Hacking PS4, and its older sister, PS4 Pro, has long been a major target for hackers. We are aware of many successful attempts that relied on very old firmware versions. Today, finally, we can confirm that a team of three hackers have managed to hack PS4 using modern firmware, and we know that it has been possible thanks to an exploit that is present in the kernel of the console.
The group of hackers who have managed to hack PS4 is made up of SpecterDev, ChendoChap and Znullptr, although they had the help of two other experts in the field, Sleirsgoevy, responsible for the webkit browser exploit, and The Flow, who discovered the bug in the system. of files. Their work has worked so well that once PS4 has been hacked using their method, it is possible to install everything from backup copies of games to other titles developed informally (full-fledged home games), and custom firmware can also be installed.
It works, there is no doubt about that. Sony’s console is down, and it’s already possible to hack PS4 (and PS4 Pro) without having to stay stuck in long-ago firmware versions. However, there is an important condition, and that is that for this to work it is necessary that the console has not been updated beyond firmware 9.00. To give you an idea, this firmware was released in September of this year, and since then only one update has been released, 9.03, which began to be implemented on December 1.
If you have not updated your console to that version, it would be possible to hack your PS4 or PS4 Pro, but I remind you that this involves significant risks, and that piracy is illegal. However, we could use this “hack” to install backup copies of games that we have obtained legally, and use these instead of the discs.
The hack used to hack PS4 could work with PS5
This has been, without a doubt, the most interesting of the news that TechSpot has shared, and it is that, according to those responsible for the hack that has allowed PS4 to be hacked, This could work directly on PS5, Sony’s next generation console. If this is confirmed, we would be facing a hard blow for the Japanese company, since this console reached the market just a year ago, and due to supply problems, speculation and resale, it still does not have a user base truly great.
In this sense I want to clarify that consoles sold does not equate to a real user base, and less when many consoles sold have not even been opened, and are gathering dust in warehouses where they wait to be resold for double their price. I’m not exaggerating, you just have to look at the stock of PS5 that is in any first level retailer, and the amount of consoles available that we can find in the resale market.
However, there is an important problem, and that is that The Flow still cannot start creating a version of the hack for PS5 because it has not been able to buy that console. Indeed, the shortage of PS5, and the problem of reselling, is so great that this hacker has not yet managed to get hold of a unit. Maybe when he gets a PS5 he will be able to transfer the work done to hack PS4, but this is something that raises many doubts, especially since Sony may have already taken action by then.
This allows us to close with a reference to the stock of PS5, and no, we have no good news. Forecasts remain poor for at least the first half of 2022. Barring surprise, stock levels will remain very low, meaning that there will be practically zero availability, and that buying a PS5 at its normal price will be a real challenge. Patience, there is no other.
9.👀 (awesome work by chendochap & @Znullptr) pic.twitter.com/ME12bLyu3C
– Specter (@SpecterDev) December 13, 2021
