Silly Linux mistake exposes a terabyte of secret Pokémon data

Game Freak Hacked: Insights from the Leak

Overview of the Data Breach

• Game Freak, known for Pokémon games, was hacked, resulting in a leak of one terabyte of data on 4chan.

• The leaked data includes employee information, source code for Pokémon X and Y, future game details, and even a peculiar backstory about the creation of a Pokémon character.

Nature of the Hacker

• The hacker appears to be a fan rather than malicious; they are withholding some data to prevent spoilers.

• This incident raises questions about Nintendo's aggressive legal actions against open-source emulators like Yuzu and Ryujinx.

How the Breach Occurred

• The breach likely happened due to misconfigured server permissions by someone on Game Freak's DevOps team.

• A chmod 777 command allowed unauthorized access to sensitive files; it wasn't an advanced cyber attack but rather poor security practices.

Implications for Future Nintendo Products

• One significant revelation is the codename for Nintendo Switch 2, which may be called "Gaia," focusing on island exploration themes.

• Speculations suggest that the new console could feature 12 GB RAM and improved storage capabilities compared to its predecessor.

Ongoing Legal Issues with Emulators

• Following this leak, another set of details regarding Nintendo's private online play test emerged, possibly from NDA breaches by participants.

• The leak indicates that Switch 2 might use the same ROM format as its predecessor, explaining Nintendo's crackdown on emulator projects like Yuzu and Ryujinx.

Content Revealed in the Leak

• Details include past scrapped content from Pokémon games and insights into upcoming film and TV projects related to Pokémon.