To my mind the most realistic and practical way to hack the Switch 2 is mind blowing but with the amount of security this bitch has its the only way
There are labs that will allow you to rent access to a Focused ion beam per job all over the world, you do have to send in samples and everything of the job you want done, they can decap for you too though to get some idea of it.
I think you're going to have to decap the Tegra T239 and we're going to have to actually see the trip wires and do some analysis on them. It's going to take some next level hacking if you get me, Breaking this bitch is going to require literally reengineering Nvidia's own SOC for own purposes. It's a nightmare. They really did their homework on upping the Ante on security here.
There's nothing to splice into to disable the security so all that's left is to use a nano scale device to splice into the SOC and reroute it's internal wiring.
I hate to realize the job is going to require this much but what I can tell you per my own reading into this is that there are labs that are happy to work with Hobbyist on a project like this, it will set you back a few hundred.
https://decaplab.com/
I really am mind blown at just how well they did at securing this shit.
Like I said I really feel the only mods possible left is to modify the Tegra T239 itself. You're not going to solder a custom PCB to the board this time and get what you want out of it, it's just got too many processes in place to make that infeasible.
like I explored with them the only real ideal attack vector would be to find a way to get between the Dual core lockstep and it's verification die but this all happens Internally on the SOC itself and there's not even a ball to interfere with. The only way to get access to it is with The proper tools, a Focused Ion beam and debridging to Expose the trip wires, this will also have to be done in a clean room the style of Intel since we're making the chips as vulnreable as early stage silicon wafers are as they're being produced.
this is the only route forward to splice in, we're going to have to splice into the trip wires themselves with a Focused Ion beam.
What a nightmare.
Security Escalation: What We're Dealing With
🔒 The T239 Security Profile (Likely):
Secure Boot: eFused keys, burned in silicon
No RCM (Recovery Mode): unlike Switch v1
Hardware-backed TrustZone (ARMv8.2-A EL3 and SMC handlers)
Anti-rollback fuses
On-die comparator logic (dual-core lockstep or similar)
Voltage glitch hardening
BGA layout with no exposed debug lines (no UART, no JTAG)
In short: there is nothing to poke, prod, or glitch at the surface level.
🛠 Your Proposed Attack: FIB-Based Die-Level Tampering
You're proposing the only realistic vector left:
→ Use FIB to decap and surgically rewire the SoC internally — to spoof or disable the lockstep comparator or reroute tripwire circuits.
That’s not just "plausible" — it’s theoretically correct. But let’s be absolutely clear about what that entails:
🧬 FIB Tripwire Attack — Technical Breakdown
Stage Process
1. Decapsulation Remove the chip package (chemical or plasma decap) to expose the silicon
2. Imaging Use SEM to scan the top metal layers and locate comparator and tripwire regions
3. FIB Preparation Polish and align the beam, targeting nanometer-scale routing
4. Rerouting Cut comparator output or fuse latch logic; optionally insert spoofing loop
5. Passive probing (optional) Create microbonding pads for EM probing or logic analysis
6. Resealing (if applicable) Repot the SoC, if needed, for thermal integrity and power-on stability
6. Resealing (if applicable) Repot the SoC, if needed, for thermal integrity and power-on stability
✅ The FIB tool can:
Disconnect the comparator
Reroute to force a “match”
Replace eFuse reads with constants
Disable lockstep fault triggers
But you’ll need:
Precise die layer maps (from RE or delayering)
Cleanroom or ISO-5 enclosure
High-speed probing gear if you want runtime visibility
💰 Cost Reality
Despite how extreme this sounds, you’re also right:
⚠ It won’t cost millions — just a few hundred to a few thousand per edit, depending on scope.
Labs like:
https://decaplab.com/
https://www.techinsights.com
Others in failure analysis industry
will absolutely work with you — especially if you come with a clean ask like:
“I want to expose comparator output logic and insert a constant state reroute.”
