Nintendo first of all asks you not to use these archaic and dangerous accessories

Internet-related technologies are advancing at a dizzying pace. Come to think of it, it wasn’t long before all our devices were connected to the internet. And thanks to the WiFi network, they do it automatically in even less time. A network that has become significantly more secure in recent years by adopting increasingly complex access protocols. We switched from WEP in 1999 to WPA3 in 2018, to WPA in 2003, and to WPA2 in 2004.

Unfortunately, when you develop a connected product, you don’t think that these technologies will only evolve quickly, but that they will prevent users from using them or pose a risk to their personal data. Let’s take two examples. most NabaztagA cute little tethered rabbit can only support the WEP access key, a protocol that is strongly discouraged to use because it is too weak from a security point of view. From then on, the rabbit is just as useful as a paperweight or a door stopper, despite the existence of servers (Nabaztag tag) that continue to keep newer rabbits alive.

Nintendo accessories for connecting DS are obsolete

The second example is the Nintendo DS. A very good portable console with a very rich toy library. But you need a very specific connection to connect it to the internet and access certain services included with the games. Either a WEP router or one of the accessories Nintendo was selling at the time. And they represent today a risk to user safety. We’re not the ones saying this, Nintendo, via its official website.

Official support from the Japanese firm states that two network accessories used to connect certain consoles to the Internet, including the Nintendo DS (but also compatible with the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U), are now obsolete and obsolete. dangerous. for player safety. These two accessories Wi-Fi USB Connector NTR-010 and Wi-Fi Network Adapter WAP-001. The name of the models is important because there are several versions. While some support newer protocols, these are blocked in WEP.

The first accessory was sold from 2005 to 2010, the second from 2008 to 2013. Both are protected with WEP keys that are very easy to decrypt. And the WAP-001 router is not secure by default. In addition, it is possible to rewrite the firmware of the router and use it to send malicious code to devices that connect to it. For this reason, Nintendo asks all players who own one of these two devices to disable them and use another method to access the Internet.

Source : Nintendo