Much to the dismay of pirates everywhere, It appears that Nintendo is finally rolling out the infrastructure changes to their Content Delivery Network to put an end to apps like freeShop, Villain3DS, TikDevil, and FunKeyCIA, among others.

For those of you that missed out, in the recent 11.8.0-41 update for the Nintendo 3DS, several changes to how the NIM service handles downloading Nintendo 3DS software from the eShop were made. The main change involves sending an encrypted copy of the user's game ticket to their server for authentication. If the server finds the ticket is invalid, or no ticket is provided, the server could deny you access to the content files you are trying to retrieve.

Looks like 11.8.0 backports the Switch's aauth ideas to 3ds -- network comms now send an encrypted(?) copy of app ticket to the server.

They may not act on it immediately, but like on Switch this lets N perfectly detect pirate accesses vs normal ones, and ban however they like.

— Michael (@SciresM) July 31, 2018

​

This level of granular per-title validation will effectively put an end to any software that relies on the open availability of content files on the Nintendo CDN to function, including freeShop, CIAngel, TikDevil, and even PC based clients such as Villain3DS, PlaiCDN, and FunKeyCIA to name a few.

However, up until earlier today, the server wasn't denying anyone downloads at all. However, multiple reputable sources have stated that the changes have begun to roll out and that it is unlikely that any workarounds will be found.

Because this followup round of changes is server side, this effects all firmware and all devices trying to download from the Nintendo CDN. Staying on 11.7 or below will not make freeShop continue to work, and before you ask, yes, software you already pirated is safe. (for now, anyway.)

Nintendo has finally put in place the server-side change to finish what 11.8.0 started. FreeShop and other 3DS piracy apps are now dead (probably forever).

— Devon Maloney (@plailect) August 9, 2018

At this time, it seems only various first-party Nintendo titles are affected, but it's probable that these changes will begin rolling out to all 3DS titles on the Nintendo CDN over time.

As of approximately 1 AM EST, August 22, 2018, the Nintendo CDN has applied this ticket validation method to over 2800 titles on their network.

Source and Ongoing Discussion
Related 3DBrew Page

Spoiler: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Will Staying on 11.7 help in any substantial way?
A: Not really. The bulk of the changes made are server side, meaning that they apply to all firmware, all platforms, everything trying to download 3DS content from the Nintendo CDN. I don't recommend updating on principle but that choice is yours to make.

Q: Do I have to delete the games I downloaded from freeShop to avoid being banned?
A: No. This ticket check is done only when downloading titles through the NIM Service on the 3DS. Not when launching games. Not when going online in games. Not when downloading or installing games through other means.

Q: What uses the NIM service to download from the Nintendo CDN?
A: The Official 3DS eShop, Official 3DS eShop Sleep Mode Downloads, and freeShop Sleep Mode Downloads. That last one is the only wild card here. We don't know what Nintendo might do if you upload an invalid game ticket to them through NIM. They could possibly use this ban you, but as of now, it doesn't seem like they are.

Q: Will there be a workaround for this in the future?
A: Almost certainly not. Don't count on it.

Q: Can you still download non-first-party 3DS games?
A: No, as of August 22, 2018, nearly all titles are requiring valid tickets to download. A complete list of titles that are blocked is available courtesy of @DMSalesman, here.

Q: Does any of this apply to Wii U content on the Nintendo CDN?
A: No. Nintendo hasn't updated the Wii U with any of this security, which they would have to do to implement this.

 

[jimmyj]

If you're looking for 0004008C001BC500, a certain iso site might have it.

what game is that?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

what game is that?

The one that's about stories of hunting monsters. I don't know too much about this game because animal cruelty and poaching goes against my PETA beliefs. /s Jk lol!
Slay those beasts for fun and sport for all I care. At least they're not real.

 

[godreborn]

I can't seem to download 3ds content with wii u usb helper. is that the result of the same thing?

 

[NFates]

I can't seem to download 3ds content with wii u usb helper. is that the result of the same thing?

The result will be the same because it too downloads from the CDN. Get your games somewhere else.

 

[godreborn]

hmm...alright. I filtered out the 3ds stuff.

 

[RattletraPM]

If you're looking for 0004008C001BC500, a certain iso site might have it.

I'm not exactly looking for it (I don't even play MH Stories!), in fact I mainly posted the Title IDs here in case someone wanted to do some archiving. The site only had a title key and not a CIA but it still made me find out something I didn't know:

These titles can't be downloaded because not all DLC for said games were released which explains why the CDN does not have some content files. So, yeah - it's confirmed that these titles are not restricted, the CDN downloaders just complain because they're incomplete.

