Open source PSJailbreak released

By Richard Leadbetter Published 1 September, 2010

"Ethical" hack loses piracy bits.

An open source alternative to the PSJailbreak hack called PSGroove has been released to PlayStation 3 owners this morning.

The release takes the form of a download package that users must compile and then transfer across to a AT90USB or related microcontroller found in USB development kits such as the Teensy++ or AT90USBKEY. These small dongles are typically available for around £25.

The open source version of the jailbreak is effectively a clone of the commercial hack, which has yet to make it in volume to the modchip suppliers, but it features a couple of fundamental changes over the original.

Firstly, the patches injected into the PS3 to re-route Blu-ray traffic to either the internal hard drive or an external device have been removed - this means that the ability to play "backup" games simply isn't possible in the open source version of the hack, although there is nothing to stop the less scrupulous swapping in the original PSJailbreak payload.

Secondly, the developers have removed code found in the original Jailbreak that locks up the console if the dongle is removed, meaning it is safe to remove the homebrew version of the device whenever you want.

With the piracy elements of the hack expunged, what remains is the ability to install unsigned, unencrypted code onto a retail PS3 - clearing the way for homebrew development. The open source nature of this release also means that any one out there who wants to add to or improve the code in the basic hack is free to do so.

If the release of a working hack isn't bad enough for Sony, the open source code also proves publicly that no copyrighted Sony materials are used in triggering the exploit. Previously it was assumed that the hack was based on Sony's own service mode hardware, but in actual fact the hack only uses the same device identifier. This will undoubtedly have some bearing in the firm's current, ongoing legal challenges against PSJailbreak resellers.

Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

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Comments (65) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Miths #1 1 year ago

    "With the piracy elements of the hack expunged, what remains is the ability to install unsigned, unencrypted code onto a retail PS3 - clearing the way for homebrew development."

    So I'm guessing that means only around 0.000001% of the thieves... sorry, people with a potential interest in the PSJailbreak thing, will bother looking at this open source version? :)

  • Charlie_Miso #2 1 year ago

    Sounds gay

  • Ron_Justice #3 1 year ago

    I've not seen any of the PSP's homebrew but I'd imagine that homebrew on the PS3 is a bit of a wet dream for the brew community. As long as this doesn't damage the sales of games I don't see a problem. Still a bit of a shame that the PS3's security has fallen though...

  • Freek #4 1 year ago

    All depends on what's being made with it. XBMC was a pretty popular hack for the original Xbox that turned it into a verry nice media center.

  • orangpelupa #5 1 year ago

    this is opensource. so anyone with programming skill can edit tge source to enable the bluray mountpoint.

    btw. we need some homebrew sdk (like on ps2) to really make ps3 homebew scene blooming.

    maybe just bring back linux?
    with this. linux should run without limit unlike in otheros

  • Zomoniac #6 1 year ago

    Even if all that comes of this is some clever chap releases a homebrew media player that will make my PS3 play HD .mkv files then I'm a happy panda.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #7 1 year ago

    Amazing - I am lost for words.

    Time for the homebrew community to get to work on the emulators.

    Also time for me to find a PS3 toolchain and get some coding done ;)

  • KayJay #8 1 year ago

    @zom
    Just download "tsmuxer" and convert your mkv's into m2ts files. It's freeware and take about 30 seconds to convert a large file.
    PS3 plays them just fine. If you are going to spend how ever many hours downloading mkv's then what an extra minute gonna cost you?

  • Zomoniac #9 1 year ago

    @kj

    I did not know about that, I always thought (as I think used to be the case) you either had to stream whilst transcoding at a massive loss of quality, or convert to .vob, which takes around 3 years. I shall give that a try. Thanks.

  • darkmorgado #10 1 year ago

    So getting this.

    I was toying with the idea of getting the jailbreak, but the price and the stupid knee-jerk "everyone who gets this is a pirate" reaction put me off.

    But now I can have my open platform back (f**k you Sony for implementing anti-features) and not be accused of piracy at the same time. Win-win.

  • KayJay #11 1 year ago

    @Zomoniac
    I have sent you a PM with a few details/links.
    It's easy peasy. :-)

  • 4thVariety #12 1 year ago

    Sony had a good run there, when was the last console safe for so long? I am sure companies will adapt to it. The purely single player games might feel the biggest impact, but I am sure between multiplayer modes and one-time activation codes, publishers will have quite some leverage to screw up the pirates' perception of free gaming.

    Ironically, the people enabling the piracy with their usb-device will be the ones whose software will get pirated the most, by cheaper knock-offs.

