PS3 hacked. Again.

[KalosKagathos]

Maybe.

The 27th annual Chaos Communication Conference already hacked encrypted GSM calls with a $15 cellphone, but there was a second surprise in store this morn -- the souls who unlocked the Nintendo Wii's homebrew potential (and defended it time and again) claim to have broken into the PlayStation 3 as well. Last we left the black monolith, Sony had won a round, forcing the community to downgrade their firmware for any hope at hacking into the console. Well, the newly formed fail0verflow hacking squad says that won't be a problem any longer, because they've found a way to get the PS3 to reveal its own private cryptography key -- the magic password that could let the community sign its very own code.

So far, the team hasn't provided any proof that the deed's been done, but they have provided quite an extensive explanation of how they managed the feat: apparently, Sony didn't bother generating any random numbers to secure the blasted thing. (We don't really know how it works, but we have it on good authority that dead cryptography professors are rapidly spinning in their graves.) The group intends to generate a proof-of-concept video tomorrow, and release the tools sometime next month, which they claim should eventually enable the installation of Linux on every PS3 ever sold. Catch the whole presentation after the break in video form, or skip to 33:00 for the good stuff.

Anyone here tech-savvy enough to explain just how badly Sony messed up, if this is true?

 

[SCO]

Pretty badly apparently. The private keys were said to be comprised ("leaked" heheh). That means code can be signed to look as if it came from Sony. If they have some kind of mass key revocation mechanism, i think they might try to use it now. Don't connect the thing to the internet for a while.

I read a few years ago that new games would invalidate the "freed" firmware of the console sometimes. Maybe they will try that.

 

[AdmiralHugbunny]

Basically what happened is (like with all cryptography-based security features) that a badly engineered implementation compromised an otherwise impregnable (at the moment, anyway) mathematical model.

Like any asymmetrical crypto system, Elliptic Curve Cryptography uses several parameters and some of those parameters (m and k in this case) must be kept secret for the scheme to work. In this model, m is meant to be a random number (so that an equation containing unknown m and k can't be solved) but Sony fails to actually generate a random number and instead uses a constant number. Now, given two different "signatures", meaning signature equations, they basically have two equations with two unknowns, a system that is easily solvable.

To demonstrate: each signature is done using the same key called k (which is only known to Sony) and a number m, which is supposed to be unique for each different signature. Assuming that the equations defined by the model are the following (they aren't but for simplicity I'll use these):

signature1 = m1 + k * p
signature2 = m2 + k * n

and assuming that one knows signature1, signature2, n and p, one can't obtain k because she doesn't know m1 and m2.

But consider Sony's implementation of this:

signature1 = m + k * p
signature2 = m + k * n

sig1 - sig2 = m + k*p - (m + k*n)
sig1 - sig2 = k(p-n)

sig1 - sig2
------------ = k
(p-n)

This change enables one to find, rather easily, the value of k, which is the cryptographic key that is used to sign code and applications on the PS3, enabling the PS3 to execute them.

Note that the actual model of ECC is more complicated and more steps would be required to extract k, but the principle remains the same.

By the way, the other programming fails they presented there were pretty bad too.

 

[MetalCraze]

which they claim should eventually enable the installation of Linux on every PS3 ever sold

"Installation of Linux" is the new "not removed from the inventory"

 

[laclongquan]

Linux? Hwat is that?

What with the decidedly lack of game running on Line-your-anus, I fail to see why we should into this thing.

 

[Overweight Manatee]

If you have the private keys you can produce code that is signed and therefore 100% indistinguishable from Sony's signed code. Sony could in theory fix the bug that let them discover the private key and then change the private key, but doing so would turn every PS3 game into a fancy paperweight since they were signed with the original private key. So this is pretty damn huge. None of the other 'hacked' consoles have been compromised in such a way AFAIK. Their signing mechanisms have only been sidestepped and their private keys remain uncompromised.

which they claim should eventually enable the installation of Linux on every PS3 ever sold

"Installation of Linux" is the new "not removed from the inventory"

 

[SCO]

Linux? Hwat is that?

