TegraRcmSmash

Tegra RCM Smash: Open-Source Boot ROM Bypass Utility

Tegra RCM Smash is an open-source utility for bypassing Nintendo Switch's bootROM protection. It exploits a vulnerability in Nvidia's Tegra chip to allow booting custom firmware on the device.

What is TegraRcmSmash?

TegraRcmSmash is an open-source software utility created by well-known Nintendo Switch hacker SciresM. It exploits a flaw in Nvidia's Tegra X1 chip used in the Switch to bypass a critical security component called the read-only bootROM.

By sending specially crafted payloads to the USB interface in RCM mode, TegraRcmSmash can force the Switch to load unsigned boot images. This allows installing custom firmware like Atmosphère to enable homebrew and piracy. However, it requires temporarily shorting the right Joy-Con rail to force the console into RCM.

Despite Nintendo's ongoing efforts to patch this vulnerability via updated firmware versions, TegraRcmSmash remains one of the easiest and most popular tools to jailbreak the Switch. It works on all models of the device, including the recent OLED variant.

While banned from mainstream App Stores, TegraRcmSmash can be downloaded from hacking community websites and ran from any Windows, Linux or macOS computer with a USB-C slot to mod the Switch.

TegraRcmSmash Features

Official Links