8.1.0

The Switch 8.1.0 system update was released on June 17, 2019. This Switch update was released for the following regions: ALL.

Security flaws fixed: yes.

Change-log

Official ALL change-log:

• General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

FIRM

All files in RomFS were updated.

Package1ldr

package1ldr was updated. The TSEC secureboot firmware was updated.

NX_BOOTLOADER

NX bootloader was updated.

<check back later for diff>

Secure Monitor

The Secure Monitor was updated.

• The SE key read disable function no longer writes zero to AES_KEY_READ_DISABLE/RSA_KEY_READ_DISABLE.
• Functions for locking/checking PMC secure scratch now have additional bitmasks 0x40/0x80 for locking more secure scratch registers.
• NVDEC/TSECB access to the kernel carveout was removed.
• On suspend (SC7 Entry), SWR_USBD_RST is now checked, and AHB arbitration disable is now checked to be COP, ARC, USB, USB2.
  • This further mitigates against Deja Vu.
• TZ/SE context save logic has been changed.
  • The context save function now first generates 16 random bytes, and securely saves them to scratch (using the usual write-writelock-check-readlock-checklocked pattern).
  • It then generates a random aes-256 key, and derives an actual encryption/MAC key by decrypting the random data with that key.
    • Previously, it generated a random aes-256 key and used it directly.
    • This prevents attacks that might coerce the usage of a specific aes-256 key instead of a random one.
  • Calls into the check scratch locked/lock scratch function which previously passed one bitmask at a time now pass multiple
    • Accordingly, the lock/check locked functions now support multiple bitmasks instead of single bitmasks at a time.
• The function that initializes the SE/derives keys now sets flag 0x100 on AES keyslots 8-15, and RSA keyslots 0-1.

Kernel

Kernel was not changed.

Warmboot

• The firmware revision magic was changed from 0x129 to 0x14A.
• Security Engine state validation was changed (first six keyslots now expected to read zeroes instead of FFs).
• <check back for more diffs later>

FIRM Sysmodules

FIRM sysmodules were updated. Specific diffs available below:

Boot

Only GNU build hash was updated.

FS

Only GNU build hash was updated.

Loader

• ldr:pm->CreateProcess() now performs additional validation on the NPDM header.
  • When the title id is one of certain hardcoded titles, Loader now validates that the version field at NPDM header is non-zero. This prevents selectively downgrading those titles to versions vulnerable to known exploits.
  • The titles checked are:
    • settings
    • bus
    • audio
    • nvservices
    • ns
    • ssl
    • es
    • creport
    • ro

NCM

Only GNU build hash was updated.

PM

Only GNU build hash was updated.

SM

SM was not updated.

SPL

SPL was not updated.

System Titles

Updated titles:

• Sysmodules:
  • settings
  • bus
  • bcat
  • hid
  • audio
  • wlan
  • nvservices
  • nvnflinger
  • account
  • ns
  • am
  • ssl
  • vi
  • es
  • fatal
  • creport
  • ro
  • grc
• ErrorMessage, BrowserDll, System_Version_Title, FIRM, qlaunch, web-applets, and RebootlessSystemUpdateVersion.

No changes with IPC service commands.

Titles' RomFS changes, besides System_Version_Title:

• ErrorMessage: Error 2124-4517 was updated with actual strings etc. "/2181/4017/common" and "/DatabaseInfo" were updated.
• BrowserDll: the NROs and buildinfo were updated.
• RebootlessSystemUpdateVersion: The "/version" file was updated.
• qlaunch: "/lyt/Notification.szs" was updated.
• Web-applets: "/buildinfo/buildinfo.dat" and "/.nrr/netfront.nrr" were updated.

Keys

Keys were updated.

See Also

System update report(s):

• [1]