Researcher Reveals Xbox One Hardware Exploit Bliss

Security researcher Markus Gaasedelen unveiled a novel hardware exploit at the REVerse 2026 cybersecurity conference in Orlando, demonstrating how to bypass the Xbox One's long-standing security protections after more than a decade of resilience.

The technique, dubbed Bliss, relies on voltage glitching to disrupt the console's boot process. By introducing brief, precisely timed fluctuations in the power supply to the processor, the exploit skips critical security checks, allowing unsigned code to execute from the boot ROM level through the hypervisor. Gaasedelen explained during his presentation that the method involves two sequential glitches: the first prevents proper setup of memory protection routines in the ARM Cortex processor, while the second targets a memory copy operation during header reading. This grants full system control, enabling decryption of games, firmware, and access to the security processor.

The demonstration targeted original Xbox One models released in 2013, leaving later variants like the Xbox One S and Xbox One X unaffected for now. Executing the exploit demands advanced skills and specialized equipment, including soldering a microcontroller to the...