Fail0verflow recovers PlayStation 5 verification keys

Hacker group fail0verflow writes on Twitter that it has retrieved the root keys of the PS5. This would theoretically make it possible to run unauthorized software on the PS5 in the future, such as illegally obtained games or custom firmware.

Fail0verflow poses on Twitter that it has “learned all of the PlayStation 5’s symmetric authentication keys” by looking for them in the software. According to the collective, the individual verification key of each PS5 console can also be found in it. Fail0verflow does not provide details about the discovery.

With the root keys, the console’s firmware checks whether the software and games launched on the PS5 are authorized. Recovering the keys could make it possible to run code on the console that has not been approved and signed by Sony, such as a new operating system or illegally obtained games.

It’s not the first time fail0verflow has been able to hack into consoles. In 2011, the collective recovered the root key of the PlayStation 3 console. In 2012, they were able to hack into Wii U and in 2016 they managed to run a Linux kernel on a PS4 by exploiting a vulnerability in WebKit. That vulnerability was later patched by Sony. In 2018, fail0verflow discovered a bootrom leak in the Tegra X1 soc of the Nintendo Switch. This allowed them to run Debian GNU/Linux on Nintendo’s console.

Image fail0verflow