The original Xbox, released in 2001, was a remarkable piece of hardware, closely resembling a versatile PC of the early 2000s. The device attracted technical hobbyists eager to run ‘homebrew’ code and alternative operating systems. Despite being secured by a ‘secret’ bootrom, the system was famously hacked by Andrew “bunnie” Huang, enabling further research. This post delves into the challenge of hacking the Xbox via Intel’s x86 CPU JTAG, showcasing a unique hardware debugging process. The author designed a custom CPU interposer PCB to breakout the JTAG signals, successfully dumping the secret bootrom. The Xbox’s security mechanisms and the journey of using JTAG on Intel CPUs are explored, offering a detailed and insightful glimpse into the platform’s history.
https://blog.ret2.io/2023/08/09/jtag-hacking-the-original-xbox-2023/