Nintendo Switch Owners: Update Your Firmware to Protect Against Security Exploit

If you own an original Nintendo Switch, there’s a security exploit you will want to patch immediately, especially if you use the game console in public. Nintendo revealed the vulnerability on Sept. 10, shortly after the company released its latest 23.0.0 firmware update.

The vulnerability applies only to original Nintendo Switch owners who use the Send to Smartphone feature. This feature generates a QR code on the Switch that users can scan with a smartphone, allowing them to transfer game captures and screenshots directly to their phone. 

The exploit also affects people playing Super Mario Kart: Home Circuit on the physical cartridge, as the game uses a QR code to establish a wireless link with nearby players. 

Should someone else scan the QR code before you, they can connect their device to your Switch and use the connection to run unauthorized code on your Switch or steal information stored on the game console. Since your account information is stored on your Switch, that’s information you don’t want in the hands of someone else. 

A Nintendo representative did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

The exploit doesn’t affect the Nintendo Switch 2. 

How to fix the problem

The fix is simple. Nintendo released update 23.0.0 on Sept. 9, which fixes the exploit. It’s recorded as CVE-2026-82079, which is “a stock-based buffer overflow vulnerability” that lets attackers within wireless range execute code. It only affects the original Switch on firmware versions older than 23.0.0.

To update your Nintendo Switch, head to System Settings > System > System Update to apply the update. Follow any additional on-screen prompts to install the update. 

Nintendo says that those who can’t immediately update their firmware can avoid the issue by only using the Send to Smartphone feature at home, where attackers can’t see them, or by not playing Super Mario Kart: Home Circuit in public. The gaming giant also recommends not scanning any QR codes with any device that isn’t yours. 

People who only play games at home are protected from this exploit and don’t have to worry about it.

Joe is a freelance journalist. It all started with a long-running affection for building his own PCs, which he did for the first time as a teenager. It evolved into a lifelong enjoyment of putting words on the internet about the subject. He’s written for CNET, PCMag, Mashable and SlashGear as a freelance writer, and worked as a Senior Editor at Android Authority for 10 years. When he’s not writing about tech and science, he’s learning the ins and outs of DIY home repair, gaming, playing his bass guitars and posting help on PC building and gaming subreddits. He is a staunch believer that orange juice should have pulp.

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