  • Widge #13 1 year ago

    you didn't read the article did you?

  • darkmorgado #14 1 year ago

    @Widge

    Obviously he didn't, and I'm sure many others are conveniently overlooking the "this disables the piracy bit" aspect of it. Some people just refuse to believe that there are uses beyond piracy.

  • Dylbot #15 1 year ago

    Works just fine for me. Hell, my PSP is used pretty much exclusively for homebrew shenanigans (ripping and playing the massive PS1 catalogue taking up space in the garage? Don't mind if I do). In fact, I'd be happy to pay the £25 purely to convert the PS3 into a competent media box.

  • MasterNameless #16 1 year ago

    @kj66246

    Does that embed subtitles into the picture too? That's the biggest problem I have with mkv's on my PS3. I currently use mkv2vob, which sounds very similar to what you're suggesting - it basically just takes the video file out of the mkv container without any transcoding, or any loss of quality. It was supposed to embed subs too, but there was a problem... can't remember what it was exactly now.

  • CrumpledPaper #17 1 year ago

    Interesting how so many people protest that these things are valid for homebrew, when the focus of all these 'homebrewers' with this device was to immediately patch back in backup playback support i.e. the pirate's best friend.

  • Skurmedel #18 1 year ago

    I already have the AVR tools required at home, so programming the AT90 with the open source code should be a breeze. Hopefully a good open source media center will emerge and I will finally have OGG Vorbis-support.

  • Psychotext #19 1 year ago

    Sweet. Time to buy me a USB development kit. :D

  • darkmorgado #20 1 year ago

    @Crumpledpaper

    Another one that has obviously not read the article/ ignored the fact that backup support has been removed from this.

  • des #21 1 year ago

    I give it few days until piracy bits are injected by someone...lol

  • geoneo123 #22 1 year ago

    The PS3 now has the prospect of becoming the death star of media players!
    Look forward to wiping the dust off mine and powering on the juice once I get my hands on one of those USB devices.

    Piracy is not an issue here!

  • SniperZoz #23 1 year ago

    aaa... look I'm not pro-piracy or anything ... but serious stop believing all you're told .... the x360 has been hacked for ages now and it's still has the best attachment rate of any current console ... care to explain!?

    i think this hack/mod is an interesting development .... hopefully some good homebrew will be released - and hopefully sony won't over-react (like the linux thingy) and disable our usb ports !!!
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 11:45

  • Nozzinja #24 1 year ago

    @26 probably because half of the 360's got banned, so they went out and bought another...

  • kimchibaka #25 1 year ago

    With everyone talking about how this has had the piracy removed, obviously I haven't the tech know-how, but doesn't this article say that the piracy bit can be put back in? And, if it can't yet, then surely it's only a matter of time..?

    If it can I'll be getting one - just to install all the games I own, and save the laser on my PS3 - I've been playing the original Uncharted again, and it's not even funny how often the game disc gets read. I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette with my trusty old fat 60GB each and every time.

    Sony - let me install games legitimately to the HDD and I won't need to go near this device.

  • kingcrowbar #26 1 year ago

    Hopefully someone will port it to the Arduino, so I can use the one I have lying around instead of it just running the blinking LED program.

  • darkmorgado #27 1 year ago

    @kimchibaka

    presumably yes, it's open-source nature means people can modify it themselves and put the piracy stuff back in, but by default it doesn't have it included. That, combined with the fact that it has no copyright sony code means that there's not a hope in hell of Sony having a legal case to ban this. This actually seems more like a true jailbreak than the original "jailbreak".

    EDIT: It would be interesting to know if the removal of copyright and removal of backup are linked, actually - as in, was the backup stuff in the "jailbreak" really utilising stolen Sony code?
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 12:07

  • Psychotext #28 1 year ago

    "@26 probably because half of the 360's got banned, so they went out and bought another... "

    That's completely backwards. If that really happened, the attach rate would drop dramatically... well, unless they went out and bought another 9 new games at the same time as their new console.

  • Retroid #29 1 year ago

    This is very nice for two reasons:

    1) It pisses on the bonfire of the Jailbreak hackers who're flogging their stuff for insane prices and promoting it solely on the premise of piracy

    2) It neatly gets rid of the piracy aspect for those of us who're interested in homebrew and the tools & add-ons that scene could provide.

  • darkmorgado #30 1 year ago

    @designerheadache

    In fairness, he's not actually pirating anything though is he? He's simply making backup copies of software that he already owns, which is legal. If he was then distributing them, or had obtained them from other sources, then fine he would be committing piracy. But he hasn't said that.

