According to news surfacing overnight, the PS3’s private keys appear to have been found – or, at least, a method to recreate the key. The end result seems to be the same, with some claiming the PS3’s previously watertight security has been breached.
This all seems to stem from fail0verflow’s revelations at the end of last year in Berlin, with a different ‘hack’ than the infamous Jailbreak method being used.
What does this all mean? Well, it looks like this could open the doors to allowing users to run any unsigned code on a currently jailbroken console, regardless of firmware. fail0verflow’s original goal and aim was to enable Linux on any PlayStation 3, but it’s almost certain that this will be used for piracy.
An interesting by-product of all this is that the PSP’s keys also appear to have been found inamongst the PS3’s code, which is presumably due to the console’s ability to play some PSP games.
Sources: Sony Insider, NeoGAF, Kotaku.
TheSixthAxis does not condone piracy and does not recommend the modification of your console – doing so is against the Terms of Use of the console and is possibly illegal.
Erroneus
With the earlier exploits, it was possible to close down the holes. This can’t be closed on current systems, as it’s not an exploit.
These are the worst people who could have hacked the PS3, without any doubt. These guys are insanely clever and their work on the Wii, so it can run Homebrew, has led the Wii to being totally hacked. This has also lead to Nintendo using all their time on firmware updates, with trying to close down holes in the firmware, but they have lost again and again.
I fear that the same pattern will now emerge from Sony and firmware updates for a long time, will be nothing else then “system improvements”.
I don’t condone piracy, I understand why some does it, sure I have done it my self in my younger days, but I’m normally an advisor for homebrew and Linux. That’s why it was such a brilliant move by Sony to have Linux support on the Ps3 per default. It was also without doubt the stupidest thing they have ever done, to remove Linux support in the Slim and EVEN worse removing Linux support on the older models with firmware 3.21.
fail0verflow would not have spend time on hacking the PS3, if Linux support was removed, Geohot wouldn’t had start poking around if Linux wasn’t removed. Now the work Geohot has done, was no disaster, but it lead to the removal of Linux with firmware 3.21. The work fail0verflow has done, is a disaster for Sony. Do not underestimate these guys.
I guess Sony believed their own security systems, could hold up against people like Marcan, Segher, Bushing and so on. It might have, because the PS3 contains some impressive security features, but it was lead down by human errors.
This will lead to piracy and worst of all, easy ways to use piracy on the PS3. Sony should be able to detect people running “softmods”, so I’m hoping they will strike down hard with timed PSN bans and that way maybe keep the worst piracy away. Just like the Xbox 360 is easy to run piracy on, but MS is able to detect it time after time.
Deathbrin
You have to pay for Gold on the 360 though so it’s a considerable loss?
Erroneus
And the console gets banned also, so you can’t go online with it again :)
cc_star
Surely most hackers would hack a cheap second-hand unit & never go online with it, and keep their main unit unhacked for their Halo/CoD/Gears/Forza online activities.
Erroneus
True, but when hacking a concole becomes easy, it’s not only the “hacker guys”, who will use these hacks.
Take a look at the Wii, it can be hacked and be used online without any problems at all. The hacks for it, is pretty simple, the earlier firmware all you needed was a sd card and the newest firmware, all you need is a game and a sd card. On top of that, modchips has been known for the Wii since almost day 1.
This means that even the average user knows about these hacks and can perform them quite easy self. It’s hurting game sale on the Wii really bad, when even the average user can easily use hacks. Personally I don’t get why Nintendo hasn’t banned some consoles, specially when you come to think about it, that they are making money on every Wii sold.
The manufacturing cost for the PS3 should be down so much, that Sony aren’t loosing money on them anymore, so it would make sense if they start banning, to scare the “normal user” from using hacks.
cc_star
It’s a shame & a missed opportunity for Sony that they don’t have something like XNA Development Studio thingy that Microsoft has on the 360 or an approach like Net Yaroze that Sony had with the PS2
One thing is for certain: Hackers will hack & all DRM mechanisms will be breached.
Engaging people would have been a far more effective route than draconian measures like removing OtherOS etc.
Piracy is bad and hurts the industry reduces the chance of exclusives & harms 3rd party development so this is bad news, the one silver lining could be, that in an effort to make jailbreakung seem less attractive it stimulates innovations with the XMB & PSN do consumers have the benefit of competition in the same way that iOS offers all the features which first appeared as jailbroken apps (except for wirelessly syncing with iTunes)
cc_star
Although this is separate to the USB dongle hacks there has been some changes there recently as well with the reveal of the masterkeys for signed USB devices meaning the USB ports are permanently open and it will always be possible to generate a key to run an unauthorised USB device which can obviously downgrade the firmware to one that is hacked.
