• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Xbox One's SDK(Software Development Kit) leaked by H4LT

Kayant

Member
Update -
H4LT are now apparently uploading a "Dev OS". How are you supposed to install this in your XBO?

https://twitter.com/notHALT/status/550310065748856832

CH0Nv2S.png
14bzYr5.png

The hacking group H4LT contacted us regarding their leak of the official Xbox One Software Development Kit software via their twitter account as well as other news outlets. Through their twitter they have supplied multiple screenshots and mirrors for the public to partake of. It appears that their leak of this software is part of a multi-release intended to unite a community for modding that would usually become fractured from secrecy and pride. Only time will tell if this release is truly able to change the attitude of those normally associated with console modding in the past.

Small Interview VIA DM with H4LT

What was the reason for leaking the SDK if any?

We leaked it to the community because if something is shared then.. progress is achieved faster than alone

Something kept between us will not achieve anything. Share it with the community = creativity and research. Shared is how it should be.

The SDK will basically allow the community to reverse and open doors towards homebrew applications being present on the Xbox One.

Do you have any other leaks planned?
We have plans to leak future software. But right now, we can't name them just incase.

Once the SDK is out, people who have knowledge or has in the past reversed files related to the Windows (8) operating system should definitely have a go at reversing some files in there.Why? Well, the Xbox One is practically a stripped Windows 8 device and has introduced a new package format that hasn't had much attention. This format is responsible for updating the console and storing applications (Games are under the category of 'Applications' on the Xbox One) and is a modification of Virtual Hard Disks. There is no definite 'exploit' but from what we have studied and tested, this simple Packaging format could possibly lead us to creating Homebrew applications for the Xbox One.

More here - http://www.thetechgame.com/News/sid...kit-leaked-on-twitter-with-documentation.html

Share for creativity if old.
 
What could be possibly achieved with such SDK?

I mean:

- running XBone stuff on PCs
OR
- running unsigned stuff on XBones (emulation, piracy, homebrew)?
 

Xando

Member
If its true that the XB1 is basically a stripped Win 8 there should be some homebrew/piracy pretty soon.
 

IMBored

Member
I always wondered if. because the original plan was to make every game authenticated by server and they had little time to put in offline drm measures, the security isn't easier to crack. I guess will see.
 
Even if applications were coded using the SDK surely they'd need to go through some sort of certification before they can actually run on the console?
 

ekim

Member
Seen this earlier. Docs say that from now on games can use (50-80% of) a 7th core when not using kinect speech recognition. (it also frees up little bw to the GPU)
It's also obvious that DX12 will run on the console.
 

Peter303

Member
Just read the docs on how to turn your retail kit into a devkit. Tried it on mine and it will work (didnt actually do the final step)
 

Kayant

Member
If its true that the XB1 is basically a stripped Win 8 there should be some homebrew/piracy pretty soon.

Well as long as they can bypass the server sided authorization I guess?

We will clear some things up:
- You can develop applications for the Xbox One but only debug on Windows.
- You cannot use many features to communicate with your Xbox One.
- You need to be authorized server-sided to boot into dev-mode and run dev features.

When Microsoft said every Xbox One was essentially a dev kit, yes, every single Xbox One is capable of being authed and then you can use Xbox One Manager to update the OS to the developers version and do-da-do on that. We don't know if you can revert, most likely but no one here can. We think.

More information will most likely be given out throughout the week by another member of the team, who has worked hard at gaining other information.

The documentation is web-based, not to worry we will upload it soon. That's if anyone here would like to aquire it. If so, find a way to contact us.

http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/thr...it-has-publicly-leaked.1267976/#post-10014785
 
Seen this earlier. Docs say that from now on games can use (50-80% of) a 7th core when not using kinect speech recognition. (it also frees up little bw to the GPU)
It's also obvious that DX12 will run on the console.
Could this be the reason for the better performance in CPU-bound situations in GTA 5 and Ass Creed Unity?
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
I I hate seeing this kinda stuff happen because the security in all that seems good on both consoles but if leaks happen like this such as the playstation 3 then I worry for a platform.
 

Caayn

Member
Strange that this doesn't seem to use a license in order to work. With that it should be really easy for MS to track down who leaked the SDK.
Could this be the reason for the better performance in CPU-bound situations in GTA 5 and Ass Creed Unity?
Those games where finished before the extra CPU resources were freed up. So no.
 

$h@d0w

Junior Member
Probably a controlled leak in time for Xbox One games on PC at CES

remember Spencer is talking about games for windows in January.
 

Xando

Member
Well as long as they can bypass the server sided authorization I guess?



http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/thr...it-has-publicly-leaked.1267976/#post-10014785

Since it seems to use the same format as Win 8 hacker who cracked Win 8 should be able to bypass the drm pretty quick. It's no hack obviously but it opens the door for hacks.


Edit: Sounds like they could find a way to run the cracked games on SDK code (similiar to the 360 crack).

SDK code is signed with a dev key that only works with a devkit.

Retail key is held only by Microsoft. Nothing runs on retail unless MS signs it.



This is correct.

Didn't the 360 hack allow you to play unsigned code by modifying the disc drive?
 

Syriel

Member
I'm not sure if this would technically be unsigned code because anything made would be made with an actual SDK.

SDK code is signed with a dev key that only works with a devkit.

Retail key is held only by Microsoft. Nothing runs on retail unless MS signs it.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't the SDK open to pretty much anyone, with the id@xbox program?
I don't see what's the news here.