  • orangpelupa #31 1 year ago

    @sniper
    yeah xbox360 has been hacked to play games that you can just download from the internet. Even then, Xbox 360 original games stil selling very well, even most multiplatform still outsold the "unhackable" PS3.

    btw even if someone enable the Mount point for this Open Source PS Jailbreak, REMEMBER that the Backup loader still need a ORIGINAL bluray game disk inserted on the PS3.

    so
    1. PS3 piracy still need original disk, Xbox not need
    2. PS3 download iso piracy is currently still cant be done because the format Backup manager use. Xbox can be ISO-ed easily.
    3. PS3 if you want to pirate it from net, the exclusive game is CRAZY BIG in size (over 25GB).... Xbox game is under 7GB.

    even with that "easy to pirate xbox", xbox original game is still selling well.
    even in PC that very easy to pirate, Original game still selling well (BFBC2, Starcraft2, L4D series, portal)

    I think, yes piracy will affect Original game sales, but not as bad as the PR people say.
    Edited by 3 at 01/09/10 @ 12:32

  • monkfishjoe #32 1 year ago

    Ok, so fair enough that Sony are trying to block the sale of the original hack, but what are they doing to patch the PS3 to protect it against all this? I thought people suggested they would release an update in a week or so of the original hack to block it.

    I would hate to see Piracy affect the PS3. I don't think Sony make enough money on the units themselves just yet...

  • Rack #33 1 year ago

    Colour me interested, I've always hated how these devices tarnished me with the piracy brush, but an open source PS3 could be pretty cool. Lets see what can be made of this first though.

  • rodpad #34 1 year ago

    Still baffles me when people keep mentioning that PS3 games are all 25GB in size. They're not. They're around 6GB.

  • rojjer #35 1 year ago

    this is great news. Those unscrupulous bastards that were trying to charge pirates £100+ for the usb stick are screwed and have to bring their prices down.

    I estimate less than a week for a *re-enabled hack* is available for the open source version that will allow the installation of bluray games onto an HDD.


    Edit... I don't condone the act of piracy that this will inevitably promote
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 13:31

  • zedzee #36 1 year ago

    Doesn't this version have the same fate as the "jailbreak" one, when Sony updates the firmware? In other words it will stop working?

    Why is EG jumping to the "opens the door for homebrewers" conclusion when we've yet to see what's in Sony's hand?!

  • darkmorgado #37 1 year ago

    @zedzee

    Well, with it being open source, the second that Sony release a firmware update you can guarantee that there will be hundreds of people updating the jailbreak. Also, as it uses completely new code, it may be hard to for Sony to produce a fix (as it won't be a simple case of closing loopholes in their own code) short of disabling the usb drive altogether (which i doubt they will do, as the console needs them anyway for the controllers, and even then the jailbreak will simply just switch to being transferred onto the removable HDD).

    Secondly, this brings the matter even closer to the original comparison to the Apple jailbreak case, which apple lost because the jailbreak contained no copyright material and simply opened up the phone. Sony can't even use the piracy argument anymore, since this version still locks out backups/piracy, and it looks like that whole aspect anyway may have used copyrighted code (hence the removal).

    So basically, I think this is here to stay, whatever our respective opinions on it may be.
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 13:38

  • kangarootoo #38 1 year ago

    Can someone give me a balanced picture of things here, as this thread is teetering on the edge of a chasm, the bottom of which is full of "for or against piracy" wreckage. I have some questions, and it would be just peachy is people in the know could answer them without assuming I give a hoot either way about the end result of all this.


    This release lets you write your own code and run it on a PS3, right?

    If you are a nefarious techy person, with l33t skilz and so forth, could you could "add back in" the bits that let you run pirate copies? Or could a typical coder not do that without laying their hands on something they don't already posess in their head?

    I am sort of under the impression that even though this code won't allow piracy in its current form, its release has laid a path that makes it far easier for someone else to complete the circle. That if this release hadn't been made, pirates in general would be no closer to cracking the PS3 than they were a month ago. Are these assumptions correct?

  • kangarootoo #39 1 year ago

    @orangpelupa

    Good post.

  • darkmorgado #40 1 year ago

    If you are a nefarious techy person, with l33t skilz and so forth, could you could "add back in" the bits that let you run pirate copies?

    Possibly, but it depends on how that function existed in the first place. If it worked by using stolen Sony-copyrighted code, then it would be illegal (and I suspect thats why it has been removed in the open version)

  • Carlo #41 1 year ago

    The bits taken out have already been put back in again. there are modified hexes that have the full exploit in them.

