PS3... Hacked again?

**BoyBettaKnow** · 10-23-2012

sony is waking up to a new playstation 3 security nightmare after a day in which a brand new, psn-enabled custom firmware was released for hacked consoles, swiftly followed up by publication of the console's lv0 decryption keys - which some say blows the system wide open.

we've been here before of course. Over two years ago, the first piracy-enabling firmware and usb dongle combo - psjailbreak was released, which exploited a weakness in the ps3's usb protocols, allowing for the system software to be patched in order to run copied software running from hard disk. This was followed up some time later by the release of tools from hacker group fail0verflow, which allowed users to encrypt files for the system in the same way that sony does, allowing for a new wave of piracy. Geohot's public release of the "metldr" root key also added to the challenges facing sony, resulting in a messy legal battle.

the firm's response - firmware 3.60 - plugged many of the holes, neatly working around the entire root key problem, and even with the release of the new custom firmware, any console running system software 3.60 or higher is effectively locked out. Only hacked consoles, or those still running 3.55 or lower can run the new code unless expensive, difficult-to-install hardware downgrade devices are utilised on older hardware.
despite the effectiveness of firmware 3.60, ps3 has still had to contend with piracy issues, notably the jb2/trueblue dongle, but this hack still locked consoles to 3.55 and stopped compromised consoles gaining access to psn - until recently at least, where the "passphrase" security protocol protecting psn was leaked, giving hacked consoles full access to the service.

the release of the new custom firmware - and the lv0 decryption keys in particular - poses serious issues. While sony will almost certainly change the psn passphrase once again in the upcoming 4.30 update, the reveal of the lv0 key basically means that any system update released by sony going forward can be decrypted with little or no effort whatsoever. Options sony has in battling this leak are limited - every ps3 out there needs to be able to decrypt any firmware download package in order for the console to be updated (a 2006 launch ps3 can still update directly to the latest software). The release of the lv0 key allows for that to be achieved on pc, with the coreos and xmb files then re-encrypted using the existing 3.55 keys in order to be run on hacked consoles.

so just how did lv0 come to be released at all? The original hackers who first found the master key - calling themselves "the three tuskateers" - apparently sat on its discovery for some time. However, the information leaked and ended up being the means by which a new chinese hacking outfit - dubbed "bluediskcfw" planned to charge for and release new custom firmware updates. To stop these people profiteering from their work, the "muskateers" released the lv0 key and within 24 hours, a free cfw update was released.

"you can be sure that if it wouldn't have been for this leak, this key would never have seen the light of day, only the fear of our work being used by others to make money out of it has forced us to release this now," a statement from the hacker group says.

we have approached sony for comment.

Source

Back at this again it seems.

**keefy** · 10-23-2012

Is there a link because that font is horrid.

**BoyBettaKnow** · 10-23-2012

Yeah i added a source. i don't know why but whenever i do a quote it changes it to that gay font.

**Fijiandoce** · 10-23-2012

an entire console life cycle to properly hack?

i would still consider this a win for sony. the PS3 (up until now) was pretty piracy proof. going forward, the only games worth pirating are TLoU and GOW...possibly Sony smash bros too.

it will be funny if Sony foil this one too

a little light entertainment for the mind (my mind at least)

**BoyBettaKnow** · 10-23-2012

Yeah to have lasted this long without much piracy is a pretty decent feat in its own right.

**F34R** · 10-23-2012

You have to have a debug console, so this isn't something really bad at all for Sony.

**Dave-The-Rave** · 10-23-2012

A wall of text..just tell me. is my credit card in danger again?

**F34R** · 10-23-2012

This doesn't have anything to do with the problem that the credit card issue had. It's access to PSN with a "debug" unit. i.e. you can play games you have installed fully on the HDD online.

**keefy** · 10-23-2012

What i understood it to mean.

1. is playing online with custom firmwares.

2. The release of the LV0 key means anyone can decrypt any PS3 firmware on a PC modify it then encrypt it back fooling the PS3 into thinking its legitimate firmware.

Originally Posted by Dave-The-Rave

A wall of text..just tell me. is my credit card in danger again?

You really should learn to read grownup stuff and stop reading those big font books with 3 words per page.

**Soldier 95B** · 10-23-2012

Hacked again? It's still hacked.

**BoyBettaKnow** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by Dave-The-Rave

A wall of text..just tell me. is my credit card in danger again?

