14 DAY TRIAL // The latest firmware release for the PlayStation 3, version 3.56, is just a "minor drawback" for hackers that want to open up the system, despite Sony's efforts to combat them, at least according to a reputed member of the hacking scene.
The PlayStation 3 console has been the target of many hackers in the last few months, with the fail0verflow team making the most progress and finding the master decryption key of the device, thus enabling homebrew developers to "sign" their software so that the PS3 would recognize it as being from Sony itself.
The company responded to these allegations, and last week it released a brand new firmware update, version 3.56, which aimed at fixing some of the "security issues" on the console.
According to hacking scene member Mathieu Hervais, who talked with Edge magazine, the new firmware is just a "minor drawback" and won't stop people from continuing to work on the PS3.
"3.56 was more of a patch to save what's left to be saved," said Hervais. "Indeed Sony fixed everything that could have been fixed. The reality though is that this is only a minor drawback."
After hackers found the master decryption key, and began releasing signed editions of customized firmwares, Sony attempted to introduce brand new keys, in order to foil their efforts.
"New keys were introduced in the 3.56 Firmware and code that is not whitelisted is now forced to use those keys. 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."
"No matter what they do, a 3.56 (and onward) custom firmware is possible on all PlayStation 3 consoles manufactured so far. The people Sony hired made several kindergarten mistakes while implementing their security."
Sony's 3.56 firmware is reported to have an ace up its sleeve, however, as other hackers were reporting that something similar to a rootkit was included, which allowed Sony to make certain checks or run pieces of software without the owner's knowledge, if he signed into the PlayStation Network.
Either way, it seems that the war between Sony and the hackers is still far from over.