During the GeekPwn convention held in Shanghai, China late last month, two Chinese hackers shared a video of what they claimed as a PlayStation 4 4.01 Jailbreak firmware.
It was the first time that a full-fledged exploit is publicly showcased on a firmware higher than the Playstation 4 1.76 Jailbreak, as such the 4.01 is considered by critics and techno-geeks as a massive breakthrough, reports Wololo.
The video was presented by two Chinese hackers from Chaitin Tech and they showed the 4.01 firmware running a PlayStation 4 Jailbreak.
Once the exploit was running, the hackers started running Linux on the PS4 and then launched the “Mario” game on an NES simulator.
From what the Chinese pair has presented, the exploit’s entry point is through the web browser and it is assumed that they might have utilized a webkit exploit too. But the video did not show proof in its entirety that the exploit is legitimate or not.
But since the GeekPwn convention appears to be a legitimate professional event, the organizers would certainly not allow somebody to make a presentation if they believe or know that they are just being lead on.
The two Chinese hackers have not stated any release date for the PlayStation 4 4.01 Jailbreak firmware but some of the more discerning critics are getting worried that the exploit could make its way to piracy dongles rather than an open exploit for homebrews and customization.
The hackers have also shared a website where users can check the firmware but it only contains a video, the same one that they presented at the GeekPwn and not the actual exploit.
A PlayStation 4 Jailbreak has already been shared online for those who have a firmware of 1.76 or below, which would allow users to run Linux on their PS4 or their PS4 native code.
However, for users running on a firmware higher than 1.76, it is generally recommended that they stay on as low a firmware as possible as new hacks will eventually surface.
A number of people have already found ways on how to pirate games on the PlayStation 4 using Rasberry Pi, a technique known as the Brazilian Jailbreak, back in 2014.
Jailbreaking a PS4
PlayStation 4 can easily be jailbroken if the user has the right method to jailbreak. But it is not similar to doing it as in the Apple iOS devices. It is not as simple as downloading the file and installing it on the console.
It can be done when the user is working to update his gaming console. There is no option to update the PlayStation 4 via storage and the only way it can be done is via the internet and the console has to also update the storage for jailbreaking purposes, details PS Jailbreak.
Users should be aware that they cannot jailbreak their PlayStation 4 in a normal mode but in a safe mode.
Even when the PlayStation 4 Jailbreak is already running on the console, users can still download free PS4 games from the Play Store without paying credit card or incurring charges. But they have to sign in using their PlayStation account for the order to download PS4 games.
Users should also note that it will take some time to install the jailbreak file. After it has been installed on the console, and the PlayStation 4 will automatically restart. Once it’s back, the console is already jailbroken.
Jailbreaking in the least complicated manner
When the PlayStation 4 was reportedly jailbroken not too long ago, it has become the preoccupation of some hackers to find and develop new ways on how to jailbreak Sony’s current generation gaming console in the least complicated manner possible.
The famous hacker group called FailOverFlow has released a few months ago a kexec-style code on its GitHub page that allows other experienced hackers to load Linux on the Orbit OS.