Yesterday a new, PSN-enabled custom firmware for hacked PlayStation 3 consoles launched, compatible with the official firmware 4.25 release. This type of hack isn't new, and previously Sony has been able to update its firmware to sufficiently quell the hackers' reach. Following the custom firmware launch yesterday, however, was the release of the PlayStation 3's LV0 keys.

In theory, the LV0 decryption keys make is easy to decode any system update to the PlayStation 3, Eurogamer writes. The LV0 keys allow PS3 firmware to be decrypted on PC, and then re-encrypted with firmware 3.55 keys to run on hacked consoles.

A group called "The Three Muskateers" takes responsibility for the LV0 keys, but not the leak itself. That's all thanks to a new Chinese hacking group, "BlueDiskCFW," who planned to release and charge for custom firmware updates using The Three Muskateers' LV0 keys. To stop BlueDiskCFW from profiting off the keys, the Muskateers released them.

"You can be sure that if it wouldn't have been for this leak, this key would never have seen the light of day," The Three Muskateers write in a statement. "Only the fear of our work being used by others to make money out of it has forced us to release this now."

Posted: Oct 23, 2012 9:26 pm
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/23/rumor-ps3-hacked-yet-again-this-time-it-might-be-for-keeps/