Firmware Exploit Discovery
A newly discovered firmware exploit on Sony's console does not mean upcoming major releases can be easily pirated.
Sony's latest PlayStation 5 firmware (14.10.00) appears to have been cracked, based on a video shared by a developer named Gezine on X. The video shows the developer navigating through the PS5's hidden Debug Settings, menus that are typically only available if you have kernel-level access to the console's operating system.
Implications for Grand Theft Auto VI
A possible exploit for the PS5's latest software is notable both because Sony released the update recently, and because the firmware is reportedly necessary to play the year's biggest release. According to datamining by X account PlayStation Game Size, Grand Theft Auto VI requires the latest firmware to run, theoretically blocking it from being played on jailbroken consoles running older software. While it was previously possible to jailbreak the console and play unauthorized copies using older methods, the update to version 14.10 closed that loophole until now.
Hello 14.10 pic.twitter.com/D7prKmOkbD
Security Research and Limitations
Of course, just because a developer has found a kernel exploit for the console's firmware doesn't mean GTA VI itself is any closer to being ripped or ported to another platform. The developer has not publicly shared their method for hacking the PS5's firmware. In a reply to their original post sharing the video, they indicated they might report it to a bug bounty program first. Sony runs a formal bug bounty program that pays security researchers for identifying similar vulnerabilities.
A kernel exploit is also only one of the ingredients necessary to unlock a digital game for use elsewhere. A new hypervisor exploit—a hack of the software security layer running under the kernel—would be necessary to crack games or run unauthorized copies. At least so far, that exploit hasn't materialized. Without it, Grand Theft Auto VI will only be available through traditional purchase channels.
