Security researcher Hunter R. recently published a post on X highlighting a serious security issue with
Animal Crossing: New Leaf for Nintendo 3DS.
The attached video, made in collaboration with Pretendo Network, a fan initiative that maintains online servers for no longer officially supported Nintendo games, demonstrates a remote code execution exploit.
This means that an attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the game’s online features, such as Club Tortimer, to execute unauthorized code on a player’s console, turning a normal gaming session into a real security risk.
The issue had already emerged in July 2025, when Pretendo Network temporarily suspended support for the game after receiving reports of the flaw.
With the 3DS eShop shutting down in March 2023, Nintendo appears unwilling to release any fixes, leaving players exposed to this vulnerability.
Hunter R. ‘s video explains the problem in detail, showing the transition from a game screen to one of executed code, with a touch of irony thanks to the game character in the background.
This type of vulnerability is not an isolated case: similar exploits were discovered in other software in 2025, such as CVE-2025-49844 for Redis, indicating a trend of identifying critical flaws even in older applications.
For Animal Crossing fans or anyone interested in online gaming security, this post offers a clear and detailed analysis of the risks associated with a console that is no longer the focus of official attention.
Source: x.com, biteyourconsole.net
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