Despite what you might have heard elsewhere Sony haven’t actually banned anyone over PSJailbreak – at least not yet. Despite reports trickling in tonight that suggest users of the dodgy PSJailbreak hack are getting banned (at a MAC level, from the PlayStation Network) we can verify that the image currently floating around is indeed a ‘fake’.
Here’s the image that a user on this forum claims to be a message from Sony saying his console is banned because he used a PSJailbreak.
However, anyone who’s created a PSN account recently will know that the interface above is old, and the tired web-look isn’t used anymore for this particular section of the account creation. And besides, it looks a little bit like the photograph below, doesn’t it?
That image comes from a 2008 post on the official PlayStation forums where it was already outed as a fake – the user then was claiming his account was banned but really he was just trying to use the name ‘consoleSuspended’ as his PSN account. Looks like someone went back into the archives and dug out that pic to cause confusion.
All this scaremongering isn’t particularly relevant – you can be fairly confident Sony know what’s going on with users accessing applications they shouldn’t, and hopefully it’s just a simple case of the PSN checking your recent history when you connect – maybe some time in the near future we’ll be seeing bans for real.
In the meantime, don’t believe everything you read on the web…
Disclaimer: We abhor piracy here at TheSixthAxis and highlight such potential bannings as a warning to those who may be contemplating using the device. Don’t. If not for your own enjoyment of games, then for the wider gaming industry which undoubtedly suffers from piracy.
DJ Judas
This mixed with the news that the PSGroove hack now works with certain smartphones is starting to add up to quite a problem for Sony.
Erroneus
Yep and they have created a stealth-backup manager, so the installed backup manager hides as MW2 >_>
Come on Sony, ban those punks, I’m looking forward to #5434 whine post in PS3 forums about wrongful bans and how it wasn’t the banned person who did it, but his/her brother :D
DuffyBox
If the ‘backup’ software is masquerading as MW2, why not patch the PS3 to not install MW2? I don’t see why ananyone would mind.
UsernameHere
I wonder if they tried, would they end up accidentally banning a bunch of MW2 players instead!?
bajere
whats a PSGroove ?
BIGAL-1992
It’s a dance move similar to the robot.
bajere
ah, Move stick compatible is it ;)
Deathbrin
This is the web, right? :)
Erroneus
No.
Crazyfrog23
Its the land of marshmallows
gazo69
It saddens me to hear about stuff like this!
Will Sony always be able to counter piracy or is it just a matter of time?
teflon
Lol, if this had been real, it would have been a massively r-tarded way of writing console suspended.
For one thing, the S is capitalised, whilst the C is not, and for another, there is no space between the two words.
At the very least, he could have made it look a little like some sort of terminal output:
Console_Suspended:Error-95023346e
bunimomike
If I was Sony I’d upload some child-porn to their PS3 and flash a warning up saying ‘The appropriate authorities have been contacted. Please remain seated’. Then YLOD the bugger! I’m sure they can do that remotely.
Overkill? Meh. :-)
yogdog
Mike, thats bloody hilarious!!
BIGAL-1992
I’d hate to be an enemy of you mike.
bunimomike
Yogdog, will you write a character reference for me? I see a new business venture approaching!
VP of Bitch-Slapping Jailbreakers with Jailbait™
nemesisND1derboy
Leave that to good ol’ KB! He’s the VP of everything! :P
discharge
I nearly wet meself reading this – nice one mike
djsunna
was that why yours YLOD’d ???
only joking but if sony have the power to brick ps3’s with YLOD at will then i’m all for hitting the ‘jailbreak’ dongle users with it.
Rocket_345
Why don’t sony employ you Mike bloody hillarious.
BIGAL-1992
What a rubbish attempt to stir up controversy by this donut. (I meant the guy that made the picture, not the boss of this joint)
djsunna
wish it was real cos then we would know for sure sony had a way to find out who is using the dongles and drop the big ban hammer on their arse’s.
cc_star
The PS3 knows all activity which is carried out on it, in particular user id which are used on the machine, these are saved in a NAND chip and transmitted to Sony on next sign-in.
Even if you unplug the device before connecting to the PSN, this info and the unique user id of the exploit will be transmitted to Sony and therefore they will know which machines have had the exploit used.
Rocket_345
I wish it was real as it would prove they are taking steps to ban the buggers who are purchasing and using this thing.
DJ-Katy
No picture needed to know that report is fake.
Banning on a MAC level won’t work.
squashme
people just cant use the console onlione they could still use usb thingy but as the use of them is illegal in the EU anyway Sony does have your address details to forward to the police if you buy stuff from the store
DJ-Katy
Fail. The MAC address of any device on your LAN can be spoofed easily by any router.
DJ-Katy
Besides how does Sony know you entered a real postal address…
bunimomike
Indeed. My USA account has Howard Stringer’s address entered (CEO of Sony Corporation) :-)
If I get in trouble I’m taking the scoundrel with me!
squashme
changing MAC addresses is illegal innit anyway if they can tell useing one they can get your real address from your broadband provider or even more importantly from your credit card provider they can tell who you bank with you know Katy plus they can get your address from there bank there not that stupid as your using an illegal device on the console Sony are legally obliged to inform the police that your braking the law
Bladesteel
@squashme Changing yoour mac address isn’t illegal in any country I can think of. And it’s quite common for routers to have the capability.
Spoofing your (external) IP address OTOH is probably at least against the terms and conditions of your ISP, and might cost you your internet connection.
As for getting my address by way of my IP? In this country they won’t get that without a court order.
Anyway it’s probably possible for Sony to block based on serial number or some other unique identifier in the PS3, but remember that the hackers have full access to the system and could change/fake the value to be able to connect again.
I think we’re going to see “firmware wars” and I’m a little worried that Sony might rush out a new firmware that breaks something.
squashme
changing ur IP address isnt illegal if u got dynamic IP as it change everytime u switch your router off i do it alot lol legally they have to hand it over even without a court order besides like i said they can get your from credit/debit card details off your bank
imaadahmed
whats ur email address pl, really gotta talk to you about something imp pl
imaadahmed
dj katy
eirekun
Still surprised there hasn’t been a firmware update yet, I guess they’re seeing how the exploit evolves before they do. Must be messing up their plans for the 3d firmware too. I’m still surprised domestic PS3s have this in them, I’d always assumed that developers got a special PS3
cc_star
Pretty sure Sony could just patch out the use of the USB ports during the boot-up process rendering any devices and exploits useless. The firmware could then activate the USB ports once safely in GameOS where no unsigned code is able to run in the console’s standard retail mode.
The only reason I think it hasn’t been done so far is that Sony are working out how they are going to service machines throughout their service centres around the world, as the ability to boot from USB is needed for the servicing of machines, and maybe a USB attachment in developers debug machines (although I don’t know the ins & outs of this). Once they work this out the patch will be deployed in next to no time.
eirekun
Cheers CC
philzy85
The pic is obviously fake, as if they really needed to blow up the consolesuspended text….