Nintendo has decided to take a drastic approach to try and discover any possible vulnerabilities of its Nintendo Switch. The gaming company has apparently advertised a $20,000 bounty for anyone who can discover any weaknesses on its portable hybrid gaming system. Previously, the Japanese gaming company also offered the same bounty amount for discovering any security vulnerabilities of its Nintendo 3DS.
Reports have claimed that Nintendo has advertised their $20,000 reward through Hacker One. It appears that they are prepared to dole out anywhere from $100 to $20,000 to anyone who can present any security flaws with the Nintendo Switch. According to Game Rant, some of the specific examples detailed by the Nintendo include the takeover of "ARM TrustZone," "privilege escalation from userland" and others, as reported by Game Rant.
Most gamers are reportedly happy that Nintendo decided to offer these kinds of bounties early in the Nintendo Switch's lifespan. The company previously took longer by a few years to finally decide on the approach for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Prior to its latest $20,000 bug bounty, several sources have already reported that the Switch was already hacked. The user made use of a known iOS exploit which was tweaked to adapt to the new game console, says reports.
The recent hack was used to allow users to view the Nintendo Switch system code. However, it seems that the hacker's intention was just limited for that purpose and nothing more. The company's decision to proactively offer the $20,000 reward this early is most likely for the benefit of the developers and the company as well. Meanwhile, the hardware side of the new game system continues to generate several complaints from consumers.
A recent article published by Gamenguide discusses the latest hardware issue encountered by some Nintendo Switch owners. The console allegedly warps or deforms due to continuous use while being docked. Users submitted photos of their damage console with a noticeable bend of the system's body. It seems that Nintendo needs to address its manufacturing issues in parallel to its $20,000 bug bounty for the software side of its latest flagship device.
