Security researcher Boris Larin aka oct0xor will demonstrate at the end of the year at the CCC Congress 36C3 how to use the Blu-Ray drive on a PS3 and PS4 to run their own code. Larin is convinced that the drives are the gateway for a possible jailbreak in these game consoles.

Boris Larin aka oct0xor uses drives for his attacks

In the jailbreak of Microsoft's XBOX 360, the optical drive played a big role again and again. Sony's PS3 and PS4 have almost completely ignored this hardware component. Larin has been busy lately exploiting vulnerabilities on the PS3 and PS4 Blu-ray drives. He investigated how to transfer your own firmware to the devices. In addition, he examined the functionality and integration of the drives into the firmware through reverse engineering. In addition, he already managed to run their own code on the two game consoles of Sony.

Boris Larin
@oct0xor

It's official now. I will be talking at #36c3 about dumping firmware, reversing it and getting code execution on Blu-ray drives of Sony PlayStation 3 and 4 https://halfnarp.events.ccc.de

https://twitter.com/oct0xor/status/1197193648846364674

Congress in Leipzig sold out as usual

Oct0xor aka Boris Larin works as a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. As Larin announces via Twitter (see above), he will be performing on the 36C3 in Leipzig between Christmas and New Year. The CCC has already recorded its talk on its own timetable for this event.

Unless you have a card, you will probably not be able to watch this talk on the spot. As every year, the tickets were sold out within a very short time. Most of them landed in the back of the queue within minutes and had no chance of getting a ticket. The only ones who are more fortunate are those who have good contact with one of the Erfas of the CCC. The "branches" of the Chaos Computer Club each receive an extra contingent of cards. They can then distribute this purchase permit to people who feel connected to the CCC.

But those interested do not have to go completely empty. The lectures will also be streamed live via the Internet. With a little delay, the talks will be available later as video.

No jailbreak for black copies yet

According to the hardware hobbyist, he opened a new entrance gate. Far enough for playing black copies of his research but not yet thrived. Let's hope that Larin will share his findings with the other members of the jailbreak scene.

The PS3 has long cracked. But it has been a long time since the PS4 got a decent jailbreak. Hardly anyone managed to overcome the copy protection of the operating system, Sony closed the vulnerability promptly with the next "software update" of the in-house firmware.

When asked about the black copies Boris Larin replied as follows:

John Fitzgerald @ Goldfitzgerald
· 20. Nov. 2019

How is this legal? Does it not violate DMCA in some manner?

Boris Larin
@oct0xor

This research does not help/support/enable/endorse to break the copyright law. As far as I am aware its not possible to use my findings to circumvent copy protection.

https://twitter.com/oct0xor/status/1197208633832067078