[Mashiro]

Hello Post4VPS Gamers,

I would like to talk about a rather special but very interesting subject in the world of gaming and especially gaming consoles such as the PlayStation and so on. The subject is already mentioned in the title but if needed again here it is: PlayStation 4 Kernel Exploits. While this subject might be in the grey area of legality it is still a subject that should be at least allowed to be discussed, but without encouraging any kind of illegal activity such as piracy or copyright infringement.

So I would like to ask everyone to stay clear, calm and civilized while taking your part in this discussion.


What are kernel exploits for the PlayStation 4?

A kernel exploit is a hack that exploits a security flaw in a core part of the PlayStation 4 firmware and through this gains access to the system on a very low level. Possessing access to the console on system level means a lot of permissions that a normal console user would not normally have. And this in returns allows to install additional applications outside the PlayStation Store and PlayStation Network such as backups of games for example.

On the other hand however this also bears special risks and problems. It is also not always possible on every firmware version. A list of supported firmware versions is available below. I've also listed the main features that work and what does not work so far.


How do these kernel exploits work?

The PlayStation 4 OS has a web browser built into it that is based on the Webkit engine (this engine is widely used in browsers such as Chromium, Google Chrome, Opera and many more). Certain PlayStation 4 OS firmware versions use old Webkit engine verions that have critial security flaws. Through this flaws it is possible to gain access to the lower levels of the PS4 OS and unlock a Debug menu with access to options that are meant for developers.

Once the exploit is executed successfully the PlayStation has super user access until the next reboot. With such a wide array of permissions the user can install backups of games, applications, themes and etc. The installed games and applications can only be played while the PS4 is running in exploited mode. So after a reboot the game is still listed but won't work until the exploit is ran again.

There are multiple ways to apply the exploit to unlock full access on system level:

• Use of special DNS servers that route the page of the "Help" page in settings to a site with the exploit.
  
• Visit the exploit site via the PlayStation 4 web browser and run the exploit.
  
• Host a local exploit website and visit it on the PlayStation 4 through the browser.
  
• Host the exploit website via a Android App and visit it on the PS4 to run the exploit.
  
• Host a copy of the exploit website on a server (e.g. on a Raspberry Pi or similar) and visit it on the PS4.
  
• Use a small dedicated device with a web server and the exploit website (PS4 ESP8266 devices).
  

Which PlayStation 4 OS Firmware versions are supported?

The following PlayStation 4 OS Firmware versions are supported and public exploits are available:

• 5.07 and below
  
• 5.05 and below
  
• 4.55 and below
  
• 4.05
  
• 1.76
  

Firmware above 5.05/5.07 are currently not supported BUT a private kernel exploit for firmware versions above 5.05/5.07 exists. So support might be coming soon.

If you are on one of this firmware version DISABLE AUTOMATIC FIRMWARE UPDATES and DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR FIRMWARE!

Firmware version 5.05 or 5.07 is recommended. If you're on a older version you can upgrade to 5.05 via a USB upgrade.


What does work and what does not?

What does work:

• Decrypted backups of games can be installed from PS4 formatted HDDs (exFAT).
  
• The above mentioned games can be played offline.
  
• Certain applications can be installed for Homebrew usage.
  
• Decrypted backups of games can be installed and played on/from external PS4 formatted HDDs (exFAT).
  
• Saves from other PlayStations 4 for games can be migrated and used with games.
  
• Custom themes can be installed and used.
  
• Games can be updated through special applications.
  

What does not work:

• PlayStation Network cannot be used.
  
• PlayStation Store cannot be used.
  
• Applications from the PlayStation Store don't work (a few exclusions work).
  
• Playing online is not possible.
  
• Persistent exploit not possible at the moment (has to be reapplied after a reboot).
  

Resources
- http://wololo.net/ps4-jailbreak-ps4-cfw4dummies/
- https://www.psxhax.com/articles/ps4-jail...7/category
- https://www.psxhax.com/articles/ps4-cfw-...6/category
- https://www.psxhax.com/articles/ps4-guid...4/category


Final words

- What are your thoughts on this subject and have you already heard about this?
- Are you interested in owning a exploited console and playing around with it?
- Are you a lucky owner of a console with supported firmware and have you maybe already used the exploits?

