PlayStation 3 code signing cracked (The Register)

The Register is reporting that a group called "fail0verflow" has demonstrated that it has Sony's private key for signing PlayStation 3 code. "The hackers uncovered the hack in order to run Linux [on] PS3 consoles, irrespective on the version of firmware the games console was running. By knowing the private key used by Sony the hackers are able to sign code so that a console can boot directly into Linux. Previous approaches to running the open source OS on a games console were firmware specific and involved messing around with USB sticks. [...] The same code signing technique might also be used to run pirated or counterfeit games on a console. That isn't the intention of the hackers even though it might turn out to be the main practical effect of the hack."

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