Sony Responds To PS3 Hacks

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Sony has at last broken silence on recent developments which have seen its PlayStation 3's security measures completely defeated.

The firm has remained resolutely tight-lipped since news broke that a hacking group named fail0verflow had gained full control over the system, after reverse engineering the code used to sign authorised software as genuine.

Shortly afterwards iPhone hacker George "GeoHot" Hotz published the console's "root key" online, enabling homebrew developers to create and sign their own apps. Blu-Ray and PSP root keys have also since been found buried within the PS3 and released online.

"We are aware of this, and are currently looking into it," Sony told us in a brief statement. "We will fix the issues through network updates, but because this is a security issue, we are not able to provide you with any more details."

Sony's response is at odds with comments given to the BBC yesterday by fail0verflow member pytey, who said: "The complete console is compromised ? there is no way back.

"The only way to fix this is to issue new hardware. Sony will have to accept this."

Both fail0verflow and GeoHot are staunchly anti-piracy, and have not released any tools that directly enable the playing of copied games, but it is widely expected that piracy will soon be rife on what was, until very recently, considered to be the most secure console ever released.

Source: http://www.next-gen.biz/news/sony-responds-to-ps3-hacks

[Charisma Veteran]

It was the most secure for probably the longest amount of time, but Sony was deluding themselves if they thought it would *never* be hacked. The question is never "if", simply "when".

[Only Smart Person Here]

Yeah, hurry up and 'fix' the only real reason for buying a PS3 now.

[Tech Star]

Yeah, hurry up and 'fix' the only real reason for buying a PS3 now.

Your not the "Only Smart Person Here" if you think that. :rolleyes:

[SkyDX]

Seriously I fail to see how this is possible to fix through network updates. Afaik the Krypto Engine hardware of the PS3 is not flashable and lets presume even if they manage to somehow change the key for all games and everything, thanks to the current key we could still decrypt the update that contains the new key...

[Fish]

It will be interesting to see how Sony deals with this. They know their hardware and software better than anybody else, so if there's a fix they'll find it. In the mean time I think they would be wise to buy-up anything useful that might come out of the homebrew scene and stick it in the official firmware and/or PS Store. It would maybe lessen the impact a bit.

[Noveed]

What is strange is they come out and say THEY WILL fix this, in essence they stick their neck out. Would be hilarious if they are unable to... we may be waiting months for this this fix. Either way it will end up like the PSP a cat and mouse game Firmware update after firmware update.

[rajputwarrior]

sony's ****ed and they know it...

[still1]

What is strange is they come out and say THEY WILL fix this, in essence they stick their neck out. Would be hilarious if they are unable to... we may be waiting months for this this fix. Either way it will end up like the PSP a cat and mouse game Firmware update after firmware update.

exactly my thought... but they will never admit that they lost the battle.

[AbandonedTrolley]

It does seem like the game is up for Sony with this, I honestly hope it isn't though.

Being fair to them, they have done well to last this long and all this actually stemmed from a stolen jig key and the whole PS3Jailbreak. Without that the security would still have been pretty much there.

[Pupik]

Good summary on the situation: http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/evl86/ps3_root_key_found/c1bhtyk

[D.J.P]

It was the most secure for probably the longest amount of time, but Sony was deluding themselves if they thought it would *never* be hacked. The question is never "if", simply "when".

Yeap. Its always a matter of 'when' not 'if' something gets broken/cracked/hacked whatever.

As humans we love challenges, and its been proven time and time again, the harder something is to crack, they harder (they) will work to eventually crack it.

(Note: I have 4 consoles - PS2,PS3,Wii & 360 all untouched, and will remain that way - I purchase all my console games and my only PC playing is WoW pretty much these days)

[Kreuger]

As humans we love challenges, and its been proven time and time again, the harder something is to crack, they harder (they) will work to eventually crack it.

Not entirely true. I know people who are into the illegal satellite thing and they haven't hacked the latest security for that.

Anyway, seems like there's not much Sony can do

[protocol7]

I bet removing Other OS doesn't seem like such a good idea now. Don't mess with your customers because you never know what it will drive them to do.

[DrCheese]

I bet removing Other OS doesn't seem like such a good idea now. Don't mess with your customers because you never know what it will drive them to do.

hah, the ironic thing is I doubt any of the crackers really cared about other OS, just that Sony decided to randomly remove it, so yes it's there own fault this has happened.

[Coldgunner]

I find the idea that its just to restore OtherOS a bit of an excuse, its quite obvious what the actual reason is.

[Miuku]

I find the idea that its just to restore OtherOS a bit of an excuse, its quite obvious what the actual reason is.

Of course people are only interested in it for piracy purposes but to keep up the fa?ade they give out opinions claiming "Oh yes we'll run Linux and/or other OS on it!". I'm sure Sony has some ideas on how to combat it, one of them is adding further checks into the OS itself and making all games authenticate on-line, which is undoubtably where we'll end.

Thanks cheap ass pirates, you're screwing it for the rest of us.

[Singh400]

I'm not an expert on this. But if they are as ****ed as everyone is saying. I see only one option for Sony, increasing security. Eg, force games to authenticate online every time you play them, or keep authenticating every 30 mins.

Personally, I don't believe that they are up **** creek without a paddle. Sony made the PS3, they know their creation better than anyone else. I find it hard to believe that someone somewhere didn't see this coming, and have a Plan B so to speak.

[SkyDX]

I'm not an expert on this. But if they are as ****ed as everyone is saying. I see only one option for Sony, increasing security. Eg, force games to authenticate online every time you play them, or keep authenticating every 30 mins.

That wouldn't do much good, believe it or not, I know quite a few people that never have bothered to set their PS3 up to the internet, they just use it like a PS2, popping games in and play. Plus what people tend to overlook, this all isn't a hack, the system is not getting tampered with so even if they implant a challenge and response system, since nothing on the games is altered they will just deliver a valid response.

[Teebor]

Its been what 4 years?

They will do some cat and mouse and then announce the PS4 with backwards PS3 compatibility - which will then be dropped for security concerns and because its not practical (or some other excuse) then they will force everyone to develop for the PS4

Nah, totally won't happen but it would be so funny if it did :p

[Pauleh]

Not entirely true. I know people who are into the illegal satellite thing and they haven't hacked the latest security for that.

Yet.

[Southern Patriot]

exactly my thought... but they will never admit that they lost the battle.

They would have major problems with their investors if they did admit that this was unfixable.

[Noveed]

Just thinking out aloud but the PSP is and was a lost cause once it was wide open, I do not ever recalling them giving up on that even though it was pirated to hell and back.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Just thinking out aloud but the PSP is and was a lost cause once it was wide open, I do not ever recalling them giving up on that even though it was pirated to hell and back.

I think the difference comes in that a download of a PSP game was a lot smaller than some of the PS3 Bluray discs. The 360's security has been smashed apart for a long time now and that's still going strong.

[SaltLife]

I bet removing Other OS doesn't seem like such a good idea now. Don't mess with your customers because you never know what it will drive them to do.

Where none of these groups attempting to crack the console prior to the removal of "other os'?