Sony appears to be facing a significant long-term security crisis.
Reports suggest that Sony has fallen victim to a major data breach, dealing a severe blow to the PlayStation 5’s security architecture. Hackers assert that they have successfully extracted the console’s root ROM keys.
Because these keys are hard-coded directly into the APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), they cannot be revoked or replaced through a standard firmware update. If the breach is verified, Sony’s only permanent solution would be to revise the hardware of future production runs, leaving every console currently in circulation potentially susceptible to exploits.
It is important to note that obtaining ROM keys does not immediately compromise the PlayStation 5, as the system relies on multiple layers of sophisticated protection. Nevertheless, this leak provides the hacking community with a critical roadmap that could eventually lead to the execution of unlicensed software and pirated games.
Access to these keys grants tech enthusiasts the ability to decrypt the PS5 bootloader, a necessary step toward developing methods for running arbitrary code and custom homebrew applications on the hardware.
Source: iXBT.games