The hacker group fail0verflow claims to have found a new way to hack the PlayStation 3 that would give the user full control over the system. fail0verflow is the same group that released the Wii’s Homebrew Channel. This latest PS3 hack allegedly gives users the ability to jailbreak their PlayStation 3 without the need for a USB drive or other attachment. They claim the hack was not designed to allow PS3 game piracy but rather to enable Linux to run on all PS3s no matter the firmware.
While the hack’s purpose might not be to allow or enable PS3 game piracy it would seem any hack that gives a user full control over the console would allow for it. More information about the hack should be available at fail0verflow’s site when it launches.
In the meantime questions about whether Sony can do anything to fix this hack remain. Could this open the PS3 to Dreamcast, DS, or PSP level piracy? What implications would this hack have on online multiplayer gaming? Hacked consoles running mods, cheats, and other exploits could really kill any competitive online gaming, while easy game piracy could limit third-party support for the system.
No console seems “hack proof” these days and the cat-and-mouse game of hack-and-patch will likely continue forever. Some neat things have come out of the hacker and homebrew scene over the years and some good uses might come out of this latest hack. Pirating games, however, is a not good thing for the industry or those that love it, even if games are the least pirated medium.
What are your thoughts? Do you believe fail0verflow when they say the hack is not designed to enable PS3 game piracy? Do you think this hack could cause problems for online gaming on the PS3? Do you think Sony will be able fix this exploit? Is hacking your systems something would consider doing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: NeoGAF
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And then the machines rise up.
Maybe I’m just some loserific noob, but what exactly is the PS3 capable of that isn’t available without nostril-raping the software…? I’ve *heard* of jailbreaking, but only with iPods and iPhones.
I’d be most willing to get Linux running again on my PS3. I’m sure there are ways to deal with the memory issues, knowing that I experimented with XFCE, LXDE and other lightweight solutions. The only thing that bugs me is the slow old 60GB HDD, which I hope to replace very soon.
One condition: I hope it doesn’t touch the PS3 System Software, so that it could be kept safe for playing games. Other than that, I’d be all in for it.