Customer Reviews

Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book, probably as most people do, out of an interest in getting into my Xbox from a software viewpoint. I wound up enjoying it from an entirely different viewpoint - the insights into the obscure process of hardware hacking that people like Andrew Huang love to do. In the process I gained considerable respect for Microsoft's ability to protect their investment in what has become the number two console in the game world.

To put this in context, the Xbox is really a full fledged PC, repackaged and sealed up with security to prevent game copying and to stop buyers from turning in into the ultimate cheap computer. Microsoft sells the Xbox considerably below manufacturing cost, using it as a loss leader to sell games. The last thing they want is for everyone to turn the Xbox into $150 computers. Hackers like Huang saw the opportunity to do exactly that and began the ultimate adventure a trip into the devious mind of Microsoft's engineers. Every bit as exciting as the latest game disk.

This is both the story of that effort - the creation of a fully functional Linux computer and a fascinating training manual on what actually goes into the hardware hacking process. Huang understands full well the danger that he might go over the heads of his readers and makes every effort to explain exactly what is going on. He has a lucid, self-effacing style that is like a geek chat session. For someone like me, who started out with a pile of 'chips' and a breadboard, and then graduated to 16 Kilobyte memory boards it is pure fun to see what has happened in the past 40 years.

I also was astonished at the ingenious subterfuges Microsoft used to hide the Xbox's innards from casual observers. For those who always are critical of Microsoft's capabilities, this is a lesson in hubris. Huang proves that the time honored traditions of hacking as a way to learn and grow still exist, and that not everyone with a soldering iron is out to bring the Internet down. This is probably the most technically informative book I've read in the past 10 years. If you are a 'gotta know' kind of person, this is a must have book.

I got this book mainly out of curiousity. I don't have much background in computers, especially not when it come to how they work, other than a firm belief that it's all done with magic.

The great thing about this book is that it reads like a buddy explaining something to you. It's not a sterile textbook about AD-SRAM 511 chips or whatever, it's a book about a guy who tinkered with something he bought, and kept a log about it. Even when it gets technical, it's easy to skim over those parts and still know what he was doing. A great mix of extremely informative but at the same time not overwhelming. Reading what he thought and the struggles he and others have gone through just for the *right to talk* (or 'Freedom of Speech', as I've heard it called somewhere...) about what they want is as interesting as the xbox motherboard itself.

If you're looking for instructions about modchips and playing copied games, this *isn't* the book for you. On the other hand, if you've ever wondered how these systems work, and how people are ever able to figure this stuff out in the first place, then you'll never find a better book.

Hacking The Xbox: An Introduction To Reverse Engineering is, quite literally, the book that Microsoft (makers of the popular Xbox video game console) does not want you to read. Individual chapters comprehensively addresses in depth how to modify this gaming console for one's own ends, from physically opening it (and voiding the Microsoft warranty) to installing a blue LED, replacing a broken power supply, reverse engineering Xbox security, developing software for the Xbox on Xbox-Linux, soldering techniques, debugging tips, and much, much more. A knowledgeable and technically detailed instructional, Hacking The Xbox offers specific, authoritative, accessible information about reverse engineering a specific device, as well as basic principles that can be generalized to other reverse engineering hardware projects.

I have an xbox that has been fully modded out to allow me to run some truely intresting applications on it. I can watch region free DVDs, watch divx movies, play mp3s, listen to shoutcast servers and play any game in my library all thanks to the work described in this book.

Andrew 'Bunnie' Huang embodies all that is great about the computers and hacking. He lays out not only the technical details of how to overcome the xbox security model, but also discusses his failures and the philosophy behind the hack.

This book welcomes the newbie hardware hacker with open arms and guides then through the fundimentals. It quickly moves into cryptography and much more complex material. While not a be all end all of hardware engineering, it is enough to get any young mind excited for the field and points them to where they can learn more. Hopefully it will inspire a few more MIT grads like Bunnie.

Since my son is into hardware hacking and also into his Xbox, I got a review copy of Hacking The Xbox by Andrew Huang. While not my particular area of interest, he really thought the book was great!

