Last December, Nintendo released a remaster update to its outdated 3DS messaging app Swapnote
Many fans wondered what was really going on at the time because it didn’t seem like much of a remaster at all. The Nintendo patch notes that came with this software update stated that it “fixed some issues,” but as usual it didn’t go any further.
As it turns out, the story goes a little deeper, with data miner ‘OatmealDome’ relaying how the note-sharing service actually had a vulnerability in the message parser that could be exploited via StreetPass – allowing an ‘attacker’ to run any code they wanted.
The individual behind this discovery ‘mrnbayoh‘ receive $ 1,682 USD from Nintendo (via HackerOne) as a reward. So please – this “probably” explains why Nintendo rolled out an update years after it turned off the app’s primary function.
In case you don’t remember, this free service was effectively discontinued in 2013 when Nintendo discovered users were exchanging offensive material. Subsequently, the online functionality was disabled and limited to local wireless connections.