A surprise to ring in the New Year was the discovery of what could potentially help lead to developments in the PlayStation 5 hacking scene. Internal files from Sony have leaked onto the internet, which includes "Level 0 BootROM keys" for the PS5. These keys are instrumental in understanding how the PlayStation 5 operates, and could also be used to decrypt the PS5's bootloader. As it stands, since they exist on a hardware level, there's nothing Sony can do to patch away the vulnerability of the keys being readily available online. However, while useful to have, PlayStation scene member Jose Coixao stressed that this by no means guarantees an easy hack for the PS5, since there's still plenty of other work involved in being able to exploit a console. Time will tell if those within the scene can make any headway with the discovery of these keys.

Source

 

[codezer0]

why not series x?

Probably to cover the bases. Last I checked, there weren't really any jailbreaks at all for the Xbox One, and without it, getting BC to work on an Xbox series console would be tricky.

 

[Jayro]

I suspect that Sony will scramble to change the keys so all PS5 units produced a few months from now will have new keys limiting hacks to people who own a PS5 with the old keys. Not sure if the PS5 will be worth owning after the Steam Machine comes out.

They can only be changed via a new hardware revision, not a software update.

 

[Bladexdsl]

older ps5 about to become a lot more popular on ebay

 

[tech3475]

older ps5 about to become a lot more popular on ebay

That one scalper who never sold his inventory when the value collapsed is probably rubbing his hands right now.

 

[BlusterBong]

Does PS5 Pro use the same bootrom keys?

Pretty Much yeah, the only major difference between the base and Pro is the GPU and better CPU clocks, so if someone does find a good exploit for it, then it's bascially cracked. With keys like the BootROM, them being baked into the hardware means that every single PS5 that isn't part of a revision that changes the keys (so basically the next revision that comes out after this) is vulnerable to an exploit that uses the keys in some way.

Also, the original tweet from BrutalSam_ related to it didn't get archived so we don't have the original source!

 

[LeyendaV]

Only 45 comments so far? Sony fanboys must be locked in the toilet, crying.

 

[BlusterBong]

Only 45 comments so far? Sony fanboys must be locked in the toilet, crying.

It wasn't the Switch 2 getting hacked (or Nintendo doing a thing people don't like), so such a major breakthrough like this only gets crickets

 

[LightBeam]

Only 45 comments so far? Sony fanboys must be locked in the toilet, crying.

Only 45 comments you say ? People would be more excited if the PS5 had as many games

 

[K3Nv4]

Oh boy. Sony really F up this time

This time? They've been doing that since mid ps3 days.

 

[MPRTwice]

Like a proper jew

If only they were a Jew instead of a jew.

I held onto mine with no intentions of selling it. I like the idea of having much to gain for money and selecting none of it just to irritate Satan:

https://www.inc.com/brian-roberts/floyd-mayweather-made-300-million-in-28-minutes-h.html

Try six hundred million in ten minutes if you can. Then I can be offered more and still say no.

 

[ZeroT21]

PS3, PSP and now the PS5 keys leaked. What is Sony even doing right?

 

[HarveyHouston]

I was not aware that PS5 still hadn't been properly jailbroken yet. Is that what this is all about?

 

[TheStonedModder]

I was not aware that PS5 still hadn't been properly jailbroken yet. Is that what this is all about?

It has been jailbroken

This isn’t anything and can’t lead to anything else without fuses or nand groups

 

[thesjaakspoiler]

I suspect that Sony will scramble to change the keys so all PS5 units produced a few months from now will have new keys limiting hacks to people who own a PS5 with the old keys. Not sure if the PS5 will be worth owning after the Steam Machine comes out.

Not really because this hack can be applied again to obtain the new keys.

Post automatically merged: Jan 4, 2026

Sony Steam Machine

You'd be better of buying a ASRock BC-250 for a quarter of the price.

 

[ertaboy356b]

You'd be better of buying a ASRock BC-250 for a quarter of the price.

Didn't that board had tons of downsides though? Like no hardware codec and high idle power (80w)?

 

[Retrojunkies]

It won’t be able to provide a piracy solution without nand groups and another exploit

we already see folks selling JB discs.

You know for a fact that they'll make products if it had the chance.

 

[TheStonedModder]

we already see folks selling JB discs.

You know for a fact that they'll make products if it had the chance.

JB discs are completly different and unrelated to this

If they had the chance sure, but they physically can’t make any products if they wanted too. This isn’t enough to do anything on its own without nand groups

 

[Space_Goddess_Samus_Aran]

I need to take my ps5 back from my brother lmao

 

[isoboy]

During the lifespan of the PS5, I've used it for Dreams (uses PS4 pro mode but runs even better on PS5 than PS4 pro), RE7 and...a few VR games. That's pretty much it. The Last of us 2.

 

[BlusterBong]

Wuh-Oh, We just might be getting an exploit that uses the keys.