4 ms·

This is not a particularly new attack. It's been used for years against simpler devices, especially where you can access the flash chip and force it's write pro

by 13 12y ago

This is not a particularly new attack. It's been used for years against simpler devices, especially where you can access the flash chip and force it's write protect on.

gambiting 12y ago
It's not really an "attack", but old Pokemon games on Gameboy and Gameboy Colour used the same technique for cloning items and pokemon - you send a pokemon to a friend, and switch off the power before the game has a chance to save successfully afterwards - presto, now both you and your friend have the sent pokemon.
- im2w1l 12y ago
  Oh, I remember that. I think I did it by moving the Pokemon to the PC.
- geon 12y ago
  Wouldn't you risk corrupting the file if you cut power while saving?
  - gambiting 12y ago
    Yep, there was a risk. But with pokemon games they would say "saving game now" but the actual process didn't start until the whole text appeared on the screen - so as soon as the letters started appearing you could kill the power and it was fine.
- jdjb 12y ago
  Even on more modern Pokemon systems (nintendo DS) you could upload a pokemon to the cloud servers and watch the network traffic lights on your router. Shut off your DS as soon as your pokemon had been uploaded and when you start up your game again, the pokemon is still in your party. It's also in the cloud so you connect and pull your clone off the server.
  - 13 12y ago
    Somehow I doubt the nintendo developers were worried about ACID Pokemon transfers :)
- ikeboy 12y ago
  Or just deposit it into a box, change boxes, and turn it off during the saving worked on Gen 2 for cloning.
chrisBob 12y ago
In high school we found one even better than that. If you unplugged the coke machine after choosing a soda but before it was delivered then it spit out the soda and still remembered your money when you plugged it back in. It's interesting to see that power off events are still mostly untested even on Apple devices.
- bennyg 12y ago
  We used to do the same thing in 9th grade. Eventually teachers had to go and supervise students who used a vending machine and only they had keys that would turn them on. I also used fake change from one of those "my first cash register" toys as a kid to buy pencils in elementary school. Those eventually got removed too haha.
Sarkie 12y ago
Just because others commented. When BT Cellnet mobiles came out. http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/351317080153-0-1/s-l1000.jpg http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/351317080153-0-1/s-l1000.jpg If sending an SMS, you pulled out the battery, you'd get it for free, a bit annoying but still a cool trick when you were on PAYG.

by 13 12y ago

This is not a particularly new attack. It's been used for years against simpler devices, especially where you can access the flash chip and force it's write protect on.

gambiting 12y ago

It's not really an "attack", but old Pokemon games on Gameboy and Gameboy Colour used the same technique for cloning items and pokemon - you send a pokemon to a friend, and switch off the power before the game has a chance to save successfully afterwards - presto, now both you and your friend have the sent pokemon.

im2w1l 12y ago
Oh, I remember that. I think I did it by moving the Pokemon to the PC.
geon 12y ago
Wouldn't you risk corrupting the file if you cut power while saving?
- gambiting 12y ago
  Yep, there was a risk. But with pokemon games they would say "saving game now" but the actual process didn't start until the whole text appeared on the screen - so as soon as the letters started appearing you could kill the power and it was fine.
jdjb 12y ago
Even on more modern Pokemon systems (nintendo DS) you could upload a pokemon to the cloud servers and watch the network traffic lights on your router. Shut off your DS as soon as your pokemon had been uploaded and when you start up your game again, the pokemon is still in your party. It's also in the cloud so you connect and pull your clone off the server.
- 13 12y ago
  Somehow I doubt the nintendo developers were worried about ACID Pokemon transfers :)
ikeboy 12y ago
Or just deposit it into a box, change boxes, and turn it off during the saving worked on Gen 2 for cloning.

chrisBob 12y ago

In high school we found one even better than that. If you unplugged the coke machine after choosing a soda but before it was delivered then it spit out the soda and still remembered your money when you plugged it back in. It's interesting to see that power off events are still mostly untested even on Apple devices.

bennyg 12y ago
We used to do the same thing in 9th grade. Eventually teachers had to go and supervise students who used a vending machine and only they had keys that would turn them on. I also used fake change from one of those "my first cash register" toys as a kid to buy pencils in elementary school. Those eventually got removed too haha.

Sarkie 12y ago

Just because others commented. When BT Cellnet mobiles came out. http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/351317080153-0-1/s-l1000.jpg http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/351317080153-0-1/s-l1000.jpg If sending an SMS, you pulled out the battery, you'd get it for free, a bit annoying but still a cool trick when you were on PAYG.