Legend of Zelda: Use After Free (TASBot glitches the future into OoT)

Presented at DEF CON 31 (2023), Aug. 11, 2023, 5 p.m. (45 minutes)

How can a Use After Free exploit in Ocarina of Time lead to a cute robot taking over an entire N64 to put the future (and the Triforce) in the game using only button presses? This talk dives into the technical details of how a Use After Free exploit, Arbitrary Code Execution, and multiple bootstrap stages allowed TASBot to take full control of an original, unmodified cart and console in front of a live audience during SGDQ 2022 with the help of Sauraen and Savestate, helping raise more than $228k for charity. This talk uses engaging explainer graphics courtesy of RGME to dig into how a Use After Free vulnerability can be exploited as well as a live demo showing the significant social impact of the exploit Here Together, in the past year and into the future. REFERENCES: ### Project Info [FAQs](https://gettriforce.link/faq) [Credits](https://gettriforce.link/credits) [Retro Game Mechanics Explained explainer video, contents used with permission from IsoFrieze](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBK1sq1BQ2Q) ## Source code [Triforce% Source code release](https://github.com/triforce-percent/triforce-percent) ### Articles posted about Triforce% [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/07/how-zelda-fans-changed-the-ending-to-ocarina-of-time-on-a-vanilla-n64/) [Forever Classic Games](https://foreverclassicgames.com/news/2022/7/tasbot-summer-games-done-quick-sgdq2022-zelda-link-triforce) [Zelda Dungeon](https://www.zeldadungeon.net/ocarina-of-time-speedrunners-obtain-the-triforce-in-wild-beta-showcase/) [Zelda Universe](https://zeldauniverse.net/2022/07/05/games-done-quick-features-astonishing-ocarina-of-time-beta-demonstration/) [PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/this-zelda-speedrun-built-on-urban-legends-is-an-all-time-gaming-moment/) [NintendoLife](https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/07/watch-this-insane-triforcepercent-speedrun-turns-zelda-ocarina-of-time-into-breath-of-the-wild) [GoNintendo](https://gonintendo.com/contents/5979-speedrunning-trick-turns-zelda-ocarina-of-time-into-breath-of-the-wild) ### Setup info [Savestate’s notes on how to do the setup by hand](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fglILK3PdZoT1uISGMJKzsm-wZ2tP5652ayjR86QNDU) [BizHawk savestate of gz macro to do setup](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tbG5TcfgXAnaxGnA_DubNcAtJR--wCeb/view?usp=sharing) [BizHawk build needed for compatibility with that savestate](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_LOyQX2MRTDOEASBbHPHltTcMB1ZDdm/view?usp=sharing) ### Raw video and photo assets for Triforce%: [Clean run video (for taking footage from)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZNywtNOe9U) [HD partial run video (for taking screenshots for branding)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNRqK1AQ_VY) [HD screenshots folder](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uA5L-3pM1gBm_FDIDFX9zB5qrqo1Q1Cv?usp=sharing) ### Partner and reactor links [SwankyBox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_RighmL04g) [Hard4Games](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9cCtRYMKm4) [HMK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk1WwOu_AQQ) ([Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buy6EcI2NKc)) [TetraBitGaming](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ1hSMClhMI) ### OST Published By SiIvaGunner [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1OYYi2Vzro&list=PLL0CQjrcN8D3qRiR5WUL5l_bPo2sIzdfr&index=155) [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com/sauraen/sets/triforce-percent) [SiIvaGunner wiki page](https://siivagunner.fandom.com/wiki/Triforce%25_SGDQ_Run) [SiIvaGunner joke explanations](https://gettriforce.link/siiva_jokes) ## Credits The primary director of Triforce% was Sauraen with Savestate as the human speedrunner and dwangoAC as the Producer; over two dozen people contributed, with full credits listed at https://gettriforce.link/credits

Presenters:

  • Allan Cecil / dwangoAC - Founder and BDFL at TASBot   as Allan "dwangoAC" Cecil
    Allan Cecil (dwangoAC) is the founder and BDFL of the TASBot online community. He is part of the senior staff for TASVideos.org, a website devoted to using emulators to find glitches and techniques to play video games perfectly. He is a published journal author, patent holder, and presenter with talks at DEF CON, GeekPwn, Thotcon, May Contain Hackers, and other hacker conferences. He uses his combined hacking interests for good at charity events like Games Done Quick to entertain viewers with never-before-seen glitches in games, with events he's led raising more than $1.3m for various charities.

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