It is said by people in the know that the PS3 is far less secure than the 360 & Wii which need hardware modifications to be hacked where it’s possible to hack the PS3 by just plug&play meaning it is likely it will have far more impact than hacking has done on the 360 & Wii
colmshan1990
Crap.
If I were high up in Sony, I’d be removing a lot of USB supports right now, much as it would suck.
Erroneus
The Wii can be hacked via an SD card on from firmware 4.2 and down. On the latest firmware (4.3), a game is required together with a sd card. That is all.
Deathbrin
Will they disable USB flash now?
hazzarules
The hackers didnt explicitly outline that piracy could be achieved through this hack. This is important because the ultimate goal for Sony is to sell hardware and software. They do this by preventing homebrew as it usually allows piracy. However the conference presentation mentions that they haven’t been able to crack the blu ray codes or the game codes. On a related note surely few people could be added to download god of war 3 for psjailbreak seeming as it was freaking huge. Piracy on playstation will never be like the r4 on ds which is so easy it is ridiculous.
stonyk
maybe this is the solution. Create a virus for the PS3 so hacked PS3’s can be destroyed. I’d go with that.
UKZ-N3M1515
surly they can give us back Other OS now then? since removing it prevented nothing?
icuyesido
Why do people do this, it’s pathetic, it spoils it for everyone else.
bunimomike
Thinking about it properly: It’s down to the individual to be responsible with their console. If you’re going to pirate then it’s your own fault. Not the hackers. They were the enablers but that doesn’t mean we HAVE to pirate.
If you can write to media, you can read the media. Hackers will nearly always find a why. The PS3 has been absolutely stunning in a world of pirated items. The hardware has been a paragon of security compared to most other entertainment devices.
This really won’t affect sales figures too much.
MOVE
Seriously man. By telling the world about it definately makes them responsible too because they had the knowledge of what this can do to the PS3.
They are just a bunch of morally disturbed individuals who got angry because Sony was sooooo unreasonable to decide what to do with their own creation. Thankfully these noble hackers gave mighty Sony a well deserved lesson….
Broonba
Sadly, some f*****s will do anything to get a bit of attention :(
Personally, I’d like to see these “hackers” strung up by their ‘nads :)
nemesisND1derboy
OK, I’m getting sick of this bullshit. As a consumer, I know I’m going to be f**ked over by these low life pieces of scum who are too cheap to even rent a f**king game. If you want to pay a game, pay for it in some way. Rent, buy used or buy new, its that f**king simple. Pirate retards haven’t got a clue how much this affects other people, they only give a shit about themselves. I don’t give a CONTINENTAL F**K if they say “oooh ooohz, itz 4 Linux. I’m notz going to piratez gamez!!!111!!”, your exploit will be used for piracy, and you f**king know it. Just stop it. It’s getting silly now.
Rant over. For now…
nemesisND1derboy
Just looked at the Geohot link, “if you want your next console to be secure, get in touch with me. any of you 3. it’d be fun to be on the other side.” What a cheeky c*nt. I don’t know what this world is coming to…
nemesisND1derboy
Watched the video on Sony Insider. These tools are sitting their, making a presentation about how they have broken Sony’s security and Sony can do nothing about it? If I was on Sony’s legal team I would be waiting for the first sign of piracy stemming from this and sue these motherf*ckers for all they are worth. They can easily be done for facilitation: “Criminal law, the act of assisting another to commit a crime by making it easier.” This is so blatant.
tonyyeb
In the words of Ace Ventura… “Obsessed much?”
xdarkmagician
you just suggested 2 forms of piracy in your rant against hacking. Renting and buying used games is technically piracy, with some minor exception most TOS’s prohibit resale and renting. In financial terms to the developer and publisher there’s absolutely no difference from pirating a game or buying a used copy that doesnt require an online code, either way they get zero.
KeRaSh
Aggression problems?
Dany2Step
I hacked my psp.
used it to play emulators on the go, and some really neat homebrew. id really like it if i could do all that again with my ps3. get some 2 player streets of rage on the go, that would be sweeeeet!
as far as im concerned im on one side of the fence, sony are on the other.