Hacking the Xbox

6
Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering
plots was lost on the general public, and this dark impression of hackers
eventually became a dominant part of the hacker stereotype. The
inaccuracy of this stereotype contributed to the creation of a term for
hackers that focuses primarily upon cracking systems and programs —
“crackers.”
Technology shapes the contemporary hacker as much as hackers have
shaped technology. New generations of hackers have to work hard to
penetrate the “friendly” user interfaces and the media and marketing glitz
that surrounds computer technology today. Everybody uses computers
and expects them to perform flawlessly and intuitively, but few really
understand what’s going on underneath the hood.
The technology of computation has grown so complex that beginners are
increasingly like the parable about the seven blind men and the elephant.
Some beginners will start their hacking journey by exploring the Internet.
Others will start by exploring the operating system on their computer.
Still others will start by looking underneath the covers of their computer.
Each individual could spend a year exploring their facet, yet each will
have a distinctly different view about computer technology at the end the
day.
The cultural rift between the young hackers and the old guard was made
apparent to me when a self-proclaimed hacker hot-shot freshman at MIT
scoffed, “Where are all the Windows[98] computers? . . . all you have are
these lame Sun computers that don’t even have AOL! I thought MIT
would have good Internet access.” He seemed to have no comprehension
of the fact that the “lame Sun computers” were quite powerful workstations
running one of the most robust operating systems in the world, and
that there is Internet beyond AOL — moreover, that the MIT campus
was one of the birthplaces of the Internet, with rights to more IP
addresses than most ISPs and a direct connection to the backbone of the
Internet.
The penetration of computer technology into every corner of everyday
life intensified the hacker stereotypes. In particular, the media’s portrayal
of hackers as modern-day Robin Hoods has somehow irrevocably tied
hacking to aspects involving security or access to computer resources.
Now, the stereotypical hacker is responsible for warez, Code Red and
ping floods, while “developers” are responsible for Linux and BSD.
Hackers are 31337 d00ds that 0\/\/n jh00r b0x0r, and a hardware
hacker overclocks and mods their computer case with neon lights.
Hacking has become trendy, and many are striving to fit the stereotype
created by the media. It is very difficult today to convince people that I
hacked the Xbox solely because it was there to be hacked: it was challenging,
and it was new. Likewise, it is difficult for people to understand why I
haven’t worked on the Xbox since. After hacking the security on the
Xbox, all that is left is a standard PC — which, to me, is not that
interesting to work on, and definitely not worth the risk of a lawsuit from
Microsoft.