No, there's no typo in the title. It's 2020 and Sony's second home console, the PlayStation 2, got a new exploit; and an interesting one at that! Aptly named FreeDVDBoot, this exploit allows users to run burnt homebrew games on an unmodified PS2. Just slide in a DVD into the console as you would with any other game and boot it without any additional tools.

@CTurt , the software engineer behind FreeDVDBoot and fellow GBAtemp member, explained in length his method that exploits the console's DVD player functionality in a blog post. He also made all of FreeDVDBoot's code available on GitHub, along with a step-by-step guide.

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In case you're wondering about actual PS2 games rather than homebrew titles, yes, FreeDVDBoot also enables you to run backup copy of those. CTurt shared a video using his exploit to run a backup of Shadow of the Colossus:

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It doesn't end there either. CTurt further goes on to speculate that this method could potentially work on every single PlayStation home consoles and that he will investigate this possibility in the future:

There's really no reason this general attack scenario is specific to the PlayStation 2 as all generations support some combination of burned media: from the PlayStation 1's CD support, to the PlayStation 3 and 4's Blu-ray support, with the PlayStation 4 having only removed CD support. Hacking the PS4 through Blu-ray BD-J functionality has long been discussed as an idea for an entry point. This may be something I would be interested in looking into for a long-term future project: imagine being able to burn your own PlayStation games for all generations; 1 down, 3 to go...

SOURCE
FreeDVDBoot code and guide on GitHub

 

[VinsCool]

It's worth pointing out that if there was any model that patched out the FreeMCBoot exploit, it would most likely become usable for homebrew if the DVDPlayer is compatible.

 

[Deleted User]

About that
https://twitter.com/CTurtE/status/1277664806523285504

Well shit, that was quick to merge those 2 variants. Hopefully as they widen further and further, they'll keep trying to implement the next latest version.

I actually have a lightscribe dvd drive in the attic. I'd love to make some repo's for myself. Sure, they won't look as good, especially cases, but it'd be absolutely awesome to have them!

 

[FR0ZN]

I will finally be able to play backups on this, what a great time to be alive.

Doesn't fortuna work on these?

 

[uyjulian]

It's worth pointing out that if there was any model that patched out the FreeMCBoot exploit, it would most likely become usable for homebrew if the DVDPlayer is compatible.

Fortuna exists

 

[VinsCool]

Fortuna exists

I may have been out of the loop with PS2 hacks, what is Fortuna?

 

[nero99]

But what’s the point when FreeMCboot is far superior?

 

[VinsCool]

But what’s the point when FreeMCboot is far superior?

For a person who doesn't have a FreeMCBoot card, or a way to install it with the different entrypoints, burning a dvd, then run the FreeDVDBoot exploit makes it incredibly easy to then install FreeMCBoot, to my understanding.

 

[uyjulian]

I may have been out of the loop with PS2 hacks, what is Fortuna?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fortuna ps2

 

[VinsCool]

https://www.google.com/search?q=fortuna ps2

Thanks, I ended up with the same link a moment ago, pretty neat.

Well in this case, the DVD exploit could be used to install Fortuna, so it's not entirely useless

 

[MasterJ360]

This is amazing atleast ppl wont have to go great lengths on making a freemcboot card. I already did back in 2011 so this is a great alternative.

 

[0x3000027E]

Neat, but modchip still superior method.

 

[coffinbirth]

would this work on an unmodded phat ps3 using the backward compability?
asking for the sake of knowledge rather than wanting to use it

Currently...no.
This requires specific PS2 DVD FW versions, and obviously the PS3 does not use the same drives as a PS2, being a BD drive, and all. That being said, according to the dev this could potentially work on ALL Playstation consoles, but we're not there yet.

 

[Something whatever]

Since the exploit allows elf binaries to load something like this shouldn’t be too hard, you just burn the freemcboot installer onto a disc

 

[RobertX]

Its neither of those things. You don't install anything, that's the point. Its something you do to the disc image before burning it and the disc will load in the PS2 without having to do anything else. It's brand new though so there isn't really anything available that uses it yet.

spectral, thanks for clearing that up.

I already have a Playstation 2 that still works, and is with a mod chip, but the lasers are so back, it only accepts Ridata DVD-Rs. I guess I should wait until the Playstation 2 dies out before buying a new one and changing the images.

Is it still advisable to use top-grade DVD-Rs/+Rs when burning to the disc?

 

[gamesquest1]

Currently...no.
This requires specific PS2 DVD FW versions, and obviously the PS3 does not use the same drives as a PS2, being a BD drive, and all. That being said, according to the dev this could potentially work on ALL Playstation consoles, but we're not there yet.

well to be fair afaik its an exploit in the DVD player software, not the drive itself, so any exploit on a different console i.e PS3 would require someone checking the DVD/Blueray player function to see if its susceptible to a similar buffer overflow, its possible but given the PS3 security architecture I would imagine they would need a chain of exploits to get past the hypervisor etc, and it would no doubt be dependent of what FW version the console itself is running rather than what drive its using , same problem with the xbox 360, it might be a useful entry point, but would again no doubt need a chain of exploits to be totally useful.

things like the Xbox original would probably be a good second candidate for using the same exploit concept, although you would need a DVD remote dongle to play DVD's without already having the console exploited

really the PS2 is the only console I can think of that uses DVD video built in, maybe if a similar exploit is found for audio CD's then you could make self booting PS1 backups

 

[|<roni&g]

Great news. A shame I binned all my burned dvd ISOs when I converted it all to run from HDD.

Think you have to burn a new disc with the boot files anyway. I've kept all my discs since 06 & they've came in use a few times

 

[coffinbirth]

well to be fair afaik its an exploit in the DVD player software, not the drive itself, so any exploit on a different console i.e PS3 would require someone checking the DVD/Blueray player function to see if its susceptible to a similar buffer overflow, its possible but given the PS3 security architecture I would imagine they would need a chain of exploits to get past the hypervisor etc, and it would no doubt be dependent of what FW version the console itself is running rather than what drive its using , same problem with the xbox 360, it might be a useful entry point, but would again no doubt need a chain of exploits to be totally useful.

things like the Xbox original would probably be a good second candidate for using the same exploit concept, although you would need a DVD remote dongle to play DVD's without already having the console exploited

really the PS2 is the only console I can think of that uses DVD video built in, maybe if a similar exploit is found for audio CD's then you could make self booting PS1 backups

Correct.
I would imagine that running unsigned code on a PS3 via this method wouldn't get you very far by itself, but chainloading it with additional exploits isn't an impossibility. That being said, it kinda defeats the purpose of the ease of use of this like it is on PS2, and other existing exploits would probably be preferable anyways. PS4 is an even more unlikely scenario, but a potential entry point is always welcome.

 

[Sheimi]

This is pretty neat, can install free mcboot

 

[Immortallix]

I hate to sound so negative but isn't this a tad too late? The PS2 is 20 years old and at this stage in the game you want to preserve your laser. Also to point out you can grab a Free Mcboot memory card for like $10

Good Work but it would have benefited more people in 2002 than 2020. Games on the HD is the way to go

This is good for me because quite a few games stutter way too much off the HDD loaders.

 

[StrayGuitarist]

It's worth pointing out that if there was any model that patched out the FreeMCBoot exploit, it would most likely become usable for homebrew if the DVDPlayer is compatible.

There was a model of slim PS2 that had squared off buttons instead of rounded ones that I recall had some major difficulty with FMCB for some reason. Then again, getting your hands on a Slim with a working laser is.. tricky. But hey, now if I wanna set up a friend with some homebrew, I don’t have to make a FMCB card for them.