What with the decidedly lack of game running on Line-your-anus, I fail to see why we should into this thing.

But you're a tribal pagan.

Why the fuck should the master race of computing give a shit what you think?

 

[AdmiralHugbunny]

If you have the private keys you can produce code that is signed and therefore 100% indistinguishable from Sony's signed code. Sony could in theory fix the bug that let them discover the private key and then change the private key, but doing so would turn every PS3 game into a fancy paperweight since they were signed with the original private key. So this is pretty damn huge. None of the other 'hacked' consoles have been compromised in such a way AFAIK. Their signing mechanisms have only been sidestepped and their private keys remain uncompromised.

Actually, the guys in the video said that the key they found was the key used to sign certain code sections and not the one used to sign games, so if the vulnerability doesn't apply to the code that is used to verify game signatures, this would not be an issue.

If the key used to sign games is also extractable then yeah, it's a major problem for Sony.

 

[SCO]

Are the games actually ciphered or just signed?
Because if that key allows for a custom firmware upload it would be rather easy to make a wrapper firmware that the only thing it does is to lie to the original one about what the CD signature actually is.

Dunno if it is so easy.

 

[Overweight Manatee]

If you have the private keys you can produce code that is signed and therefore 100% indistinguishable from Sony's signed code. Sony could in theory fix the bug that let them discover the private key and then change the private key, but doing so would turn every PS3 game into a fancy paperweight since they were signed with the original private key. So this is pretty damn huge. None of the other 'hacked' consoles have been compromised in such a way AFAIK. Their signing mechanisms have only been sidestepped and their private keys remain uncompromised.

Actually, the guys in the video said that the key they found was the key used to sign certain code sections and not the one used to sign games, so if the vulnerability doesn't apply to the code that is used to verify game signatures, this would not be an issue.

If the key used to sign games is also extractable then yeah, it's a major problem for Sony.

Ahh, OK. But I'm sure finding a way to do so (or bypass it) would not be hard. Sony has actually been fucked for months, you can run pirated games off your TI-89. This is more of just a public shaming of their security. Most likely these guys don't even care to do the work to beat the game verification system. They just care about getting Linux back, which is a harder problem than running pirated games.

 

[Ermm]

So, is there any way to hack PS3 games with 100% certainty?
Does PS3 hacking needs modchip?

 

[DraQ]

Linux? Hwat is that?

What with the decidedly lack of game running on Line-your-anus, I fail to see why we should into this thing.

 

[laclongquan]

Feast your eyes on the noble visage of honourable savage. THe colour of tattoo, the fashionable bone nose, the piercing eyes. I am the very vision of majesticness.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Feast your eyes on the noble visage of honourable savage. THe colour of tattoo, the fashionable bone nose, the piercing eyes. I am the very vision of majesticness.

Could be an advert for my penis.

 

[Crooked Bee]

 

[AdmiralHugbunny]

Well, with the current private keys being public, one can basically code, sign and run custom hypervisor software (hypervisor being the supervisor of the supervisor). This HV software can control every part of the machine in a privileged state and since this is the software used to enforce the security of the system, one could write a hypervisor program that doesn't do any security checks at all, thus enabling pirated games to be loaded.

An interesting thing to note is that with the fall of the PS3's security system, it joins the other consoles of this generation in that all three have been hacked using software exploits only. By this I mean that no hardware modifications are required (admittedly I am not so sure about the latest revisions of the 360) to bring a console unit from factory state to a state where the consumer has complete control of it. Since the current approach has failed and the previous approach of using hardware modules for security has failed as well, I suspect that the next generation of consoles will see a requirement to have the console constantly hooked up to an internet connection for monitoring and encrypted, on-the-fly delivery of software will take the place of flash memory and ROMs.

 

[SCO]

The emasculated "Net Neutrality" will help

 

[AdmiralHugbunny]

The emasculated "Net Neutrality" will help

Not really. This has nothing to do with net neutrality.

