Nintendo takes Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon Wii U offline due to security issue

Nintendo has temporarily taken the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon offline due to a security issue. The servers for both games were shut down yesterday while the company works on a fix for the problem. The issue is related to a network vulnerability known as ENLBufferPwn, which enables an attacker to take over your console and execute code on it remotely if you connect with them in an online game. 

Other Nintendo games, including Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS and several Switch titles, have been affected by this exploit in the past. While patches were released to better protect players of those games, "Splatoon 1 and Mario Kart 8 did not receive any despite being known to be vulnerable." If you're a fan of Nintendo's older console, it's worth keeping in mind that the Wii U eShop will be closing its doors for good on March 27. The 3DS eShop will also be permanently shut down on this date.