Post: PS3 3.56 Firmware “A Minor Drawback” To Hackers
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02-02-2011, 06:13 PM
#1
econg
Bounty hunter
Sony’s recently-released PlayStation 3 system software 3.56, which was solely intended to stop hackers and pirates in their tracks, only presents a “minor drawback” to the scene.
The new firmware, released last week, was quickly decrypted, but Sony has done enough to prevent installation of custom firmware, homebrew and piracy on PS3s that have updated to 3.56. Mathieu Hervais, a respected voice in the homebrew scene who prefers the term “reverse engineer” to “hacker”, told us that while Sony has done all it could in response, it can never fully re-secure its system.
“3.56 was more of a patch to save what’s left to be saved,” he says. “Indeed Sony fixed everything that could have been fixed. The reality though is that this is only a minor drawback.”
The new firmware update includes updated security keys, including the random element that was absent from the original keys, which lead to the system being hacked. New games will be signed with these keys, and Sony has produced a whitelist of approved software – essentially PS3’s existing games library – that is allowed to run with only the original keys. Sony evidently believes this will re-secure its console, but Hervais believes the opposite.
“New keys were introduced in the 3.56 Firmware and code that is not whitelisted is now forced to use those keys,” he continues. “However, since the boot chain integrity is compromised it’s always possible to reprogram externally the NAND/NOR chips (where the firmware code is written to) to run unsigned code again." While Sony can include the new keys in consoles at the manufacturing stage going forward, it is essentially powerless to re-secure the millions of systems it has already sold.
“No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far," says Hervais. "The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security.”
The new firmware release is Sony’s first response in what it told us was to be a “series of network updates” aimed at re-securing the console. Its legal department has been busy too, taking legal action against the hackers, and securing a temporary restraining order against Geohot, the man who published the console’s root keys online.
source EDGE
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02-02-2011, 06:14 PM
#2
Pillar2365
I use to give free rep :/
Originally posted by econg
Hacker says PS3 can never be fully re-secured due to “kindergarten mistakes” in system security.
Sony’s recently-released PlayStation 3 system software 3.56, which was solely intended to stop hackers and pirates in their tracks, only presents a “minor drawback” to the scene.
The new firmware, released last week, was quickly decrypted, but Sony has done enough to prevent installation of custom firmware, homebrew and piracy on PS3s that have updated to 3.56. Mathieu Hervais, a respected voice in the homebrew scene who prefers the term “reverse engineer” to “hacker”, told us that while Sony has done all it could in response, it can never fully re-secure its system.
“3.56 was more of a patch to save what’s left to be saved,” he says. “Indeed Sony fixed everything that could have been fixed. The reality though is that this is only a minor drawback.”
The new firmware update includes updated security keys, including the random element that was absent from the original keys, which lead to the system being hacked. New games will be signed with these keys, and Sony has produced a whitelist of approved software – essentially PS3’s existing games library – that is allowed to run with only the original keys. Sony evidently believes this will re-secure its console, but Hervais believes the opposite.
“New keys were introduced in the 3.56 Firmware and code that is not whitelisted is now forced to use those keys,” he continues. “However, since the boot chain integrity is compromised it’s always possible to reprogram externally the NAND/NOR chips (where the firmware code is written to) to run unsigned code again." While Sony can include the new keys in consoles at the manufacturing stage going forward, it is essentially powerless to re-secure the millions of systems it has already sold.
“No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far," says Hervais. "The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security.”
The new firmware release is Sony’s first response in what it told us was to be a “series of network updates” aimed at re-securing the console. Its legal department has been busy too, taking legal action against the hackers, and securing a temporary restraining order against Geohot, the man who published the console’s root keys online.
source EDGE
Sony’s recently-released PlayStation 3 system software 3.56, which was solely intended to stop hackers and pirates in their tracks, only presents a “minor drawback” to the scene.
The new firmware, released last week, was quickly decrypted, but Sony has done enough to prevent installation of custom firmware, homebrew and piracy on PS3s that have updated to 3.56. Mathieu Hervais, a respected voice in the homebrew scene who prefers the term “reverse engineer” to “hacker”, told us that while Sony has done all it could in response, it can never fully re-secure its system.
“3.56 was more of a patch to save what’s left to be saved,” he says. “Indeed Sony fixed everything that could have been fixed. The reality though is that this is only a minor drawback.”
The new firmware update includes updated security keys, including the random element that was absent from the original keys, which lead to the system being hacked. New games will be signed with these keys, and Sony has produced a whitelist of approved software – essentially PS3’s existing games library – that is allowed to run with only the original keys. Sony evidently believes this will re-secure its console, but Hervais believes the opposite.
“New keys were introduced in the 3.56 Firmware and code that is not whitelisted is now forced to use those keys,” he continues. “However, since the boot chain integrity is compromised it’s always possible to reprogram externally the NAND/NOR chips (where the firmware code is written to) to run unsigned code again." While Sony can include the new keys in consoles at the manufacturing stage going forward, it is essentially powerless to re-secure the millions of systems it has already sold.
“No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far," says Hervais. "The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security.”
The new firmware release is Sony’s first response in what it told us was to be a “series of network updates” aimed at re-securing the console. Its legal department has been busy too, taking legal action against the hackers, and securing a temporary restraining order against Geohot, the man who published the console’s root keys online.
source EDGE
Copy and paste much? Also please link your sources.
02-02-2011, 06:15 PM
#4
manster
League Champion
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“No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far," says Hervais. "The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security.”
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“No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far," says Hervais. "The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security.”
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02-02-2011, 06:51 PM
#10
Ares-NoLimit
HIGH ROLLA
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