PS3 Root Key Hacked!?

[Esura]

http://kotaku.com/5723105/hacker-claims-to-have-the-ps3s-front-door-keys

Famed hacker George "GeoHot" Hotz, who among other things helped crack the iPhone, reckons he's found what are essentially the keys to the PlayStation 3. And has posted them online for the world to see.

While a group claimed last week that they'd done much the same thing, and were in the process of releasing tools to allow people to install Linux on their system, GeoHot has gone a step further and simply published the PS3's "root key".

The root key is a signature of sorts, that lets the PS3 know that the program that's about to run on the console is a legitimate piece of software. If it's now out there, then once people start messing around with it, they'll be able to whip up anything - be that custom software or pirated games - and trick the console into thinking it's OK to load.

Crucially, because this key lies at the very heart of the PS3 hardware itself, it appears that if it has been cracked, it will be almost impossible to repair (even via firmware updates), as altering the existing key would run the risk of rendering all existing PS3 software inoperable.

Meanwhile, the team from last week's news - fail0verflow - have as promised released some "PS3 development tools" for hackers to mess around with. If the homebrew scene is your scene, and you'd like to take a look at what the PS3 can do without Sony calling the shots, you can find those here.

We've contacted Sony for comment and clarification, and will update if we hear back.

Sony fought hard, but its over now. They can't recover from this blow.

EDIT: From what I've also found out, this also applies to the PSP because I heard their root key is one in the same.

 

[Darth Angelo]

YES! I have been sitting on my hands waiting for something like this dying to stick it to Sony after everything they have taken away from the PS3!

I will most definitely not be missing online/PS store if this turns out to be as promising as it sounds.

Nice one Esura +rep

 

[Meg]

Here's another article on it. I doesn't really say anything new, but it does expand some.

http://www.gamesradar.com/f/why-the...or-sony-and-for-gamers/a-20110107111357213003

Or at the very least read this;

I'm going to sound like every anti-piracy advert that you try to skip past on DVDs, but it's at times like this that true gamers need to be resolute. So probably best to read this in the voice of South Park's school councillor, Mr Mackey. Don't get suckered in, mmmkay? If you love games, then buy them. It's healthy for the industry and you'll value them more.

:lol:

 

[Esura]

Well, this may sound self-centered, but I don't buy games for the sake of the industry. I don't like the current state of the industry as is. I only buy games because of one thing....physical media. Its the one thing that keeps me from being apart of "that" scene. Call me old school, but I like having discs, carts, UMDs, etc. That said...the DS scene actually grabbed my intrest because it satisfy that part I want. It still wont stop me from buying games though...but I digress.

I'm kind of hyped about this though like Darth Angelo though, but I will say no more.

 

[Darth Angelo]

I didn't desperately clutch onto my old 60GB console for 3-4 years just to have half the reason why I did so swept from streight under me.

Until then the idea of hacking the PS3 didn't interest me at all I was perfectly happy with it. But that was the straw that broke the camels back after they took other OS away (and I realised it couldn't actually be hacked at that point) I swore that as soon as it could I would hack it to the nines purely out of spite or brick it trying. Because I don't really use it anymore anyway.

 

[Esura]

I didn't desperately clutch onto my old 60GB console for 3-4 years just to have half the reason why I did so swept from streight under me.

Until then the idea of hacking the PS3 didn't interest me at all I was perfectly happy with it. But that was the straw that broke the camels back after they took other OS away (and I realised it couldn't actually be hacked at that point) I swore that as soon as it could I would hack it to the nines purely out of spite or brick it trying. Because I don't really use it anymore anyway.

Now, with this revelation, you technically wont be "hacking" your system! Thats the brilliance of this! I highly doubt Sony will be able to trace anyone via PSN using this new method. Then again, Sony MAY thing of something...iunno.

I hope they make some MKV playback thing so I can watch To Aru Majutsu No Index and Panty and Stockings with Garterbelt on my PS3. Sony is totally trolling me with not enabling this codec by now.

 

[Richtofen]

Sony taking away the play back in general for PS2 games was just...bleh. <_<

 

[DreadnoughtDT]

So now we can make PS2 games playable again? Finally.

 

[Richtofen]

I guess it depends on Sony...?

 

[Esura]

So now we can make PS2 games playable again? Finally.

Not quite. It'll have to run via emulation (i.e. no discs) because Sony removed the hardware from all post-60GB PS3s.

Also Faust, this wouldn't be a big deal if only GeoHot hadn't released the root key to the public. Sony could of maintain some control over the system if only failOverflow (the group of people responsible for this discovery and mentioned in article) only had access to the key. failOverflow only intentions was to enable Linux in all PS3s again and they was going to keep this on the down low.