And just like that, the impossible (once again) becomes possible. A well-known hacking collective has managed to crack the security Sony put in place on their Playstation 4 console, leaving the system open to exploited and potentially makes illegally acquired software able to be played.
The hacking group fail0verflow is responsible for hacking Sony's Linux-based kernel, and they made a video showcasing the Playstation 4 playing Pokemon. The customized version of the Linux OS that the group made is freely available to the public, but fail0verflow will not be releasing the actual exploit, saying that other hackers are free to try and replicate it due to the PS4 security being “crappy enough that you don't need us for that”. I think we can reasonably expect other hackers to try their hand at cracking the console's operating system in the near future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A7V3GLWF6U This is hardly fail0verflow's first rodeo, nor is this the first time a Sony console's security was successfully circumvented by third parties. The hacking group already managed to crack the Playstation 3's operating system back in 2011, with the group stating that the security for that console was “in shambles”, even though Sony stated that the jailbreak was easily patched out. Fail0verflow has said that they don't condone piracy, but are doing this to show Sony that their software isn't as secure as they like to think it is. This is also the reason why the group is not releasing details on the exploit to the public. Sony has not yet responded to the hack, but we will update you when and if they do.
Quick Take
It was only a matter of time. Sony has shown in the past that they overestimate their ability to build a secure OS, and underestimates the ability of some individuals. The fact that it happened with most of their consoles is worrying, especially since the hackers keep saying that cracking the system is laughably easy to do.