Chapter List: Voiding The Warranty; Thinking Inside The Box; Installing A Blue LED; Building A USB Adapter; Replacing A Broken Power Supply; The Best Xbox Game: Security Hacking; A Brief Primer On Security; Reverse Engineering Xbox Security; Sneaking In The Back Door; More Hardware Projects; Developing Software For The Xbox; Caveat Hacker; Onward!; Where To Get Your Hacking Gear; Soldering Techniques; Getting Into PCB Layout; Getting Started With FPGAs; Debugging: Hints and Tips; Xbox Hardware Reference; Index

Within 10 minutes of getting this book, Cam was hunting for my toolkit and shortly thereafter had his Xbox opened up all over my office floor. I knew basically that the Xbox was a PC disguised as a gaming system, but I didn't realize how true that was until Cam opened it up and showed me the internals. It was like opening up my desktop system! Huang does a great job in showing what tools are necessary as well as illustrating via pictures what needs to be done to "lift the lid" of your system. Once there, he shows you some of the basic modifications you can make like adding custom lighting or replacing power supplies. Beyond the basics of hardware, Huang takes the reader into very in-depth examinations of the system structure of the Xbox and what needs to be known in order to understand how to modify software and hardware. For me, the most interesting chapter covered how you can modify an Xbox to turn it into a low-cost Linux machine. Although it's not what Microsoft envisioned, there really is a lot you can do to and with this machine.

If you're ready to dig into your Xbox and go beyond just playing games, this is the first book you should get your hands on.

I do not own an XBox, but as I was interested in the architecture Microsoft put into their own console, I bought the book. I also wanted to get a picture of what the XBox scene was without having to read tons of forums posts on various sites.

The book fulfilled all my expectations! It is clearly written, targeted at non-familiar users and explain everything in detail.

Some chapters are really passionating, especially the ones explaining how the security was defeated. You follow the story almost hour by hour, holding your breath as the author runs at 5:00 AM the program that will finally extract the cipher key from the console bus data.
You are explained the various processes of electronics and are introduced about building hardware to help you in the hacking process.
You are presented with the pitfalls and caveats of hacking, the possible risks and what you are allowed and are not.

But even more important, this writing is a fight : a fight for someone to be able to share his knowledge with everyone under a restrictive law as the DMCA (the possible consequences of this law are really frightening)
There is also a constant willing to explain the philosophy of hacking, something people should know about and which is mistakenly related to piracy and other criminal acts.

This book is a must. Even for non-techies. Buy it. You will not regret it.

Hacking The XBox has become somewhat of a "martyr for the cause" of good hacking and reverse engineering in the face of the abuse and mis-application of the United States DMCA law. Companies continue to use fear tactics and threaten legal action against legitimate security researchers. Hacking The XBox is a great book - even without the DMCA hype. It walks you through the tools and techniques needed to hack electronic hardware- specifically the Microsoft XBox video game console. It has a broader appeal than that though with chapters regarding the legal and ethical issues surrounding reverse engineering and security research. I recommend this book even to those who don't want to hack an Xbox. It is an interesting and informative read.

(...)

This is a fascinating book. The biggest revelation to me was the existence of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) which caused the Author no small amount of aggravation just to get the book published. I had never even heard of the DMCA, and the idea that people at MIT are worried about publishing research because it might offend some corporation is frightening to me.

This book could be a good resource for someone interested in general hacking and reverse engineering, but it fails to provide enough details or describe enough Xbox-specific projects to be truly called "Hacking the Xbox". Maybe if the title had just been "Hacking" it would have lived up to my expectations. As such, I feel that Jonathan Harbour's "The Black Art of Xbox Mods" was more what I was looking for. Still, this book has some value for me, particularly the soldering tutorial.

This is an absolute MUST BUY for everyone who likes to tinker with electronic devices - it's like porn for hardware hackers :)

Bunnie's description of how he and the XBox hacking community came to circumvent the XBox's security infrastructure is a wonderful tale in itself. The fact that Bunnie describes the methodical approach taken, with its several false-starts and failures to its eventual success is a great lesson for hackers everywhere - a systematic approach (plus a smidgen of luck and more than a little inspiration) is generally the only way to overcome significant odds.

But this book offers far more than just the story of how the XBox was hacked and the ... ahem ... wonders of the DMCA - it is an invaluable guide to anyone interested in creating their own devices. The sections on soldering techniques, board manufacturing, etc., equipment suggestions, etc., is a boon to anyone who has an urge to create something rather than just dream about it.

I have been hacking hardware ever since I was 7 and I took apart my record player trying to work out how they managed to fit all four of the Beatles into such a small space! I have obsessively dismantled practically every electronic device I've ever owned and built several electronic devices from scratch more than I can count. I have a degree in Computer Science & Microelectronics and have worked on teams building missile guidance and weapon aiming technologies. And yet, I've learned more practical skill (as opposed to theoretical knowledge) from this book than my entire 1st year at college.

So, if you're interested in tinkering with hardware or are interested in how others do it, do yourself a favor and order this book now. You won't be disappointed :)