How a USB Drive Broke the PS4’s Security | Hackaru on the PlayStation 4

Overview / Framing

• The video describes the long-running “security vs. hacking” battle around the PlayStation 4 (PS4).
• It focuses on why the PS4 was considered one of the most secure Sony consoles, how specific exploit chains worked, and why public progress was delayed or limited by ethics/anti-piracy constraints.

Core Technical Protections of the PS4

Cryptography Everywhere

• Games/apps/OS are digitally signed by Sony and encrypted for distribution.
• The console:
  • Verifies Sony signatures
  • Decrypts content
  • Rejects anything that isn’t properly authenticated

Dedicated Cryptographic Hardware

• The PS4 uses a separate crypto co-processor: SMU.
• Cryptographic operations run in isolation, making large-scale hardware-based attacks (e.g., mod chips with soldering) harder.

Secure Boot with Chain of Trust

• Boot stages validate the integrity of the next stage before running it:
  • ROM → loader → boot loader → kernel
• Compared to other consoles (e.g., Wii U), boot-stage exploitation is presented as far more difficult.

Memory Exploitation Mitigations

• ASLR (randomizes memory addresses)
• Additional memory protections that make classic buffer overflow style exploits harder

Sandboxing (Strongest Emphasis)

• User-facing components/apps run isolated from system-critical parts.
• A browser/userland attack alone typically cannot grant full control.

Why PS4 Was Hard to Hack: The “Two-Exploit” Requirement

To gain full system control, attackers generally needed two vulnerabilities on the same firmware:

1. Userland exploit
   • Example: browser/save/app execution
   • Provides code execution, but with limited privileges due to sandboxing
2. Kernel exploit
   • Runs with full privileges
   • Enables breaking out of sandbox restrictions

The video uses a “key” analogy:

• Userland = key to the gate/yard
• Kernel = key to the house/front door

Key Milestone Events (What They Did / Failed to Do)

Early Era (2013–2015)

• Mostly minor browser exploits on old firmware
• No full control due to sandboxing
• Sony patched quickly (updates were required for:
  • online access
  • new games)

Brazil “Cloning Method” (May 2015)

• Discovery: transferring/replicating the flash + HDD between consoles could transfer purchased license validity
• Framed as an abuse/workaround, not a true system exploit
• Sony quickly fixed it, mainly affecting older firmware

Sea-Turret Kernel + Userland Exploit Claim (Late 2015)

• Claimed kernel code execution by combining:
  • a flaw in a processor instruction
  • a browser userland vulnerability
• Worked only on firmware 1.76, not newer
• Refusal to release usable exploit code caused community anger
• Later leaks occurred, but research stalled again

GeekPwn / Chaitin Tech Breakthrough (Oct 24, 2016, Shanghai)

• Demonstrated Linux on latest-ish firmware at the time and emulation (example: Super Mario)
• Community expected public exploit tooling, but instead Sony pushed firmware updates and forced users to update for online access

Game Decryption / Piracy-Adjacent Tools

• Zeo revealed a method to decrypt and dump PS4 game data
• This led to controversy (ethical vs. piracy interests)

Firmware 5.05 Era: The Major “Fully Enabling” Moment (May 2018)

• The unlock ultimately targeted firmware 5.05
• Outcome:
  • bypassing anti-piracy protections
  • enabling widespread homebrew / dumping
• Sony updates tried to fix it, but users countered by backporting games to run on older vulnerable firmware

Detailed Exploit-Chain Example (Querty + Spectre Dev, Simplified)

Userland/Browser Chain (Browser Flaw)

• Browser misuse with set attribute node NS attribute
• Left residual data in memory
• Allowed manipulation of memory assumptions and invocation of gadgets
  • i.e., reusing instruction sequences already present in libraries

Kernel Exploit (BPF Timing Gap)

• PS4 BPF acts as a network filtering/rejection system
• Weakness described as a time-of-check/time-of-use style gap:
  • validation vs. execution window
• Attack used carefully timed threads so malicious filter data replaced validated data before execution

Sony Response

• Sony appeared to remove BPF-related functionality in firmware 5.05 / later updates
• The exploit chain benefited from logic Sony “misdiagnosed” (as described in the video)

Homebrew Enablers and Practical Impact

• Kernel + userland combination produced tools:
  • PS4 HEN
  • Vortex HEN
• These enabled installing unofficial software
• They became usable for a large audience once they worked on broadly accessible firmware

Later Evolution: Bug Bounty and “Modern” Exploits

Sony Bug Bounty Program (March 2020)

• Hackers reported vulnerabilities for monetary rewards
• Example: The Flow reported an IPv6 handling issue on latest firmware
• Sony patched and paid a reward

Subsequent Public Exploits Often Had Low Reliability

• Later IPv6-derived exploits reportedly had ~10% success rate
• Failures triggered kernel panic:
  • loud beep + freeze
• Users often had to repeat reboot/retry procedures

Standardization on Newer Firmware

• IPv6 findings led the community to converge on specific firmware versions (example: 7.55)
• Update tools/guides followed that convergence

USB-Drive Exploit (December 13, 2021): “PS4” via USB

• Spectre Dev, Chendo Chap, Xenopter released PS4 (as named in the video) for nearly all consoles on a particular late-stage firmware bracket
• Uses a specially formatted USB drive to trigger an exploit
  • without requiring a modified disc drive

Similarity to PS3 USB overflow:

• PS3: crafted USB table-of-contents values caused memory overflow/code injection
• PS4: crafted exFAT USB data caused out-of-bounds reads/writes leading to exploitation

Practical workflow emphasized:

1. Format USB quickly
2. Copy file
3. Visit web page
4. Insert USB at the correct timing to trigger the exploit

LAPS (May 2025) and Vue (Feb 2026)

LAPS (May 2025, by ABC)

• A modern exploit called LAPS
• Based on a double-free vulnerability
• Memory allocator corruption → eventually enabling arbitrary code execution
• When paired with userland exploits (browser/save/Lua), it achieves full capability

Vue / “After Free” Exploit (Feb 2026)

• Works without a disc requirement
• Covers a wide range of firmware versions
• Presented as another major contemporary step in ongoing scene progress

Guides / Operational “Takeaways” Explicitly Mentioned

The video repeatedly contrasts:

• Old firmware-only exploits vs. new firmware breakthroughs
• The importance of firmware version matching for the two-exploit chain

It also highlights common operational patterns:

• Do not update when advised (until a stable public HEN/exploit exists)
• Backporting made staying on older firmware less limiting
• USB methods and HEN tools became repeatable workflows

Main Speakers / Sources (As Stated / Indicated)

Primary host / narrator

• Hackaru on the PlayStation 4 (video host/narrator; “what I personally find…” appears throughout)

Named researchers / hackers referenced

• Fail Overflow
• Querty / Quertio Europe
• Sea-Turret / Sea Turret
• Zeo (game decryption/dumping method)
• Chaitin Tech
• Spectre Dev
• The Flow
• Slayer’s GOI
• Socratic Bliss
• ABC (LAPS)
• Chendo Chap, Xenopter

Additional hardware mention

• MTX Key (described as a hardware modchip workaround)