Nintendo 3DS has been updated to system software 11.9.0-42U. This is a new firmware update for the Nintendo 3DS and it finally has a changelog.
If you are running an old version of the Nintendo 3DS firmware update, you won’t be able to play your games online. It is best to update to the new firmware, which is also recommended by Nintendo.
One of the changes that are always made in case of firmware updates is that Nintendo uses it as a temporary stop-gap for pirates. They might not make it clear with the changelog but the randomized nature of them does it make seem like it is another piracy stopping firmware update, even if temporarily.
Here is what is listed on the changelog for the official Nintendo 3DS firmware update version 11.9.0-42U.
Nintendo 3DS Firmware Update 11.9.0-42U Changelog; Here’s What It Does
Update released: December 3rd, 2018
- Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience
According to a prominent member of the Nintendo 3DS hacking community, this is just an update for the browser.
3ds got an update! I'm traveling so can't do any in depth analysis rn but looks like it's just a browser update, so probably patches a primary entrypoint but all other hax is probably fine
— smea (@smealum) December 4, 2018
So while it was an attempt against piracy, it seems to be a rather minor one patching out any potential exploit with the 3Ds browser.
Let us know if you have noticed any changes after installing this new firmware update in the comments below.