This is correct.
 

DieH@rd

Banned
Titles shipping on the October XDK and later can use a 7th CPU core

When we shipped the October XDK, we announced a preview feature that allowed titles to choose to disable speech recognition and gain access to between 50% and 80% of the processing power of a seventh CPU core. As of October 22nd 2014, we are pleased to announce that we are removing the "preview" qualifier from this feature and any title planning to ship on the October XDK or later can take advantage of this additional processing power.

Game OS titles normally have a 91.5% GPU allocation, with NUI taking 4.5% and Extended System Reserve taking 4%. Titles can take these two allocations in certain circumstances.

NUI is kinect
 

c0de

Member
"In the default system configuration, titles have access to 6 of the 8 processing cores available on the Xbox One. In order to improve performance a game may choose to forego NUI title speech support in order to gain access to a 7th processing core. The 7th core will be available while the title is in the full state. While using the 7th core, users will still have access to Xbox System voice commands such as "Xbox Snap Achievements" or "Xbox Record That". Access to the 7th core requires the October 2014 XDK or newer.

If your title does not utilize NUI title speech, we recommend that you enable the 7th processing core in order to gain access to additional processing power and to reduce underlying system overhead from the NUI title speech engine.

Enabling the 7th Processing Core

Access to the 7th core is enabled by setting the XboxSystemResources extension to 'extended' in the application package manifest.





Note that process lifetime management states will continue to operate at current levels. For example, when your application becomes constrained it will be limited to 4 CPU cores. When your application is suspended it will have access to 0 CPU cores. The 7th core is only available when your application is in the full state. As a consequence of disabling NUI title speech, other NUI services such as IR and depth are also disabled. Because of this, titles making use of the 7th core should also set the CoreApplication.DisableKinectGpuReservation property to true in order to make use of the 4.5% NUI GPU reserve.

Windows::ApplicationModel::Core::CoreApplication::DisableKinectGpuReserve = true;
Availability of the 7th Core

Because the 7th core is shared with the underlying system OS, titles will not be able to utilize 100% of the core. Titles are always guaranteed at least 50% of the core and will have at most 80% of the core. The amount of the core that is available will vary based on what is happening in the system at any point in time. For example, when the system must process commands spoken by the user (e.g "Xbox Go To Friends"), it will take up to 50% of the 7th core. After the processing is done, the amount of the core made available to the title will increase again, up to the maximum of 80%."

source: the chm file that was also leaked.
 

Syriel

Member
Didn't the 360 hack allow you to play unsigned code by modifying the disc drive?

No, it did not. At least not the drive hack. All that did was fake the authenticity of the disc. The actual software on it still had to be a 1:1 copy in order for an executable to run.

The only way to run a non-retail executable on a 360 is the JTAG/RGH hack which exploited a flaw in the hypervisor code at startup.

From a technical point of view, the SDK allows anyone with programming skills to develop for the console. If you have these skills, then id@Xbox is wide open and you'll get the SDK for free (along with a dev console to run your software on).

If you don't have the programming skills, said SDK is worthless to you.
 

kitch9

Banned
Since it seems to use the same format as Win 8 hacker who cracked Win 8 should be able to bypass the drm pretty quick. It's no hack obviously but it opens the door for hacks.


Edit: Sounds like they could find a way to run the cracked games on SDK code (similiar to the 360 crack).



Didn't the 360 hack allow you to play unsigned code by modifying the disc drive?

I'm just off to bed, I hope to have as vivid dreams as you!
 

c0de

Member
To me the documentation by now is way more interesting than the sdk which is mostly useless without vs2012 which would require me to setup a virtual machine first.
 

Xando

Member
No, it did not. At least not the drive hack. All that did was fake the authenticity of the disc. The actual software on it still had to be a 1:1 copy in order for an executable to run.

The only way to run a non-retail executable on a 360 is the JTAG/RGH hack which exploited a flaw in the hypervisor code at startup.

Nevermind then, didn't know there were two 360 hacks always thought the disc drive hack allowed you to play unsigned code.
 

ekim

Member
Will this change with the new windows 10 based OS?

So far I don't see any references to this in either the XDK nor the docs. But access to the roadmap is restricted. Interesting is also that the Multiplayer system will change in 2015. Something about ommitting parties for interaction but before jumping to conclusions - I have no complete idea what they are talking about in the docs but there is a large chapter dedicated to 2015 Multiplayer.

Summary of the 2014 Multiplayer Design
The 2014 Multiplayer design is based on the concept of the game party, exposed to titles using the Microsoft.Xbox.Services.Multiplayer Namespace in the XDK. The game party is an Xbox One system-level construct that titles use to manage a group of people who are playing together within a title. All joins and invitations are currently to the game party, and matchmaking is driven by game party membership.

In 2014 Multiplayer, the title places game party members into multiplayer session directory (MPSD) sessions to manage connectivity and report multiplayer interactions. The interaction with MPSD sessions by the title uses the Xbox Services API (XSAPI) and/or the Xbox Live Services RESTful API.

2015 Multiplayer Design

The most obvious change implemented in the 2015 Multiplayer is that titles no longer need to access multiplayer functionality through game parties. Instead, they can now perform all multiplayer-related operations directly, using MPSD sessions. The following diagrams illustrate this change.

The 2015 Multiplayer for Xbox One does not expose the "game party" as a system-level construct. However, it does support the "chat party" at a system level, as in earlier Xbox One versions.
 
Top Bottom