Hackers Show Off Linux And Super Mario Bros On The PS4

Twice a year, the GeekPwn carnival is held around the world. It’s a security geek contest for smart devices, and is often a place for white-hat hackers to show vulnerabilities in devices like smart cameras, mainstream routers and smart devices.

At the latest GeekPwn event, a PlayStation 4 curiously made an appearance. And you know what else popped up? A working version of Linux, Super Mario Bros, and more importantly, version 4.01 of the PS4 firmware..

A demo of the exploit, ruin by Chaitin Tech, has been posted to YouTube, and it appears to rely on the Webkit browser. But what’s perhaps most important about the demo is that it’s supposedly running on version 4.01 of the PS4’s firmware.

Of course, users will note that a new firmware update — 4.05 — was pushed out this week. Given how fast Sony has moved in the past to shore up exploits in the PS4, it’s possible that the patch was in some way related to the GeekPwn demo.

It’s worth pointing out that Linux distributions for PS4 aren’t anything new. This one has been floating around since the start of the year. The problem is getting it going on modern firmware, a race that Sony has so far done a pretty good job of winning. And they’re likely to stay ahead for the forseeable future, as the team responsible for the find reminded:

Even if that wasn’t the case, Sony is about to push out the PS4 Pro. New hardware introduces new variables that need to be taken into account, and you can’t do that until that hardware lands in consumers’ hands.


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