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Developer claims ‘PS4 officially jailbroken’

News
Dec 14, 20153 mins
Data and Information SecuritySecurity

A developer used a FreeBSD kernel exploit on the PS4 before declaring the console 'officially jailbroken.'

If you have a PS4 and want to run homebrew content, then you might be happy to know developer CTurt claimed, “PS4 is now officially jailbroken.”

Over the weekend, CTurt took to Twitter to make the announcement.

He did not use a jail vulnerability, he explained in a tweet. Instead, he used a FreeBSD kernel exploit.

See also: Linux holiday gift guide 2015

CTurt is a “C programmer interested in exploits and reverse engineering” as well as dabbling in “game design and web development.”

See also: Using Raspberry Pi for holiday light shows

Besides posting “an open source PlayStation 4 SDK” on GitHub, CTurt analyzed PS4’s security twice and explained PS4 hacking. CTurt updated the open source PS4 SDK yesterday; he previously explained that Sony’s proprietary Orbis OS is based on FREEBSD. In the past he released the PS4-playground, which included PS4 tools and experiments using the Webkit exploit for PS4 firmware version 1.76. To put that in context, Sony released version 3.0 in September. However, CTurt claimed the hack could be made to work on newer firmware versions.

Other PS4 hackers are reportedly also working on a kernel exploit, yet as Wololo pointed out, it is unlikely there might be more than proof-of-concept videos as the developers continue to tweak the exploit. Otherwise, Sony will do as it has in the past and release a new firmware version. In October 2014, developers nas and Proxima studied the PSVita Webkit exploit, applied it to the PS4, and then released the PS4 proof-of-concept. Shortly thereafter. Sony pushed out new firmware as a patch.

A full working PS4 jailbreak would not necessarily be used only for piracy, as it could allow games purchased for older PlayStation consoles to be compatible with Sony’s newest console; it could also be used to run non-Sony-approved homebrew apps. However, it is likely that many of the people interested in popping PS4 would be most interested in running pirated games.

Green Monday PS4 deals

Several Green Monday sales feature the highly successful PS4, which reached worldwide sales of over 30 million in November. Walmart has the PS4 Star Wars: Battlefront standard edition 500GB console bundle for $299; it was previously $349 but was offered for $300 on Cyber Monday and Black Friday, with total sales leading to the headline “PS4 destroys Xbox One.” In a sale running until December 19, Best Buy is offering a 58-inch Samsung smart HDTV with a PS4 bundle for $799.98; PS4 bundle options include Star Wars: Battlefront and the Nathan Drake Uncharted Collection.

ms smith

Ms. Smith (not her real name) is a freelance writer and programmer with a special and somewhat personal interest in IT privacy and security issues. She focuses on the unique challenges of maintaining privacy and security, both for individuals and enterprises. She has worked as a journalist and has also penned many technical papers and guides covering various technologies. Smith is herself a self-described privacy and security freak.