Hackers are once again wreaking havoc on the PlayStation 3

Oct 24, 2011 09:32 GMT  ·  By

The PlayStation 3 has, reportedly, been hacked once again, through a brand new 'jailbreak' device called JB2, which is now being tested out by people in Indonesia, of all places.

Sony has had quite a lot of problems at the beginning of the year with security on the PlayStation 3, as groups of hackers finally managed to crack its encryption and allowed owners to run any sort of code on the home console, from homebrew applications to illegal copies of actual games, effectively kicking off a wave of piracy on the PlayStation 3.

Sony cracked down on these efforts, releasing multiple firmware updates that shut off hackers from accessing crucial systems on the console, while actively engaging those responsible for opening up the console, including hackers like George 'GeoHot' Hotz, who was caught in a lengthy lawsuit against the company.

Now, it seems that Sony should get ready for another wave of piracy, as several reports, via Digital Foundry, are now saying that the security systems on the PS3 have been foiled yet again through a new jailbreak device.

This is similar to the USB dongle that appeared last year, and circumvents the console's protection systems by unloading a special code when the PS3 boots up, allowing it to play any sort of application.

This isn't like the first jailbreak, when the PS3 could just play illegal game copies off of its internal hard drive or from portable flash drives, as the new jailbreak method requires a Blu-ray disc, with a copy of the game, to actually play it, similar to the piracy method on Microsoft's Xbox 360, which requires burned DVDs with games to play them.

As such, Sony should expect not just to combat people who are selling these new jailbreak devices, but also those who offer Blu-ray discs with illegal game copies.

The new jailbreak is still being tested, but already many hackers are proving that it works with recent games like PES 2012, Driver: San Francisco or FIFA 12.

Expect more details about this supposed new hacking of the PlayStation 3, as well as Sony's reaction, soon enough.