Nintendo Switch 2 Jailbroken by Tethered Software Exploit

Overview

• Reporters corroborated on Thursday that an anonymous developer called 'pepsipu' published a tethered, software‑only jailbreak for the Switch 2 that demonstrates arbitrary native code execution.
• The hack requires owning and running the original SmileBasic v4 game each time the console boots, so the jailbreak is not persistent and must be reapplied after every shutdown.
• Coverage and the released repository say developers used AI tools during discovery and assembly, and the technical chain reportedly began with a 32‑bit integer overflow in a backward‑compatible game to escalate to full code execution.
• The exploit was publicly demonstrated by modding Mario Kart World, and outlets note Nintendo is likely to remove the implicated eShop title and issue a firmware patch to close the vulnerability.
• The disclosure revives familiar tradeoffs for users and creators: it opens homebrew and modding opportunities but raises short‑term piracy and developer‑livelihood risks while highlighting AI’s growing role in producing usable exploits.