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**ALERT** Halo 3 "modded" screenshot crashes system!

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:38 am
by DrFlatulator
I have come across a Halo 3 screenshot, labelled "I am on fire!!" That once opened will crash your xbox 360.

My friend was sent this before the start of a game, he opened it and his 360 crashed. It appears to be loading the image, and after about ~7 seconds, your xbox will freeze, and will have to be switched off and on again.

I confirmed this by opening the screenshot myself, it also froze my 360.

I tried it again. Same result.

As far as I know it is impossible to download the screenshot to your xbox, but you can reccomend it to other people. Which I suggest you do not, if you ever come across it.

This may be old news, but I havn't heard of it before, and a quick googling provided no useful information.

The screenshot it used to send to people in the opposing party before a game starts, so the team who sent it, has an advantage, as the other team will be a player or more down.

Is this how people like to play? To get their level 50's? Appauling as it may be it's happening. If you see this screenshot be sure to delete the message immediately, and to report the user who sent it to you.

File complaint > Tampering.

Please say if you have also experienced this.

Thanks for your time.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:05 am
by DrXThirst
Yeah, people do it in Team Doubles to get easy wins all the way to level 50.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:11 am
by Tural
Don't open screenshots from strangers.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:11 am
by Eaton
Why can't they get to level 50 the normal way in the first place... :roll:

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:18 am
by unknownv2
Tural wrote:Don't open screenshots from strangers.
:P

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:48 am
by neodos
Tural wrote:Don't open screenshots from strangers.
I lol'ed.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:51 am
by [GU]boxersh0rtz
neodos wrote:
Tural wrote:Don't open screenshots from strangers.
I lol'ed.
ya I did to but its safer that way. like not downloading files from strangers of the internet.


Ya i have had this happen to me on my friends Xbox. his xbox is already screwed up and he refuses to get it taken in. so i thought nothing of it. anyone know how this started without Microsoft noticing. and if they did why was it not stopped?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:53 am
by Tural
You have been gone for like 3 months. There are modding tools out now. That is how it was done. :roll:

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:54 am
by [GU]boxersh0rtz
Tural wrote:You have been gone for like 3 months. There are modding tools out now. That is how it was done. :roll:

Sorry I do not keep track of halo tools. and could something like this lead to a "Virus" so to speak on a xbox. because my friends xbox is really screwed up.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 12:00 pm
by Tural
No.
The console will not run unsigned code, and you can not make a screenshot execute something to manipulate the system. Your friend's issue has nothing to do with this.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:43 pm
by ares-erus
Tural wrote:No.
The console will not run unsigned code, and you can not make a screenshot execute something to manipulate the system. Your friend's issue has nothing to do with this.
Then how exactly could a screen shot crash hardware if there was no code being run to manipulate it?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:48 pm
by Tural
Because the console doesn't know how to interpret whatever is in there. It isn't some thing being executed, it's the console's reaction to not being able to process the data.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:49 pm
by ares-erus
Tural wrote:Because the console doesn't know how to interpret whatever is in there. It isn't some thing being executed, it's the console's reaction to not being able to process the data.
would it not simply show as corrupt?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:52 pm
by Tural
Apparently not.
I didn't make the 360, I do not know. I am telling you that the screenshot is not executing any code on the console, because the console is incapable of running unsigned code natively.
Get me the screenshot and I will see what it does to cause the issue.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:54 pm
by DEEhunter
But there is a way to inject any other file into a .jpeg image.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:55 pm
by Tural
And?
The console will not process unsigned code. It is designed specifically to not allow such to be executed.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:56 pm
by ares-erus
Tural wrote:Apparently not.
I didn't make the 360, I do not know. I am telling you that the screenshot is not executing any code on the console, because the console is incapable of running unsigned code natively.
So your saying this is all a assumption because no one really knows whats going on?
Im no expert but im pretty sure that who ever designed the software for the xbox 360 eeprom would at least acknowledge such a error could occur and would try to do something about it other than freeze the hardware.
ive seen incomplete or corrupt data cause red ring errors before so i seriously don't think that this is just a corrupt screenshot.
[Edit]
What if the software contained in the screenshot has something to do with the hyper visor exploit?

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:58 pm
by Tural
ares-erus wrote:Im no expert but im pretty sure that who ever designed the software for the xbox 360 eeprom would at least acknowledge such a error could occur and would try to do something about it other than freeze the hardware.
It is the game crashing the console, because the game interprets the screenshot, not the console. The console would have to execute code, which is impossible in this manner, but the game interprets the screenshots. Halo 3 does not understand the file, causing the console to freeze.

Just get the screenshot or stop arguing. As it stands right now, it is not executing unsigned code, because that is impossible on any unmodified console.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:00 pm
by ares-erus
Tural wrote:
ares-erus wrote:Im no expert but im pretty sure that who ever designed the software for the xbox 360 eeprom would at least acknowledge such a error could occur and would try to do something about it other than freeze the hardware.
It is the game crashing the console, because the game interprets the screenshot, not the console. The console would have to execute code, which is impossible in this manner, but the game interprets the screenshots. Halo 3 does not understand the file, causing the console to freeze.
Sounds reasonable enough.

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:02 pm
by DEEhunter
If it crashes 7 seconds after you view it then it may have something to do with corrupted temp. I remember that when modding screenshots you must put the correct image size before the EOF. So it may be deleteing beyond the end of its stream.