    Just waiting for the code to get ported to the PSP (Which will then crack the PS3 via it's USB interface).

    Should be done by the weekend.

  • rojjer #42 1 year ago

    Wow... when pirates want something they move fast lol. Its a big race between a lot of home coders to get this out to the masses. I guess they don't think about the consequences of this when Sony comes knocking looking to make an example of them :-(

  • irve77 #43 1 year ago

    Sounds VERY VERY Cool

    imagine all you have to do is get someone to release a patch to get firefox working with acess to Flash , Java etc and VLC and you can have a fully functioning Media centre with acess to iplayer , 4od , itvplayer , fiveplayer.

    totally sold , i love the idea of all the piracy stuff doing removed. completely removes any moral high ground or reason for sony to act against this ( not that it will stop them )

  • Aradiel #44 1 year ago

    "In fairness, he's not actually pirating anything though is he? He's simply making backup copies of software that he already owns, which is legal."

    Actually no, it isn't.

    I personally think it should be, but it isn't.

  • darkmorgado #45 1 year ago

    @Aradiel

    I'm pretty sure it is, as I think it's been tested repeatedly in court and it's always found that as long as you are making a copy for your own personal use, it's ok.
    These sort of arguments have been around since the casette (video and music).

  • Aradiel #46 1 year ago

    @darkmorgado

    I'd be interested in seeing your references, because it is a civil infraction under the ACTA (currently being negotiated) and the DMCA at the very least (the applicability of the DMCA being questionable, though, as something would need to be released in America, then here within 30 days, which is admittedly unusual for games)

    Also, Fair Use laws in America are far more lenient than our Fair Dealing laws, but from what I've seen Fair Dealing does not allow for this at all.

    Backing up games, and being able to play them afterwards, can be argued to be "circumventing copy protection measures" which is not legal.

  • kangarootoo #47 1 year ago

    @Aradiel and darkmorgado

    I'm no expert, but it seems to me there are three issues in what you are discussing.

    There is whether making backups of stuff you have purchased is legal, and whether circumventing anti-piracy protections in order to do so is also legal. Thirdly, the original post made specific reference to PLAYING those backups.

    Afaik, the only doubt exists over whether you can make a copy for backup purposes. If you have to circumnavigate anti-piracy measures in order to make that backup, you ARE breaking the law. Equally, if you have to circumnavigate piracy protection in order to play the backup, you ARE breaking the law.

    So if your game has no copy protection, and the platform has no runtime protection, you MAY be allowed to make a backup under existing law and you MAY be allowed to run that backup. In the case of the PSP though, I don't think either is the case (not sure about the copy - certain about the running).
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 15:04

  • orangpelupa #48 1 year ago

    @kangarootoo
    actually, on the internet there seems already a way how to add back the ability to play backup by simple edit using Hex editor.

    @rodpad
    ps3 exclusive usually big size, ps3 multiplatform usually the usual 7GB

    i think the exception is FF13. on ps3 is crazy big because the high bitrate 1080p videos. *hint: SQEX not use H264
    Edited by 1 at 01/09/10 @ 15:15

  • rodpad #49 1 year ago

    Exactly. People seem to think every pit on the disc is full of data.

  • orangpelupa #50 1 year ago

    ^^ yeah many people think like that. Maybe because in the early life of PS3, sony keep touting/promoting one of biggest ps3 "power" is the big bluray capacity. Then it 's meaning become changing over time.

  • TwitchyMcTwitch #51 1 year ago

    I heard the backup features were already re-added, is that true? I wonder if the person who released this honestly thought it wasn't going to be re-added easily.

    "@darkmorgado
    Another one that has obviously not read the article/ ignored the fact that backup support has been removed from this. "

    yeah, but we all know the "backup" support feature was going to be re-added.
    Edited by 2 at 01/09/10 @ 17:11

  • yazooo #52 1 year ago

    A version of the exploit, pre compiled, with the 'backup manager' is already floating around. Apparently this exploit can also be loaded with a hacked PSP...give it a day or so and everybody will be dong this. Homebrew or not, only people who actually will use homebrew say so, all the rest keeping quiet fully intend on playing pirated games - we all know this!

  • oreillymj #53 1 year ago

    As mentioned before. Disable the PS3's to recognise the USB identifier of the old repair kit and this hack is toast.

    Issue a new repair kit, possibly watermarking them and whoever leaks the new kit is toast also.

    I'm sure Sony could also change the digital signature on it's package files and only allow PS3's with a new FW to run those files and you severely limit what pirates can run.

