Just a few days ago, security researcher Sammy Hajhamid, better known online as pepsipu, released ns2jb, a software jailbreak for the Nintendo Switch 2. The exploit takes advantage of a vulnerability in SmileBASIC 4, a game development environment originally released for the first Nintendo Switch. Nintendo has since removed the software from the eShop, but that may no longer matter much to the homebrew community. The developer now appears to have successfully ported the exploit to the WebKit browser engine, potentially allowing the jailbreak to run without any additional software. The information reportedly comes from Discord messages posted by developer Sammy Hajhamid, which have been picked up by outlets including OneJailbreak and are currently being discussed on Reddit.
What does the WebKit exploit offer?
Although Nintendo doesn’t provide a full-fledged web browser on the console, certain web content can still be accessed – something the homebrew community may soon be able to take advantage of. Instead of relying on a vulnerability in SmileBASIC 4, the jailbreak could be launched directly through WebKit. This would eliminate the need for additional software and prevent Nintendo from simply blocking access by removing games from the eShop. However, a firmware update could still patch the vulnerability.
According to the information available so far, the new method already works on firmware 23.0.1, although the developer is reportedly still looking for testers running older versions. It’s not yet clear when the WebKit jailbreak will become publicly available. It’s also important to emphasize that this still isn’t a full jailbreak. Access to the system kernel remains unavailable, meaning a persistent custom firmware cannot be installed. The exploit would therefore need to be run again after every restart of the Switch 2 (currently $800 on Amazon). Even so, easier access to the jailbreak could represent a significant step forward for the homebrew community.
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