Almost 2 years after its initial release, the PlayStation 5 has reportedly been jailbroken. PlayStation modder SpecterDev unveiled the IPV6 Kernel exploit earlier this week which relies on a WebKit vulnerability as an entry point that allows users access to a Debug Settings Menu in the PS5’s dashboard which is usually reserved for developers. This menu includes a package installer which can be used to install PKG files for PS4 and PS5 games. In a video released by modder Lance McDonald, he shows how the jailbreak allows him to install the now-delisted P.T. demo.
P.T. was a psychological horror game developed as an interactive teaser for the game Silent Hills, an instalment in the Silent Hill series. The game was removed from the PlayStation Network store shortly after Silent Hills was cancelled in 2015 and was made impossible to reinstall. The decision to remove the game from the PSN store received backlash from fans, who have since been trying to develop their own versions of the game.
Jailbreaking is the process of exploiting the flaws of a device to gain full access with the aim of installing software that is different to what the device manufacturer makes available. Jailbreaking has most commonly been in relation to the iPhone as it is considered the most ‘locked down’ mobile device currently on sale, the term ‘jailbreaking’ comes from freeing users from their locked devices.
However, one of the most famous jailbreaks occurred on the PlayStation 3 back in 2010 which was the first USB (Universal Serial Bus) chipset that allowed unauthorized execution of code. It worked by bypassing a system security check using a memory exploit (heap overflow) which occurs with USB devices that allows the execution of unsigned code. This wreaked havoc across online games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 where players were able to get mod menus that could completely change the game.
As this jailbreak relies on a WebKit vulnerability, it’s only said to work on PS5 consoles with firmware version 4.03, which was released in October 2021 and replaced with version 4.50 in December 2021. Meaning if you have updated your console since December last year it’s unlikely you would be able to execute this jailbreak. Furthermore, the exploit’s creator warns that it will only work around 30% of the time and usually requires multiple attempts.
Even if you are successful, this doesn’t mean you will be installing any game you want and jumping into online games with an army of hacks. While the video showed they were able to install P.T. to their PlayStation 5, they couldn’t actually play the game, which shows this mod is still growing from infancy.