Software exploits on the PS3

[Harrison]

It seems that much like the PSP, hackers are starting to find software exploits for the PS3 via its firmware.

This video shows a Tiff image exploit (also commonly used with PSP exploits) where a custom exploit is loaded into the system via an image file accessed when loading an official game, and once loading the user in this video is then able to boot a PSX backup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ1oFSfbpgU

But this is early days and at the moment it seems this can only be used to launch PS1 backups and not PS2 or PS3. Also this video isn't 100% evidence that this exploit is actually working yet as it only shows the PS1 game boot log and not the actual game loading.

But it can only be a matter of time now until a proper methos is uncovered. A software based firmware exploit is definitely preferred to a hardware mod chip as it means as new official firmwares are released the exploits can be updated to work with them. With a hardware mod chip it could restrict the PS3 from being able to run newer firmwares.

[toomanymikes]

I recon that if they get this thing to run american region blu ray disks / dvds as well as newer software (ps2 /3) then it will basically sell more PS3's than any single game.

[Harrison]

I totally agree. The original PSX suddenly started selling so well when it could be chipped. I remember as soon as a Chinese guy at my university said he could chip anyones PSX for £40 nearly everyone at the university suddenly owned one.

[AlexJ]

In a way, Sony really have tried hard to make chipping/custom firmware on the PS3 less desirable/necessary. You can already run homebrew through Linux and it's region free out of the box. Still, the more computer-esque the consoles become, the more likely they are to be 'opened up' by software hacks.

[Harrison]

Very true. As they evolve the firmware is becoming a full OS, and is then open to hacking.