 

[Orgasm]

Well, with the current private keys being public, one can basically code, sign and run custom hypervisor software (hypervisor being the supervisor of the supervisor). This HV software can control every part of the machine in a privileged state and since this is the software used to enforce the security of the system, one could write a hypervisor program that doesn't do any security checks at all, thus enabling pirated games to be loaded.

Havent watched the presentation, have you...

You could run games with the usb exploit.
And you dont need to code any hypervisors. You have authentic private keys. Any shit signed with them will run.

 

[SCO]

The emasculated "Net Neutrality" will help

Not really. This has nothing to do with net neutrality.

You don't think your ISP is going to give MAXIMUM_SPEED to the Sony pipes digital distribution system (instead of say, gamersgate or even steam)?

You mad

 

[AdmiralHugbunny]

Havent watched the presentation, have you...

You could run games with the usb exploit.
And you dont need to code any hypervisors. You have authentic private keys. Any shit signed with them will run.

I have watched the presentation, thank you.

I was answering Rasputin's question regarding whether games could now be pirated without using modchips and by modchips I assumed he meant any kind of physical hardware device that needs to be bought or made, which includes the USB dongle exploit. I neglected to quote the post I was answering.

So the answer is that while in principle this should be possible, there is still quite a lot of work to be done to achieve this.

You don't think your ISP is going to give MAXIMUM_SPEED to the Sony pipes digital distribution system (instead of say, gamersgate or even steam)?

You mad

Yes, they could, but even without such ISP intervention, distributing the software upon connection of a system is more than feasible, especially considering the rising connection speeds available in homes today and in the near future.

Also, net neutrality is popamole bullshit to appease the masses. If the laws were to be passed (right now it's only at the FCC level, not an actual law), ISPs would simply make more efforts to conceal their priority bias. Even the current FCC neutrality rules have exceptions for "network health" needs and other kinds of bullshit ISPs can use to put a spin on their biased policies.

 

[TripJack]

Amusing. It will be interesting to see exactly what other devs will be able to do once the team releases their work.

Regardless, huge fuckup by some jap on the sony software team and a huge win for twiizers. Whether you think consoles are popamole or not, you have to agree these guys are good at what they do.

 

[pocahaunted]

This could, in theory, make me buy a PS3. Question is, which games are worth playing beyond the 5 minutes mark?

 

[KalosKagathos]

Epic Sony fail just got more epic: http://www.ps3hax.net/2011/01/mathieulh ... z19xQHcr3L

< @Mathieulh> got the kirk engine keys
< @Mathieulh> thx sony xD
< +rck`d> psp crypto
< @Mathieulh> well it’s in ps3 but it’s psp keys
< @Mathieulh> I can encrypt/sign any psp apps now
< @Mathieulh> lol
< @Mathieulh> yah
< @Mathieulh> has drm keyz too

 

[SCO]

Yes. They had the PSP master keys there too


Anyway, here is the PS3 master key:

erk: C0 CE FE 84 C2 27 F7 5B D0 7A 7E B8 46 50 9F 93 B2 38 E7 70 DA CB 9F F4 A3 88 F8 12 48 2B E2 1B
riv: 47 EE 74 54 E4 77 4C C9 B8 96 0C 7B 59 F4 C1 4D
pub: C2 D4 AA F3 19 35 50 19 AF 99 D4 4E 2B 58 CA 29 25 2C 89 12 3D 11 D6 21 8F 40 B1 38 CA B2 9B 71 01 F3 AE B7 2A 97 50 19
R: 80 6E 07 8F A1 52 97 90 CE 1A AE 02 BA DD 6F AA A6 AF 74 17
n: E1 3A 7E BC 3A CC EB 1C B5 6C C8 60 FC AB DB 6A 04 8C 55 E1
K: BA 90 55 91 68 61 B9 77 ED CB ED 92 00 50 92 F6 6C 7A 3D 8D
Da: C5 B2 BF A1 A4 13 DD 16 F2 6D 31 C0 F2 ED 47 20 DC FB 06 70