  • darkmorgado #54 1 year ago

    As mentioned before. Disable the PS3's to recognise the USB identifier of the old repair kit and this hack is toast.


    Erm, you've missed the bit where it said that this is open source and has NO SONY CODE IN IT. It's got nothing to do with the repair kit, it's 100% original code.

  • Dylbot #55 1 year ago

    @designerheadache

    "Thats not homebrew that's pirating."

    Er, what? It's piracy to play games that I own? Maybe you should actually read what you quoted before jumping in with a retarded sensationalist argument. Also:

    "Homebrew are indie games, programs and hacks made by the community to do interesting things"

    Hacks like, I don't know, opening up the capability of the PSP to emulate a PS1 to allow those with a stack of PS1 games to replay them in a more portable fashion, maybe? Get off your elitist soapbox, please.

  • Bonders99 #56 1 year ago

    Digital downloads are fast approaching. For my tuppence worth the next gen will be a hybrid of physical media and digital download. Keep the bricks & mortars brigade happy, whilst ensuring part of the game has to be downloaded to deter the thieves...that is the only word I use for them, the word piracy conjures up a somewhat glamorous captain jack sparrow type of character definition, which quite frankly these thieves are NOT
    Edited by 2 at 01/09/10 @ 20:20

  • oreillymj #57 1 year ago

    You missed the bit where the both this key and the OZ mod chip USB key still emulates the USB identifier of the Sony repair kit.
    You may not be aware that there's a unique id given to each USB device. Palm where using this at one time to pretend the Palm Pre was an iPhone and using iTunes to synch.

    "the open source code also proves publicly that no copyrighted Sony materials are used in triggering the exploit. Previously it was assumed that the hack was based on Sony's own service mode hardware, but in actual fact the hack only uses the same device identifier. "

  • Ptomicek #58 1 year ago

    Can't wait for a homebrew SDK, compiler to come out, probably within a year or so if the hack prevails. I for one would love to see the power of the PS3's cell processor in vector math computations and probably use the PS3 as a computational server for precomputed lighting for my projects.

    If the hack holds up, the uses for PS3 reach beyond media player or homebrew games, the vast computational power can be used to do a lot of cool things!

  • Feanor #59 1 year ago

    Where's the Vanquish demo faceoff?

  • Lord_Gremlin #60 1 year ago

    Expect emulators for a lot of consoles, including Wii.

  • vizzini #61 1 year ago

    After shelling out for a 2nd ps3 to keep the OtherOS feature, I'm now getting quite irritated by Sony not addressing this issue formally, like they did with the removal of the OtherOS.

    If it turns out that hombrew is going to be possible on all Ps3 consoles in the near future; including running PPC linux, then I really think Sony need to show support for their honest customers and return the OtherOS feature (for ps3 phat) in all newer firmwares.

    If they return the OtherOS feature I could then atleast use my other PS3 more, as a fully fledge PSN capable console again when the lounge TV is in use.

    I could probably help them sell more consoles also, by lending my 2nd console to family/friends (like my brother an ex Tester) who doesn't realise how good this generation of consoles really is and yet he has a HD TV without HD content.

    I've offered to lend him my 360 plenty of times, but because online gaming is paid subscription only and the media features of the 360 are rubbish, I can't even convince him to borrow it to get some in on some PES gaming.

  • tossum #62 1 year ago

    Does this violate the EULA?
    Will we get banned for using it?

  • suicidalblues #63 1 year ago

    @dilbot

    By your logic that means that MS shouldn't complain if homebrew makes an emulator so xbox games can be played on PS3, right?

  • azix2 #64 1 year ago

    The idiot self-righteous tools in Mathieulh's group took out the ability to play backups in their release of the hack, BUT its been put back in already. All is well

  • Aradiel #65 1 year ago

    @Dylbot
    ""Thats not homebrew that's pirating."

    Er, what? It's piracy to play games that I own? Maybe you should actually read what you quoted before jumping in with a retarded sensationalist argument. "

    Actually, it is piracy. You do not have the right to copy those games (ie. the copyright) so by making copies, even if they are for you own use, since your use of them does not come under Fair Use or Fair Dealing, it is copyright infringement (i.e. piracy)

    Also, you do not own the games. Read the back of the case, all of it. You have bought a license to use the software in the way that Sony wants you to, so you are also in breach of contract.

    Perhaps you should actually understand what you are talking about before you respond with a retarded argument yourself, matey.
    Edited by 1 at 06/09/10 @ 09:33