Overview
- A security researcher known as Sammy “pepsipu” Hajhamid publicly demonstrated a tethered, software-only jailbreak for the Nintendo Switch 2 that runs native code but must be reactivated after every reboot.
- The exploit chain used the Switch 1 title SmileBASIC 4 as an entry point and combined a 32-bit integer overflow in the interpreter with a FileSystem services buffer overflow to gain arbitrary read/write and native execution on firmware 23.0.1.
- Hajhamid says he used OpenAI’s Codex to help probe SmileBASIC and build the attack harness that delivered USB inputs and captured HDMI output, shortening the time needed to find and link the two bugs.
- Retailers or developers removed SmileBASIC 4 from some Western eShops after the disclosure so only users who already downloaded the title can run the jailbreak, and observers expect Nintendo to push firmware or store-side mitigations next.
- The jailbreak enables homebrew, modding and save backups now but stops short of persistent kernel‑level custom firmware, and experts warn that public disclosure plus AI tooling could speed further escalation or broader modding and piracy over time.