Codex helps researcher jailbreak Nintendo Switch 2

Security researcher Sammy Hajhamid, known online as pepsipu, has released ns2jb, a software-only jailbreak for the Nintendo Switch 2 running the latest 23.0.1 firmware. He demonstrated it by modifying Mario Kart World to add characters including Peter Griffin, Hatsune Miku, Cinnamoroll, and Red from Angry Birds.

OpenAI’s Codex appears to have played a substantial role in development. Hajhamid connected a Switch 1 and a Switch 2 to two JetKVMs and used a Bluetooth-controlled switch to press the power button after crashes, allowing AI agents to continue working autonomously. An initial attempt targeting the console’s WebKit browser failed. The successful exploit chain begins with a 32-bit integer overflow in SmileBASIC 4, a Switch 1 programming app compatible with the newer console, before exploiting a buffer overflow in the filesystem service.

The jailbreak allows native code to run with ordinary system-module permissions, enabling homebrew, game modifications, save backups, and reverse engineering. It remains tethered, requiring users to run it again after every reboot, and does not include a kernel exploit or custom firmware. Fellow researcher Gezine said the work “seems legit.” Nintendo has not commented.