SSH Unlock for antminer s9 firmware, anyone interested?

[sheanom]

Hello,

I was recently contacted by someone asking for a solution to unlock their miners after upgrading to the latest firmware.

I was able to find a solution to open SSH and remove the signature check thing which was added by bitmain.

I want to know if anyone would be interested in a tool to do that. I am not sure if I should ask for money for this because it took me
30 mins to do it, but I might open an account for donations if you find it useful.

If I get at least 3 people which need this, I will write the tool so it's easy to use and also keeps permanent changes.

If there's more people which need this kind of solution, add what kind of features it should have, if you want to downgrade or just
enable ssh at boot time.

Shean

[PassThePopcorn]

I wouldn't mind a guide for this.

Provide an exe or similar and you'll get neg'd quicker than you would believe.

[philipma1957]

I wouldn't mind a guide for this.

Provide an exe or similar and you'll get neg'd quicker than you would believe.

Yeah  people will think software is a back door to be used later.  And that the op hides with a newbie name.

[Artemis3]

The tool should be uploaded to gitlab or similar, along with the source code. Even better if its a simple python script or such that anyone could quickly inspect. I suggest you set up a donations address in your readme. Pick a suitable open source license of your liking and the community will appreciate it.

The very next version of Braiins OS (open source replacement firmware) will provide a method using the sdcard to flash itself from the sdcard into the controller's nand, this would also achieve the same result (by wiping out the evil Bitmain firmware).

And i believe someone here was even willing to give a bounty for it.

[sheanom]

I am glad to see comunity concerned when a newbie post something out. I will try to think of an way to make this trustworthy. Providing source code will make it easy to fix in future firmwares or other hardware versions so this is not the best option.

[Artemis3]

Even if you kept it closed they would inspect it to find out what its doing to bypass their security, so in both ways the mere existence of the tool will make them react if they repeat the same mistakes of other companies with this hostile attitude.

The difference is that the community wouldn't trust it, what else it might do after regaining SSH?

Keep it closed and you will: Not stop them from "fix it in future firmware or other hardware versions", AND get distrusted by the community.

If you want trust, release code. You have nothing to fear from Bitmain, they are your opponent anyway, but losing the trust from the community is final.

And do note some determined person might also reverse engineer your tool and release an open source solution based on it ANYWAY. Why lose your chance? Embrace Open Source and earn the reputation it brings.

Of course Bitmain COULD learn from computer history (at least since the 80ies) and drop the stupidity already. OR people could vote with their wallets and buy MicroBT, Canaan Creative, etc.

[alex1560]

Hi,

I've done some work on s15, opening ssh and overclocking it: https://youtu.be/UJv6rrUNU60

Your mod might work similarly, a video would be welcome to see that it's actually doing something.

My suggestion is to keep this under control, small miners can open ssh with serial console easily if they need it badly, but it will be a pain for big mining facilities if this gets fixed in new hardware and firmware.

Good luck with whatever you're trying to do, but make sure you're not releasing "Just another fishing trojan" and mean it when you say you want to do some good to the community.

... Of course Bitmain COULD learn from computer history (at least since the 80ies) and drop the stupidity already. OR people could vote with their wallets and buy MicroBT, Canaan Creative, etc.

I somehow disagree with that. I though in the past that I will be helping the community by making a video on how to compile Bmminer because github docs from bitmain were unbiguous then after a short while, "custom" firmware were popping like mushrooms. Took the video down for a while but others started to repost the video cuz they saved it.

Sometimes it's better not to mess with things because you might do more harm than the intended good.

IMHO at least, other might disagree because they need such solution. I am part of the asicfreeware.io telegram chat where there's a bounty for opening s15.

I actually been part of developing a solution to overclock s15, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbriKlQ-2hg done it, but too less people participated to the bounty and it does not make any sense to release it for free if people don't actually need it as it might be used in other harming ways in the future. I figure if people really needed such solution, would've donated at least $5 for seeing this project go together. The bounty is pretty much stuck and John and Scott put quite some work in promoting this stuff.

So my giveaway for this is becareful what you wish for.

