S9 owners DO NOT upgrade firmware to 2019 version, you will lose SSH access!!!

[jacob007]

dear technak
tanx for your help
this method can use whit out the serial port
i can't accesses Physical to my device (far from me)
another problem like this how reprogramming nand by using serial port control board (brick)

tank you

[MigaoMiner]

Hi Technak,

Your write up is to enable SSH port for  firmware version may 2019.
May i know how you solve the issue of "2 led light up when changing the J4 jumper during SD card flashing" ?

thanks

MM

[technak]

Hi,
MigaoMiner: I had exact same problem, because my board is just missing chip for sd card. With this method you dont need boot from sd card. Just keep jumper in default position, connect uart bridge, disable ssh as described and then you can install another firmware like braiin os.

Jacoob007: as far as I know this is not possible at the moment. We can just hope that bitmain will change their minds and in next fw we will have option to enable ssh ...

Thanks and regards,
MK

[MigaoMiner]

Hi Technak,

Do you think reinstall bitmain firmware using SSH will enable back "SD port"?

Anyway i can PM you please?

regards,

MM

[Artemis3]

Hi,
MigaoMiner: I had exact same problem, because my board is just missing chip for sd card. With this method you dont need boot from sd card. Just keep jumper in default position, connect uart bridge, disable ssh as described and then you can install another firmware like braiin os.

Jacoob007: as far as I know this is not possible at the moment. We can just hope that bitmain will change their minds and in next fw we will have option to enable ssh ...

There have been at least two releases in 2019 for S9 firmware from Bitmain and both are "signed" with ssh access closed.

There is a method to restore ssh access using an exploit in the first release. If you have installed the second release, it is possible to "downgrade" back to the first release, since both firmwares are signed. Then with the first release you can try the exploit. This uses proprietary code but is one way to restore ssh without physical access.

The other methods involves using the sd card, or using the serial port. Both require physical access.

The serial port method is a little more involved, and requires either the rj45 to serial cable or using the 3 pin header to serial. Then you can manually overwrite portions of the nand using an sd card; or manually remove the signed firmware check so you can downgrade or install another firmware.

Normally people would just use the sd card method, where this is done automatically when moving jumper jp4, but i guess you may encounter the issue of that missing chip mentioned before...

With the sd card method you force the old T9+ firmware, which in turn allows reinstalling the old S9 firmware (you can't just leave the T9+ firmware because it doesn't hash anything with that).

OR, you can boot Braiins OS from the sd card and optionally install that from its Web UI instead.


Ok lets summarize this:

Remotely via software (closed source):
 

• ASICseer security-restoring-ssh

Physically using:

• TF (microSD) card:
   
  • S9 series (S9, S9i, S9j, S9 Hydro) Control Board Program Recovery
  • Braiins OS

• Serial port:
   
  • Rescuing a bricked T9 (and S9?) Control Board - HOWTO
  • Antminer Hack S9 /S15 / S17 / Sx aso. SSH and so on for free

[Solicitor]

Normally people would just use the sd card method, where this is done automatically when moving jumper jp4, but i guess you may encounter the issue of that missing chip mentioned before...

unfortunately, it seems that the same problem (not flashing from SD card) may exist even if that missing chip is in place Seems that Bitmain done something tricky to prevent their firmware being replaced by a thirdparty firmware.

There is a method to restore ssh access using an exploit in the first release. If you have installed the second release, it is possible to "downgrade" back to the first release, since both firmwares are signed. Then with the first release you can try the exploit. This uses proprietary code but is one way to restore ssh without physical access.

This one really worked in my case. BUT in my case, that tiny chip near SD card is in place, so can't tell if this will work for those whose control board does not have that chip in place.

I am not really good at these things, but it looks like what Bitmain hid under vague "further security" ended up being not entirely secure ... I mean if I managed to use that method to get rid of signature check for new updates, then a virus would surely be capable to use that to do its stuff.

[Mihaiinvader]

Well i did something stupid and now i have a briked s15.
Lost the ip acces after interupting the firmware update from sd. Before this the miner was working ok, only from time to time was shutting down and needed an reset.

Currently cannot acces via IP and SD flash dosent work, the leds are allways on ( led and green). I have an serial-usb connector and instaled ubuntu but i don't know what to do next. If anyone can help me, i would appreciate it

[BitMaxz]

Well i did something stupid and now i have a briked s15.
Lost the ip acces after interupting the firmware update from sd. Before this the miner was working ok, only from time to time was shutting down and needed an reset.

Currently cannot acces via IP and SD flash dosent work, the leds are allways on ( led and green). I have an serial-usb connector and instaled ubuntu but i don't know what to do next. If anyone can help me, i would appreciate it

Did you try to hard reset the s15 miner?
If not do this step.

- Run the miner first at least 5-10 minutes
- Hold the reset/IP reporter button in 15 seconds then release.
- Then check the miner again if you can detect the IP with IP scanner or the monitoring tool from bitmain.

If it doesn't work try to flash it again with SD card make a new SD card program recovery and then remove the ribbon cable of the miner's hashboard and only control board must be remain connected.

Update here if it solve your issue.