 

[TurdPooCharger]

I'm not exactly looking for it (I don't even play MH Stories!), in fact I mainly posted the Title IDs here in case someone wanted to do some archiving. The site only had a title key and not a CIA but it still made me find out something I didn't know:

These titles can't be downloaded because not all DLC for said games were released which explains why the CDN does not have some content files. So, yeah - it's confirmed that these titles are not restricted, the CDN downloaders just complain because they're incomplete.

Oh, the one I saw was hacked with contents from a different region. Early special sneak peek for USA MH:S fans.

 

[Deleted User]

Damn. I guess that's it then for the freeShop. RIP

 

[Kioku]

Wellllllllllll it's been quite the run. :o

 

[godreborn]

I usually forgot about freeshop and ciangel, both of which are on my system. I mostly got games directly from that iso site.

 

[Deleted User]

I managed to find a cia of sm3dl very easily actually
Edit:
I also dumped all the games I possibly could before this period. Hallelujah!

 

[SirNapkin1334]

If Nintendo actually starts to ban users with pirate games from going online I'm going to print this comment and eat it.

Spoiler

No color, b/w only. I don't want to die of ink intoxication

Make sure to take a video! I recommend blending it up with fruit.

 

[whateverg1012]

Been looking but can't find the answer anywhere, how is the CDN for 3DS completely blocked off but we can still download Switch titles?

 

[TurdPooCharger]

Been looking but can't find the answer anywhere, how is the CDN for 3DS completely blocked off but we can still download Switch titles?

Gonna borrow a quote from someone who explained this to me at the freeShop community thread. It won't be long before the Switch bites the dust and joins the 3DS in getting blocked from the CDN server.

Right now Switch is only checking that you have a valid console certificate, which has to be taken from a real Switch console. These are being shared and used for CDN downloads as you described. There isn't a check that your game has a valid game-specific ticket corresponding to a specific console when requesting a download, which the 3DS now has. I'm kind of expecting they will implement such a thing with the next firmware update though, and that the 3DS may have been more of a testbed.

I can't see them doing anything to Wii U other than shutting the servers down completely. Literally nothing new comes out for that console and the ongoing e-sales have to be pitiful.

 

[whateverg1012]

Gonna borrow a quote from someone who explained this to me at the freeShop community thread. It won't be long before the Switch bites the dust and joins the 3DS in getting blocked from the CDN server.

Thanks been looking for a proper answer, makes a lot of sense. Gotta enjoy the switch CDN while it lasts then.

 

[Yunniethememe]

you can still download games trough fbi though

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

But freeshop still works on my 2ds lol

 

[RattletraPM]

Make sure to take a video!

Of course, but do you seriously think Nintendo is going to do something about it?

I recommend blending it up with fruit.

Nah, I'll take some straight vodka or rhum. So I can drink to forget right after doing the bloody thing.

 

[SaberLilly]

Well, it was fun while it lasted but on the side of Nintendo I am glad they finally put a stop to stuff like this. Although personally it feels like they should have had this stuff from the get go rather than after piracy got rampant.

 

[Dewon2301]

Oh so it's closed... i opened freeshop yesterday and it was only showing a pic of a grave with "2014-2018" on it... i guess it had to happend one day. But it was cool, and it was also the main reason for me to cfw my 3ds. I'm sure that another thing like freeshop is going to be made one of those days. (Thanks for reading cuz i think i wrote a bit much)

 

[Zaphod77]

Wow. someone at Nintendo got a brain finally.

Freeshop dead forever. can no longer even download without an authorized ticket.

And bans for those who were during the period before they blocked downloads on current FW.

That said they seriously dropped the ball with their cfw break.

Thankfully, because they didn't do what they SHOULD have done, a super mass banwave of everyone who updated and was caught didn't happen.

I would be VERY wary of any further firmware updates going forward.

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

Oh so it's closed... i opened freeshop yesterday and it was only showing a pic of a grave with "2014-2018" on it... i guess it had to happend one day. But it was cool, and it was also the main reason for me to cfw my 3ds. I'm sure that another thing like freeshop is going to be made one of those days. (Thanks for reading cuz i think i wrote a bit much)

No, there wont.

You can no longer download titles from Nintendo CDN without sending a valid ticket to them first. This COMPLETELY CLOSES that method of piracy.

Any future replacement would work like Homebr3w, by auto downloading and installing ready made CIAs. Which means someone has tp have an illegal archive up. which can be DMCAed by Nintendo.

They have won the battle with FreeShop.

 

[Dewon2301]

Rip in pepperonni freeshop
We all loved you

 

[rafaeloz]

My nd3ds has no NNDI atached and I never opened the real e-shop. Should I turn off the internet to play my already downloaded games from freeshop? even the ones with no multiplayer features?
My 3ds is on b9s with last updates.
The cias I'll be downloading from internet should have a extra care too?

what You guys advice ?

*sorry the crap english