Hacking Could someone explain how the Vita's security is so effiecient, in layman's terms?

[Phearoz]

To be honest, I have no idea why the Vita has been so impenetrable. I know little of it's security measures and that is what I'm interested in.

I bought it day one and followed the PSP-mode scene bits and a little about Revitalize but since 3.18, I have stopped learning about it, only to check wololo on a weekly basis hoping for some epic breakthrough.

Can anyone explain what has stumped hackers? In layman's terms of course.

 

[Swiftloke]

yifan.lu has some pretty good writeups by the guy who made Vita homebrew

 

[Phearoz]

yifan.lu has some pretty good writeups by the guy who made Vita homebrew

Sweet. Links?

 

[Swiftloke]

yifan.lu
Duh

 

[Jiro2]

How much of it is better security, how much is less interest in the Vita, and how much is that just having one exploit makes it a lot easier to get knowledge useful for more exploits?

 

[YuseiFD]

Vita's security resides in the small to non-existent attention, neither by game devs nor by hackers, it's like a lump of coal, no entertainment whatsoever. A console based off remakes and ports, is literally just a demo showcase.

 

[yifan_lu]

1) They successfully implemented all modern security features and exploitation prevention. Aka: it is no more secure than any other popular mobile device like Android or iOS (not 3DS though). The PSP, 3DS, etc were all hacked originally because they made some major screwup in security. That isn't the case here.
2) The Vita code is still mostly unknown. For other devices (PSP, iOS, etc) older firmware versions had easy security flaws that were easily exploitable. People used them to dump the code and they looked in the code for harder, less known, bugs. However, afaik Vita 1.00 is just as secure as 3.60 (although sony has added additional exploitation mitigation throughout the years).

tl;dr: The Vita isn't any more secure than iOS or Android, but because nobody has the code, it is hard to find a vulnerability to exploit. However, as soon as the first Vita hack comes out, a floodgate will open as hackers start digging into the code. The lack of interest in the Vita is the reason why we haven't seen this "first hack."

 

[geishroy]

Vita's security resides in the small to non-existent attention, neither by game devs nor by hackers, it's like a lump of coal, no entertainment whatsoever. A console based off remakes and ports, is literally just a demo showcase.

Do you own a Vita?

 

[Phearoz]

1) They successfully implemented all modern security features and exploitation prevention. Aka: it is no more secure than any other popular mobile device like Android or iOS (not 3DS though). The PSP, 3DS, etc were all hacked originally because they made some major screwup in security. That isn't the case here.
2) The Vita code is still mostly unknown. For other devices (PSP, iOS, etc) older firmware versions had easy security flaws that were easily exploitable. People used them to dump the code and they looked in the code for harder, less known, bugs. However, afaik Vita 1.00 is just as secure as 3.60 (although sony has added additional exploitation mitigation throughout the years).

tl;dr: The Vita isn't any more secure than iOS or Android, but because nobody has the code, it is hard to find a vulnerability to exploit. However, as soon as the first Vita hack comes out, a floodgate will open as hackers start digging into the code. The lack of interest in the Vita is the reason why we haven't seen this "first hack."

Thanks man this is what I wanted to know.

 

[YuseiFD]

Do you own a Vita?

Used to, why ?

 

[geishroy]

Used to, why ?

what is used to? The library has changed a great deal.

 

[YuseiFD]

what is used to? The library has changed a great deal.

Used to own one, then sold it because the library was made up of ps3/4 ports and ps1/2/p remakes. The library didn't change that much, most of those games are ports or close ports of ps4 games, still, literally a dumb paper weight.

 

[Deleted member 333767]

I don't think the PS Vitas security is revolutionary or groundbreaking at all, i think the real issue is that no one gives enough of a fuck about it to actually be motivated to hack it.

I'm sure if failoverflow or equivalent hacking team/individual had a tinker with one, its security would be cracked within weeks.

The PS Vita scene is and always will be full of show-boaters who would rather take photos of their PSV dev unit and post them to social media rather than actually attempt to hack the device.

Thats not me being entitled, i dont care if the PS Vita is hacked or not. Mine has been in storage since the novelty of eCFW wore off.

 

[Viri]

The PS Vita scene is and always will be full of show-boaters who would rather take photos of their PSV dev unit and post them to social media rather than actually attempt to hack the device.

That actually strangely sounds a bit like the 3DS scene a while back.

Also, I'd rather see a Vita emulator than the console hack. But we know that won't happen for a looooooooooooooong time.

 

[Deleted User]

The vita didn't really get as much attention as the PSP, due to the costs and failure, so not much hacking work has been done, that's probably why the security is still so strong.

 

[yifan_lu]

I don't think the PS Vitas security is revolutionary or groundbreaking at all, i think the real issue is that no one gives enough of a fuck about it to actually be motivated to hack it.

I'm sure if failoverflow or equivalent hacking team/individual had a tinker with one, its security would be cracked within weeks.

The PS Vita scene is and always will be full of show-boaters who would rather take photos of their PSV dev unit and post them to social media rather than actually attempt to hack the device.

Thats not me being entitled, i dont care if the PS Vita is hacked or not. Mine has been in storage since the novelty of eCFW wore off.

I actually doubt fail0verflow can hack it. I hope to be proven wrong

 

[Swiftloke]

I actually doubt fail0verflow can hack it. I hope to be proven wrong

Say, has the PSM exploit gotten you anywhere close to a kernel exploit yet?