console had uploaded other logs to Nintendo you'd be getting rid of the logs that Nintendo knows your console has had therefore it'd basically be the equivalent of clearing the logs. So if you're going by the theory that clearing logs = bans then yes that'd get you banned.

So unless you happen to have a Nand backup with the exact same error logs (so basically a backup just prior to your Switch getting bricked) you can consider yourself banned if your Switch bricks and you have to restore it using a backup, clean or not. I figured as much, but that's really bad

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Would it be possible to fake an error log? I mean, adding "controlled errors" so we know what we are sending.

Actually how about a program that just downright disables the error logging in the first place? It could probably be implemented so that whenever you boot into CFW, error logging would be disabled, then we would never run into any problems.

 

[fadx]

So unless you happen to have a Nand backup with the exact same error logs (so basically a backup just prior to your Switch getting bricked) you can consider yourself banned if your Switch bricks and you have to restore it using a backup, clean or not. I figured as much, but that's really bad

If you believe that Nintendo is banning from logs being cleared. I'll personally believe it when I and many others that also clear logs daily get banned but until that happens I won't believe it. The way I see it, when SX OS or something similar crashes would you rather let that report get sent to Nintendo or would you rather clear all your reports? I and many others have cleared reports since the release of SX OS and I'm fine. Maybe there's some specific reports that not all consoles have and that's why I'm not banned and why a lot of others are still not banned, you never know. But I'll continue to clear the reports before I enter OFW. I regularly enter OFW to update my games I've launched from SX OS so I clear logs every time I'm going to do that, I've done this maybe 5 or 6 times in the past 6 weeks and I always check if I'm still able to play legit games online. If it's so obvious to Nintendo that I've hacked my console (which can obviously be used for piracy) why would they let me and others continue for so long?

 

[XaneTenshi]

If you believe that Nintendo is banning from logs being cleared. I'll personally believe it when I and many others that also clear logs daily get banned but until that happens I won't believe it. The way I see it, when SX OS or something similar crashes would you rather let that report get sent to Nintendo or would you rather clear all your reports? I and many others have cleared reports since the release of SX OS and I'm fine. Maybe there's some specific reports that not all consoles have and that's why I'm not banned and why a lot of others are still not banned, you never know. But I'll continue to clear the reports before I enter OFW. I regularly enter OFW to update my games I've launched from SX OS so I clear logs every time I'm going to do that, I've done this maybe 5 or 6 times in the past 6 weeks and I always check if I'm still able to play legit games online. If it's so obvious to Nintendo that I've hacked my console (which can obviously be used for piracy) why would they let me and others continue for so long?

Needless to say, if you have error logs that require clearing in the first place, obviously you'd clear them, as that should still be safer than going online with a bunch of error logs a clean Switch can't possibly have. I totally agree with you there.

My point is that I remember reading on here somewhere, that on FW 5.x.x.x, Nintendo can detect error logs being cleared, and since there is no way a clean Switch can clear those error logs, it's a clear indication of a hacked Console = Ban.

I do realize that there are a lot of people, yourself included, that clear their error logs on almost every boot, and are still not banned. But considering we have people who get banned even though they have hardly done anything to their Switch and then we have people who have done just about everything, including installing DevMenu, connecting online with .NSP games for which they have no certificate for etc. and are still not banned, the fact that you have not yet been banned isn't really a conclusive result of any kind.

 

[fadx]

Needless to say, if you have error logs that require clearing in the first place, obviously you'd clear them, as that should still be safer than going online with a bunch of error logs a clean Switch can't possibly have. I totally agree with you there.

My point is that I remember reading on here somewhere, that on FW 5.x.x.x, Nintendo can detect error logs being cleared, and since there is no way a clean Switch can clear those error logs, it's a clear indication of a hacked Console = Ban.

I do realize that there are a lot of people, yourself included, that clear their error logs on almost every boot, and are still not banned. But considering we have people who get banned even though they have hardly done anything to their Switch and then we have people who have done just about everything, including installing DevMenu, connecting online with .NSP games for which they have no certificate for etc. and are still not banned, the fact that you have not yet been banned isn't really a conclusive result of any kind.

For sure, there's not enough info for any of this and I'm not saying it's impossible to be banned for clearing logs because from what we know Nintendo can see if logs have been cleared but people saying that clearing logs = you get banned is just them guessing because no one really know for sure. People can definitely not call it a guaranteed ban until we all get banned and that's proven. The only "evidence" we have that Nintendo has acted on banning someone based on them clearing reports is because Mr. Doom said he phoned Nintendo and they told him the ban reason (which based on the shit he's said in the past I have a hard time believing), and even if Nintendo did tell him the ban reason why would they go past just telling him he made modifications to his system? The way Nintendo is banning people is so seemingly random that no one really knows why anyone was banned, the smart thing for them to do would be to collect as much info as possible over a month or so and then launch an enormous ban wave one Mariko units hit the market.

 

[Draxzelex]

Isn't this from the guy that supposedly had emuNAND before there was even a public cfw but then he couldn't provide any evidence? I have a hard time believing that guy, he said he was working on loading backups on his emuNAND he made but then came to GBATemp to ask for help with an error code (which I don't think anyone even knew how to clear at that point so if he went online after that that'd be a reason for a ban). I'll believe it when other people also get the same confirmations from Nintendo. I obviously understand that Nintendo could have the ability to determine if you've cleared logs and ban you based on that but I've crashed in SX OS multiple times and I clear logs every time I go into OFW and I've never been banned. I've seen others also not be banned doing the exact same thing. Why would Nintendo pick and choose who they ban? If Nintendo bans based on reports being cleared that would have to be an automated system to detect reports being cleared(sure maybe it's flagged for manual review but even still that wouldn't explain the low number of consoles banned allegedly caused by clearing reports) so why wouldn't thousands of people be banned for this by now?

I can't make you or anyone else believe what is represented in this thread. It would not be the first time someone called into doubt the data that has been presented here, notably the homebrew and SX OS bans. I am also fully aware who the user in question is and warned him of this very thing in advance. All I did was bring to light his experience with Nintendo and added a warning to thread. I have not stated that this is a definitive ban cause for everyone. I merely used his evidence to support the theory that clearing error logs may not be a good idea. Many users have their own reasons for not clearing error logs and can be traced back to a belief that it does more harm than good. Based upon what he and Nintendo said, logically it makes sense why he was banned. Lastly, no bans have followed rhyme and reason as there are people who have and haven't been banned for many of the same things.

 

[zerohealinzz]

small update from me:

Been online (as always 4G hotspot only) with DBZ XV2.
Been online in the Eshop and to update some games both legit bought nsp and illegal nsp.

As of now not banned (yet).