[Artemis3]

Do you think people would have not done it even if you didn't post the video? You are very wrong. And yes, they put the thing on github, somebody else would have figured it out anyway, what with the actual developers of cgminer around here and all.

But ok, no one can predict the future, or how others will react. Even if you both decide to keep quiet, somebody else might do it (or Bitmain drop its attitude). The serial solution is not that different to the sdcard method, except saving you from soldering a socket if the controller lacks one. In both you have to be physically present to do it. What the people offering bounties is about doing it remotely, so they can fix their large mining farms they foolishly updated to 2019 firmware, or for the new models that come crippled already.

Bitmain might even pull out a tivoization, ie. checksum the image in nand and refuse to boot otherwise. We just don't know just how deep their stupidity will get, but expect anything and be ready to join the effort to defeat it instead of everyone keeping quiet until the bomb explodes.

[taserz]

That is the same guy who was trying to sell firmware and trying to sell a script that just ssh'd and replaced bmminer if memory is correct. Compiling bmminer is not the hard part making a flashable firmware version that doesn't shit the bed is more a bitch than anything else.

[BitMaxz]

I thought someone already discovers to enabled SSH but looks like he's planning to sell this fake SSH unlock tool.

If you can provide an opensource code of the tool we can verify it if the tool has stuffing or backdoors.

Why not we can donate any amount if your tools are actually clean and working.
There are many miners out there that are eagerly waiting for a solution to enable SSH.

[Artemis3]

I thought someone already discovers to enabled SSH but looks like he's planning to sell this fake SSH unlock tool.

If you can provide an opensource code of the tool we can verify it if the tool has stuffing or backdoors.

Why not we can donate any amount if your tools are actually clean and working.
There are many miners out there that are eagerly waiting for a solution to enable SSH.

There is indeed real interest and people willing to pay for this. Since they made the mistake of remotely upgrading their S9s remotely and now found (the hard way) they can no longer SSH to them. And, well, not everyone can go physically do the SD card or serial port method...

If you are an Antminer owner, DO NOT upgrade to any firmware from 2019 or you will lose SSH access.

Logically to avoid scams, trojans or backdoors releasing the source code of the tool is the honest thing to do.

There is no need to doubt the person, code talks.

[thierry4wd]

hi, i'm really interessed by this ! i locked my miner with latest firmware T9+ (but is good for lambda perssonne) ... 10,5Ths for only 930w ... is not bad but i need SSH for hack this and unlock more power :p

[BitMaxz]

There is a tested procedure to enable back the SSH access by downgrading the t9+ firmware to below 2018 firmware but you can downgrade it through web GUI but you can flash it through SD card by follow this method "T9+ Control Board Program Recovery".

After you flash it with SD card now flash it again with lower version through web GUI (make sure not to flash it with 2019 firmware).

Now you have gain access again with SSH.

[mikeywith]

I don't mind paying you an average programmer month worth of salary for you to release the "code/script" , so if it's money that you want, let me know how much is it, but if you are just wasting your time and trying to get some newbies to send you money for something you don't have, or/and attempting to give them an executable file or steal their hashrate then this may be the wrong place for all of that.

[bruiser]

https://asicseer.com/page/security-restoring-ssh There you go. Free of charge.

[Artemis3]

https://asicseer.com/page/security-restoring-ssh There you go. Free of charge.

Well it was bound to happen. I hope it doesn't do any nasties, as this is some binary blob without source code...

[PassThePopcorn]

Well it was bound to happen. I hope it doesn't do any nasties, as this is some binary blob without source code...

So far their firmware has been working without an issue, I haven't tried their ssh recovery tool because I currently don't have that need.

[philipma1957]

So far their firmware has been working without an issue, I haven't tried their ssh recovery tool because I currently don't have that need.

Good news

[s3binator]

FYI

The asicseer "SSH Restore" does not work with newest firmware for s9. It runs, says it was successful, but port 22 is still closed.

[PassThePopcorn]

Did you talk to their devs on telegram, I haven't seen anyone say it hasn't worked but I think most people who ran it were on March.