Caltech undergraduate and security researcher Sammy Hajhamid released a tethered Switch 2 jailbreak on October 22, 2026, using OpenAI Codex and an older game to run native code on Nintendo’s latest console. The exploit, named ns2jb, works on firmware version 23.0.1 roughly 16 months after the console debuted [4]. Hajhamid showed the hack by loading custom racers into Mario Kart World [1]. It clears from memory when players shut down the device [2].
How the Switch 2 Jailbreak Runs Code
Hajhamid first probed WebKit, the open-source browser engine in Nintendo’s system [4]. While WebKit allowed code to run in memory, it blocked write operations to core services [6]. He needed deeper access. Hajhamid turned to SmileBASIC 4, a $25 game maker sold on the Nintendo eShop [3]. That tool had known bugs on the original Switch, making it a prime target for OpenAI Codex to test [4].
OpenAI Codex scanned the code and found a 32-bit integer overflow bug in the array handling of SmileBASIC 4 [2]. That flaw let Hajhamid read and write system memory, yet Nintendo’s loader still checked file paths before running programs. To beat those checks, Codex tested path inputs until it triggered a buffer overflow, which spilled data into memory and redirected system routines under user control so custom instructions could run with module rights [4]. As digital editor Francesco De Meo confirmed at Wccftech after inspecting the code repository, the exploit hijacks system routines to run arbitrary native code [2]. Digital Trends reporter Varun Mirchandani noted that ns2jb runs code with built-in filesystem module rights [7].
The exploit works in userland memory without touching boot storage chips [8]. Players must trigger the bug every time they boot the device [2]. A modder said on social media that SmileBASIC 4 is “not strictly needed” in theory, but it remains the only working path today [1].
Testing Rig Built with OpenAI Codex
Building the exploit required a direct testing loop between OpenAI Codex and Nintendo hardware [7]. Hajhamid assembled a custom rig around both Switch generations. He linked JetKVM units over HDMI to grab video output while sending gamepad commands through USB ports. This link let the model read game screens and test inputs without human hands on the buttons [6].
Crashes happened often during testing. When the screen froze, the Switch 2 needed a physical button press to restart. Hajhamid bought an inexpensive Bluetooth light switch flicker on Amazon and placed it directly over the console’s power button. Whenever the video feed dropped, Codex sent a wireless signal to flick the switch, resetting the device automatically so tests could run through the night without stopping [6].
Hajhamid explained on his blog that he built the rig so Codex could “ideally, jailbreak the Switch 2 without me” [4]. Human guidance was still key. As John Walker reported for Kotaku, Hajhamid spent two weeks supervising tests, checking memory dumps, and fixing bugs by hand. The setup looked like a Rube Goldberg machine, but it cut down work that once took teams months of manual labor [5].
Custom Racers Inside Mario Kart World
To prove the hack worked, Hajhamid posted video proof showing custom racers inside Mario Kart World. The footage showed Sanrio’s Cinnamoroll, Rovio’s red Angry Bird, Peter Griffin from Family Guy, and Steve from Minecraft racing on tracks [1]. Gaming tracker Centro Leaks shared the clip on X on October 22, 2026 [5].
Hajhamid said he vibe-coded the Mario Kart World character mods in one day with OpenAI Codex [6]. The tool also lets modders dump memory, edit game data, and back up save files to USB storage. Players also follow native ports like the Resident Evil 2 Switch 2 edition. On Reddit, members of the Switch 2 hacks community debated whether ns2jb can help researchers study the console’s custom NVIDIA DLSS setup, which differs from standard PC RTX GPUs [2].
Modders see a path toward custom homebrew tools, emulators, and performance monitors running locally on Nintendo hardware. On the original Switch, hobbyists even ran PC titles like Final Fantasy VII Remake using custom Linux setups. Local code access gives developers full use of the console’s processing chips without streaming lag [2].
Why This Switch 2 Jailbreak Stops on Reboot
Modders stress that this tethered Switch 2 jailbreak differs from the unfixable hardware bug on the original console. Launch units of the first Switch had a hardware flaw in recovery mode bootrom code that Nintendo could never patch with software updates. Nintendo had to change chip production in factories to close that hole [5].
In contrast, ns2jb lives strictly in software and userland memory [7]. It can’t load permanent custom firmware, nor can it bypass Nintendo eShop license checks to run pirated games [4]. As Willa Rowe explained at Polygon, the setup instructions remain tricky for average players and require running complex command-line steps [3].
Sony faced similar AI-assisted exploit waves on the PlayStation 5, releasing firmware updates to patch holes before big game launches like Grand Theft Auto 6 [3]. In XDA, Patrick O’Rourke compared this tool to early iPhone tethered tools like Redsn0w and Cydia, noting that the PS5 was also recently cracked to run PS2 emulators [6]. Broader cybersecurity experts share concerns; for example, cyberstrategy activation leader David Cooper warned in Fast Company that security teams see “a measurable increase in the volume and velocity of all of these attacks” across connected systems [4]. The rise of AI coding also led Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to announce Xbox Labs after the launch of Claude Opus 5.5 in September, while browser ports for games like Halo: Combat Evolved appeared online [3].
Nintendo Countermeasures and Patch Risks
Nintendo protects its ecosystem swiftly [5]. The company can pull SmileBASIC 4 from the eShop or issue a mandatory system update that fixes the integer bug [6]. In past console cycles, Nintendo banned user accounts and cut network access for hardware running modified software [5].
Early tests suggest ns2jb avoids automated network detection by staying inside an approved app session. Even so, taking a modded console online brings severe risks of permanent console bans from Nintendo Network servers [5]. Buyers who pay $25 for SmileBASIC 4 today could see Nintendo pull the app or patch the flaw within days [3].
As Rajesh Kumar noted for BozokMedia, AI tools like OpenAI Codex are reshaping console security by finding flaws faster than human defense teams can build patches [8]. While Hajhamid proved what a solo student can do with generative tools, console makers are using similar AI systems to audit code before shipping hardware [3]. The Switch 2 remains safe for ordinary players, but its software armor now has its first verified crack [7].
- ONLINE NEWS Peters, J. (2026, October 22). Someone hacked the Switch 2 by using an old game and AI. The Verge. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS De Meo, F. (2026, October 22). The Nintendo Switch 2 has been hacked, as first jailbreak blows the modding, emulation, and homebrew floodgates wide open. Wccftech. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Rowe, W. (2026, October 22). Nintendo Switch 2 suffers major exploit in latest AI-assisted hack. Polygon. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Lucas, J. (2026, October 22). It’s official, someone just jailbroke their Switch 2. TheGamer. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Walker, J. (2026, October 22). The Switch 2 has been jailbroken for the first time. Kotaku. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS O’Rourke, P. (2026, October 22). The Nintendo Switch 2 has been jailbroken for the first time with a lot of help from AI. XDA. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Mirchandani, V. (2026, October 22). Nintendo Switch 2 jailbreak breakthrough shows what AI can do, but it’s not a one-click hack. Digital Trends. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Kumar, R. (2026, October 22). Nintendo Switch 2 jailbroken for the first time via AI-assisted exploit. BozokMedia. [Article Link]
