Encryption Key - CobraSoft Technologies

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Encryption Key

Information on this subject was copied from the Atari Jaguar FAQ and is copyright Robert Jung

Even though Hasbro has officially declared the Jaguar to be an "open" system, they have not released the encryption code for Jaguar games because they do not know what (or where) it is. Hasbro's declaration of openness on the Jaguar simply means that developers and hackers are free to use any means they can to develop and sell Jaguar games -- whether they do this by figuring out the encryption key, bypassing the Jaguar's startup checks, or using any other techniques, Hasbro's lawyers will not bother anyone along the way.

As of this writing, the unofficial word in the Jaguar community is that the few people who DO have access to the Jaguar's encryption key are trying to make sure that they're "safe" -- that if they release the keys, they won't be prosecuted by some other company for some other reason.

But all hope is not lost! According to Scott LeGrand of 4Play, former Atari engineer Dave Staugas has mentioned that the Jaguar's startup encryption check has a "back door" in the software -- a safety measure to be used in case the "real" encryption key was lost. Investigation in this direction is currently continuing, and the latest (unconfirmed) theory is that the encryption (and the back door) works as follows:

1. A 512-bit key is applied to the memory data, and then a 32-bit checksum is used for validation.

2. The bottom 8K or so of ROM memory is filled with a key generated from the cartridge data. When a Jaguar boots, this 8K of data is combined with the ROM data to generate the 32-bit checksum.

3. If the checksum is valid, the cartridge is allowed to run.

4. The "back door" checksum value is: 03D0 DEAD (hex). And yes, it IS a cheeky reference to the Jaguar's then-current competitor...

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