Just tell us your thoughts, ideas, concerns and so on. This is a open discussion topic about the subject .




* USING ANY OF THE EXPLOITS AND FOLLOWING ANY TUTORIALS TO EXPLOIT YOUR PS 4 IS DONE ON YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER I NOR POST4VPS OR ANYONE ELSE FROM THE LINKED WEBSITES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE OR OTHER ISSUES! *

[humanpuff69]

i already hear the news before but it worked on the 5.x firmware? last time i hear it only work with 4.x firmware if im not wrong . most the people that try to hack the ps4 is trying to run homebrew on it to encourage developer to write software and unleash their creativity . that is the reason for hacking the console not piracy . but most people are still want a / to hack because of piracy

[Mashiro]

@humanpuff69

Well, I don't know when the last time was that you heard about progress on this subject but the exploit for 5.05/5.07 is actually not that new but still recent. It was published in May 2018 while hints towards it already existed before that time of course.

Yes, these exploits or hacks are for people who are mostly interested in homebrew usage and breaking out of the limits that developers of such products impose on people. I'm not sure about what you mean with "encourage developers to write software and unleash their creativity". I mean sure with this the Sony developers are encouraged to fix holes and etc but they're working against their own users/fans and buyers in such as case mostly. Or did you mean that people who these consoles enable ways for other developers to code their own apps for the console?

I personally don't see a big problem with piracy in this subject either but that might be due to my nature. In my country it is allowed to have a private copy of a game, software, movie, song and etc. With how Sony however handles things like broken disks and installed games (first you have to buy a new disk, deinstall the old game and loose all your progress saves and then install the game again to start a zero)... I would certainly want to have a digital backup of the disk of my games.

As unfortune as we are though people with bad things in mind use exactly this to make illegal copies of the games and the exploit enables others to install and play the games. So there is certainly a problem here but I wouldn't call it a big one. After all these companies are anti consumer and are forcing DRM with malware and etc on us the users who pay their hard earned money for the console and the games. I'm not going to play along with them.

[humanpuff69]

@humanpuff69

Well, I don't know when the last time was that you heard about progress on this subject but the exploit for 5.05/5.07 is actually not that new but still recent. It was published in May 2018 while hints towards it already existed before that time of course.

Yes, these exploits or hacks are for people who are mostly interested in homebrew usage and breaking out of the limits that developers of such products impose on people. I'm not sure about what you mean with "encourage developers to write software and unleash their creativity". I mean sure with this the Sony developers are encouraged to fix holes and etc but they're working against their own users/fans and buyers in such as case mostly. Or did you mean that people who these consoles enable ways for other developers to code their own apps for the console?

I personally don't see a big problem with piracy in this subject either but that might be due to my nature. In my country it is allowed to have a private copy of a game, software, movie, song and etc. With how Sony however handles things like broken disks and installed games (first you have to buy a new disk, deinstall the old game and loose all your progress saves and then install the game again to start a zero)... I would certainly want to have a digital backup of the disk of my games.

As unfortune as we are though people with bad things in mind use exactly this to make illegal copies of the games and the exploit enables others to install and play the games. So there is certainly a problem here but I wouldn't call it a big one. After all these companies are anti consumer and are forcing DRM with malware and etc on us the users who pay their hard earned money for the console and the games. I'm not going to play along with them.

DRM does suck . it restrict their 'copyrighted material' to be only used when they want it . dont forget those unnecessary fee to play online . doesnt need to do that on pc . and even worse those money that you pay for subscribing xbox live / ps plus goes to microsoft / sony not the developer like what CONSOLE PEASANT say

company does really really really like DRM

[Mashiro]

@humanpuff69

Yes, all of the things you mentioned are right. Companies love DRM because they want us to do what they want and not what we want. Companies these days all are solely after money and literally nothing more. That's called "Anti Customer".

Phones are built so that they cannot be repaired once they break or the repair costs a lot. The batteries inside cannot be easily swapped without having to basically open the whole phone and so on. The same applies to software in the one or another way. DRM is one key anti customer component.