🧠 Why This Is Next-Level
You’re describing a shift:
From software-driven exploits
To physical hardware modification of the chip itself
This is the world of:
Side-channel cryptanalysis
IC tampering
Silicon surgery
And in that world, yes: the only way forward is to edit the damn silicon.
I think you're going to have to decap the Tegra T239 and we're going to have to actually see the trip wires and do some analysis on them. It's going to take some next level hacking if you get me, Breaking this bitch is going to require literally reengineering Nvidia's own SOC for own purposes. It's a nightmare. They really did their homework on upping the Ante on security here.
There's nothing to splice into to disable the security so all that's left is to use a nano scale device to splice into the SOC and reroute it's internal wiring.
I hate to realize the job is going to require this much but what I can tell you per my own reading into this is that there are labs that are happy to work with Hobbyist on a project like this, it will set you back a few hundred.
https://decaplab.com/
I really am mind blown at just how well they did at securing this shit.
Like I said I really feel the only mods possible left is to modify the Tegra T239 itself. You're not going to solder a custom PCB to the board this time and get what you want out of it, it's just got too many processes in place to make that infeasible.
like I explored with them the only real ideal attack vector would be to find a way to get between the Dual core lockstep and it's verification die but this all happens Internally on the SOC itself and there's not even a ball to interfere with. The only way to get access to it is with The proper tools, a Focused Ion beam and debridging to Expose the trip wires, this will also have to be done in a clean room the style of Intel since we're making the chips as vulnreable as early stage silicon wafers are as they're being produced.
this is the only route forward to splice in, we're going to have to splice into the trip wires themselves with a Focused Ion beam.
What a nightmare.
Security Escalation: What We're Dealing With
🔒 The T239 Security Profile (Likely):
Secure Boot: eFused keys, burned in silicon
No RCM (Recovery Mode): unlike Switch v1
Hardware-backed TrustZone (ARMv8.2-A EL3 and SMC handlers)
Anti-rollback fuses
On-die comparator logic (dual-core lockstep or similar)
Voltage glitch hardening
BGA layout with no exposed debug lines (no UART, no JTAG)
In short: there is nothing to poke, prod, or glitch at the surface level.
🛠 Your Proposed Attack: FIB-Based Die-Level Tampering
You're proposing the only realistic vector left:
→ Use FIB to decap and surgically rewire the SoC internally — to spoof or disable the lockstep comparator or reroute tripwire circuits.
That’s not just "plausible" — it’s theoretically correct. But let’s be absolutely clear about what that entails:
🧬 FIB Tripwire Attack — Technical Breakdown
Stage Process
1. Decapsulation Remove the chip package (chemical or plasma decap) to expose the silicon
2. Imaging Use SEM to scan the top metal layers and locate comparator and tripwire regions
3. FIB Preparation Polish and align the beam, targeting nanometer-scale routing
4. Rerouting Cut comparator output or fuse latch logic; optionally insert spoofing loop
5. Passive probing (optional) Create microbonding pads for EM probing or logic analysis
6. Resealing (if applicable) Repot the SoC, if needed, for thermal integrity and power-on stability
6. Resealing (if applicable) Repot the SoC, if needed, for thermal integrity and power-on stability
✅ The FIB tool can:
Disconnect the comparator
Reroute to force a “match”
Replace eFuse reads with constants
Disable lockstep fault triggers
But you’ll need:
Precise die layer maps (from RE or delayering)
Cleanroom or ISO-5 enclosure
High-speed probing gear if you want runtime visibility
💰 Cost Reality
Despite how extreme this sounds, you’re also right:
⚠ It won’t cost millions — just a few hundred to a few thousand per edit, depending on scope.
Labs like:
https://decaplab.com/
https://www.techinsights.com
Others in failure analysis industry
will absolutely work with you — especially if you come with a clean ask like:
“I want to expose comparator output logic and insert a constant state reroute.”
🧠 Why This Is Next-Level
You’re describing a shift:
From software-driven exploits
To physical hardware modification of the chip itself
This is the world of:
Side-channel cryptanalysis
IC tampering
Silicon surgery
And in that world, yes: the only way forward is to edit the damn silicon.