I hardly think 6 paragraphs is a wall of text

But no, i don't think so. Question is, why would you keep that information on their again?

Originally Posted by Soldier 95B

Hacked again? It's still hacked.

The made it a little less hackable though, didn't they?

**Soldier 95B** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by BoyBettaKnow

I hardly think 6 paragraphs is a wall of text

But no, i don't think so. Question is, why would you keep that information on their again?

The made it a little less hackable though, didn't they?

Not sure. I just know that people at my work are always playing the latest hacked games on their PS3's (and 360's). They download all the PS3 games from a site and play them directly off the HDD. They already have the new Medal of Honor that came out today. Not sure how all that crap works, and I am not interested. There is one thing I know I am not good at, and that is computers, lol.

**keefy** · 10-23-2012

They needed a certain firmware 3.55 and that meant they couldnt access the PSN to play online.

**BoyBettaKnow** · 10-23-2012

I updated my PS3 only a few weeks ago because i didn't find the jailbreak worth it. And I wanted to use Netflix

**Soldier 95B** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by keefy

They needed a certain firmware 3.55 and that meant they couldnt access the PSN to play online.

But they are playing online. Most of these people are attending college here at the UW. These young whippersnappers know much more than I do about all this tech stuff.

Sometimes I feel lucky enough to use a smart phone or this forum, lol.

**John25** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by keefy

They needed a certain firmware 3.55 and that meant they couldnt access the PSN to play online.

Originally Posted by BoyBettaKnow

I updated my PS3 only a few weeks ago because i didn't find the jailbreak worth it. And I wanted to use Netflix

There has been a Firmware Spoofer for ages which let you play online or use Netfix

im not too sure on what the lvl0 keys do but I read that it will now be a lot easier to make Custom Firmwares from now on to any FW

**Nitey** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by John25

There has been a Firmware Spoofer for ages which let you play online or use Netfix

im not too sure on what the lvl0 keys do but I read that it will now be a lot easier to make Custom Firmwares from now on to any FW

. Holy shit.

**Silver_Knight** · 10-23-2012

Originally Posted by keefy

What i understood it to mean.

1. is playing online with custom firmwares.

2. The release of the LV0 key means anyone can decrypt any PS3 firmware on a PC modify it then encrypt it back fooling the PS3 into thinking its legitimate firmware.

you really should learn to read grownup stuff and stop reading those big font books with 3 words per page.

I laughed hard on that one.

**SHAZZMAZZ** · 10-24-2012

Battle is getting boring

**F34R** · 10-24-2012

I did a little more digging on this, and everyone might as well just say goodbye to the PS3. There isn't any way they can actually get around this one except on the 3k ps3 model. A lot of work still needs to be done, but basically, for the greatest majority of systems, Sony can't keep all their firmware from being decrypted without any effort...

Can't wait to see what goes on next.

**Alpha2** · 10-24-2012

As long as the entry barrier to a hacked system remains out of reach for an average or lesser user it's pointless to worry. The majority of systems are using current firmware and thus will have difficulty with hacks that allow it to play online games and as long as they're not screwing things for regular users it's not anything all that problematic. Besides The 360 seems to have a higher level of hacked ISOs and cracked systems in the wild and MS doesnt seem all that panicked.

**F34R** · 10-24-2012

No, the firmware doesn't matter at all. Any firmware, right now, and in the next ten years, will be decrypted by a 10 year old that can read.

**Nitey** · 10-24-2012

So the PS3 is officially fucked?

Wololo released a statement regarding the hack:

Closing Statement
This is the beginning of a very long and heavily scheduled future of the PS3 hacking scene. The release of the LV0 key means that any system update released by Sony going forward can be decrypted fully with no effort. Sony has no cards in this game. As of today LV0 is now decrypted for ever until the end of time. There is alot of reverse engineering to get the decrypted loaders from it since Sony had changed a lot of security algorithms to protect these loaders inside LV0 however, rest assure every PS3 developer is hot on the news of everything going on. No one will be able to find 4.XX LV1, LV2_kernel, AppLDR keys inside the decrypted LV0 so there would need to be an investigation regarding how Sony store these keys right now.

Crazy. I just hope these hackers don't ruin online games for the community. Maybe Sony can implement a ban wave like Microsoft do from now on

Some more info regarding what happened at the link