Is the PS5 losing one of its last defenses of security? This is what many experts fear after the revelation, in recent days, of a massive leak of ROM keys for the famous Sony console. Published on the internet and spotted by the Tom’s Hardware site, this leak gives hackers unprecedented access to the heart of the machine’s system.
This upheaval in the modding scene does not yet mean widespread console piracy. But for the first time, a fundamental barrier has just been overcome: access to the BootROM, this sequence of code present at the lowest level of the architecture, which Sony cannot correct with a simple update.
A hardware flaw that is impossible to patch
Unlike previous software hacks, which were often quickly remedied by a firmware update, the current situation is on a different scale. According to The Cyber GuruROM keys represent the “deepest and most protected” layer of the console. “It is impossible to correct this problem with a firmware update,” he says.
Every PS5 relies on a chain of trust, a system in which each boot stage verifies the next. However, the BootROM, injected directly into the processor at the time of manufacturing, is the entry point of this chain. The leak therefore makes it possible to exploit the other stages, without Sony being able to intervene.
A colossal challenge for Sony
To stop this vulnerability, Sony would have to go well beyond a simple software patch. According to experts, the only solution would be to completely review the hardware architecture of future PS5s. “What happened overnight is comparable to losing the master key to the bank vault, rather than simply knowing how to pick the lock on the front door,” illustrates The Cyber Guru.
Problem: the console has already sold more than 84 million copies, and several million stocks are still lying dormant in stores. The machines currently in circulation will therefore, in theory, remain permanently vulnerable.
The modding scene is boiling
Even if no complete jailbreak is yet available, specialists are working. Access to ROM keys opens the way to further research into the bootloader and firmware, which could ultimately allow the launch of unofficial applications or pirated games.
“For the moment, we can safely assume that the players in this sector are using these keys to try to take the next step,” says TheGamer. A race against time is now underway between Sony and the hackers, with both economic and security issues.
Sony remains silent
To date, Sony has not yet publicly reacted to this matter. The manufacturer could decide to never officially acknowledge the leak, preferring to discreetly address the flaws and monitor the distribution circuits.
But the damage is done: with such a deep hardware breach, confidence around the security of the PS5 is permanently shaken. It remains to be seen whether a new wave of secure consoles will see the light of day… or whether modding is about to experience a golden age.