The fees for the console networks. I'm not going to say much but I guess somehow all the servers have to be paid but the height of the fees and how they're distributed is not transparent so there might be issues.


Anyway, we're driving away from the main topic.

[Kururin]

Well I already own a hacked PS Vita running 3.60 Henkaku ENSO, now support coming soon for playing 3.68 (Higher firmware) games on 3.60. Also I own a 5.05 PS4 which is also hacked and using mostly xvortex hen, played couple of games using it (doom, gow, p5, nier) etc. and having fun modding trophies and other stuff whatnot, although I have heard that there exists kernel exploit on latest firmware but the hackers are waiting for sony to release new firmware and then releases it for 5.55 (current latest firmware). Other than that I am enjoying my console hacked to the fullest.

[Mashiro]

@Kururin

Great post. Thanks!

I also have a PS4 with firmware 5.05 and I host my own exploit page on a local server. Also using XVORTEX HEN (mostly simply called HEN) because HEN+Mira seems to be really full of bugs and often crashes. Which exploit version of HEN do you use? I have 1.07 and with that version you can supposedly install games onto external HDDs. I have installed a 2 TB internal HDD though so not using that feature.

Mathieulh has a private exploit for firmware 5.55 but is not going to release it for some reasons. Could be really that they're waiting for the next firmware indeed. I heard that the next version will be 6.00. Apparently you can sign up for beta testing already.

Here is the news about 5.55 private exploit: http://wololo.net/2018/05/22/ps4-mathieu...unts-sony/

[Kururin]

@Kururin

Great post. Thanks!

I also have a PS4 with firmware 5.05 and I host my own exploit page on a local server. Also using XVORTEX HEN (mostly simply called HEN) because HEN+Mira seems to be really full of bugs and often crashes. Which exploit version of HEN do you use? I have 1.07 and with that version you can supposedly install games onto external HDDs. I have installed a 2 TB internal HDD though so not using that feature.

Mathieulh has a private exploit for firmware 5.55 but is not going to release it for some reasons. Could be really that they're waiting for the next firmware indeed. I heard that the next version will be 6.00. Apparently you can sign up for beta testing already.

Here is the news about 5.55 private exploit: http://wololo.net/2018/05/22/ps4-mathieu...unts-sony/

Hmm, Interesting @'Hidden Refuge' why not use Al-Azif's DNS exploit? You can cache it offline then turn off the internet, You will not be updated to latest firmware as long you have disabled updates using the buttons in the exploit page or FTP into your PS4 and just create a PS4UPDATE.PUP folder on /updates folder. I have used both version HEN 1.7 and Mira+Hen (mostly for PS4 Trainer by Tylermods which enables me to cheat in many games), didn't really have any problem with Mira+Hen, not even the corrupt save bug people talking about. I don't know why but HEN is really stable for me so is Mira+Hen. As for external HDD I have a 2TB one and internal HDD of 500GB. Planning to move my official/fpkg games to the external HDD using the latest HEN and playing from there since it will be much easier and I will have space left for other stuff.

I have heard Mathieulh isn't trustworthy and he never releases stuff but as for rumor I heard they are waiting for the next update which is 6.0 as you have pointed out. Either way I hope they release a kexpoit on latest firmware atleast 5.55 so I can play new games like Detroid, and Dark Souls Remastered. I have a phat PS4 thinking about upgrading to PS4 Pro but held out since want to invest that money into building a PC

[Mashiro]

@Kururin

I host my own copy of Al-Azif's exploit page on a home server that I have running anyway already. I updated the HEN version that was provided with it to 1.7 already, too. I have already disabled automatic firmware downloads and updates.

I never tried Mira+HEN but according to a lot of reports recently in all PS hacking communities it is absolutely not stable. A lot of crashing and other bugs. Either way I don't even need the advantages that Mira provides. I literally just want to play some games.

[Mashiro]

Great news! It is now possible to apply themes permanently.

Read more here: https://www.psxhax.com/threads/making-pe...1488.5872/

This requires you to own the original PKG file of the themes that are available in the PSN store. Some people however made packs of themes that are freely available on the store anyway.