Hacker Joshua Kennedy successfully completed a long-term Xbox 360 modification project using a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. The project, which Kennedy originally attempted in 2017, involved bypassing the console's CPU cryptography through a precise voltage glitching technique.
The process required dumping the console's NAND flash firmware via the Raspberry Pi Pico and the PicoFlasher utility. Kennedy then utilized Octal450's timing files to configure the Matrix Coolrunner Rev D modchip, which triggers the CPU reset exploit at specific nanosecond intervals.
While previous attempts in 2017 using parallel port programmers were unsuccessful, the use of the $4 microcontroller in 2026 simplified the procedure. The modification allows the console to execute unauthorized code by manipulating the CPU instruction execution.
