In 2013, when the Xbox One was released, Microsoft designed the console with a strong emphasis on security, and as a result, many technology experts viewed it as being virtually unhackable. This remained unchanged for over a decade until several hackers attempted to hack into the Xbox One unsuccessfully using jailbreak-style techniques.
The new hack works using a technique called voltage glitching (an electrical hack) and was demonstrated to the public at a recent Cybersecurity Event, proving that the Xbox One is now hackable and will allow you to run non-Microsoft-approved software on an Xbox One.
However, this hack is technically advanced and requires specialized hardware in order to use this hack, so home users cannot use it.
Xbox One Was Built With Strong Security
When released, Microsoft’s Xbox One had a strong emphasis on security, wanting to prevent the issues that older consoles encountered. A big part of this security was provided through the secure boot technology, which verifies that every time the unit boots, the installed software has been verified by Microsoft before the unit will allow it to run.
Another primary element of the Xbox One’s design was the architectural design of the operating system, which isolates the different layers of the operating system or software from one another and prevents unauthorized access from external code.
The combination of these protections has kept the Xbox One from experiencing any major security hacks for well over a decade (as opposed to the Xbox 360, which began to be hacked shortly after its launch).
Researcher Shows New Hack Method
Security researcher Markus Gaasedelen has demonstrated a new way of breaking the console’s security protections. This demonstration was made at a cybersecurity conference called RE//Verse 2026.
The voltage glitching method that was demonstrated works by making a very short-term change to the amount/power of electricity supplied to the processor at a precise point in time. When the timing is correct, the system can skip an important security check.
Once that happens, the console may allow unsigned code to run. The researcher named this exploit “Bliss”.
What Is Voltage Glitching
Voltage glitching is not new in the world of hardware security, but using it on the Xbox One required extensive testing. The attack works by sending a very small power disturbance to the processor. This happens for only a tiny fraction of a second.
During that moment, the processor may fail to complete a command properly. If that command is part of a security check, the system may move forward without verifying the code.
In other words, the console is not fully rewritten or modified. Instead, the security step is skipped at the right moment. Because the timing must be extremely accurate, the attack needs special hardware and technical skills.
What This Means For Players
For normal Xbox users, this discovery does not change much. The hack needs physical access to the console and special equipment. It is not something people can download from the internet or run with a simple tool.
Right now, the discovery is mostly important for the cybersecurity and hardware research community.
Still, the finding shows something interesting. Even devices that are built with strong security can eventually be broken if researchers keep studying them.
No Device Stays Unhackable Forever
For a long time after being released in 2013, the Xbox One was considered unhackable thanks to strict security measures put in place by Microsoft to prevent third-party applications from running on the device (due to this, neither major hack happened on the console for over 10 years).
The recent work by security researcher Markus Gaasedelen shows that even strong systems can eventually be broken. Using a hardware trick, he showed that the console’s protection could be bypassed. This does not mean the Xbox One is suddenly easy to hack. The method still needs special tools and deep technical knowledge. Still, the case shows one simple truth in technology: no device stays unhackable forever.
