
Release: Fully operational dlclose exploit + Linux for PS4, by kR105 - alxsanchez
http://wololo.net/2016/04/02/release-fully-operational-dlclose-exploit-linux-for-ps4-by-kr105/
======
colinramsay
The actual repo is here:

[https://github.com/kR105/PS4-playground](https://github.com/kR105/PS4-playground)

~~~
kodablah
And
[https://github.com/kR105/PS4-dlclose](https://github.com/kR105/PS4-dlclose)

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AdmiralAsshat
So how long until Sony lawyers get the Github repo shut down?

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shmerl
On what grounds exactly? Sony can't forbid anyone installing other OSes on
their hardware.

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criddell
I don't know the boot process on a PS4, but if loading Linux requires you to
modify or bypass any access controls, then it may be a circumvention violation
of the DMCA.

If loading an alternate OS is a EULA violation, they might brick users
machines or at least stop them from using Sony services.

~~~
ascagnel_
But that's something the user is doing. This repo has the Linux distro, which
is by itself neither a circumvention, gives instructions to circumvent, or
performs a circumvention of the DRM to run, thereby passing DMCA muster.

It's somewhat similar to the situation XBMC was in back when the X still stood
for Xbox -- the code itself is OK by the DMCA, but compiling it required use
of unauthorized dev tools (if the user didn't have a license from MS, which
they likely did not), distributing the binaries was a violation of the DMCA
(due to statically linked, non-free MS libraries), and installation of said
binaries was also a DMCA violation (as it required the user to circumvent the
DRM on the console).

~~~
tyingq
One github repo mentioned in the article is the exploit, and a basic
functional webpage to "do stuff" with it.

See, [https://github.com/kR105/PS4-playground/blob/gh-
pages/js/exp...](https://github.com/kR105/PS4-playground/blob/gh-
pages/js/exploit.js) for example.

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iamcreasy
After Xbox dev mode, I think Sony needs to be more open about their console
development.

This might just be stepping stone in the right direction.

~~~
mtgx
Before announcing the PS4, I was hoping Sony would adopt Linux, mainly because
I think it would've done a great service to the Linux community by having
games that run well on Linux, but I think it would've also helped Sony in the
long run. Microsoft is already banking on "DirectX gaming" for both Windows
and Xbox. Sony should've had a similar strategy. They should go all-in with
Linux and Vulkan with future consoles.

~~~
pjmlp
Sony had their flirts with Indies and Linux and walked away from it.

The Playstation had Net Yaroze, which was almost comparable the usual devkit.
A collector's item nowadays.

The PS2 had PS2 Linux, which required special RGB monitors with sync on green,
but it provided almost the same access to the hardware as the devkits. The
main difference was the amount of available RAM, only PS2GL and the higher
level PS2 official graphics API were available. The low level one wasn't
accessible.

The PS3 provided a very limited support for Linux. The graphics hardware was
exposed as a plain framebuffer. Then came the firmware update that wiped Linux
out of the PS3.

The PS Vita did offer a Mono based SDK, but after the initial release, they
went silent. You can still access the web site, though.

The PS4 already exposes two graphics APIs much more powerful than Vulkan, with
the developers being quite experienced on them.

If you search SCEE and GDC Vault web sites there are plentiful documents and
sessions, NDA free, how the console market works.

~~~
gobusto
There was also the PS2 version of Yabasic, which was included on the demo disc
that came with the console.

If I recall correctly, this was done to avoid some kind of tax on
"entertainment devices" in Europe; Sony argued that the ability to write BASIC
programs made it a "computer", rather than an entertainment device.

Text could be entered using either a pad or a USB keyboard, and programs could
be saved to memory cards. Some magazines even included user-submitted games on
their cover disc, and the official UK magazine included a page or two of code
each month which eventually built up to a playable game.

There were a few differences from the original Yabasic - gradient triangles
were added, audio functionality was removed, etc. I'm told that the source
code is available online somewhere, since the original Yabasic was GPL-
licensed, but a quick Google search didn't turn up anything useful.

For those who are interested, a friend of mine has re-implemented the PS2
version in Javascript:
[http://www.mrdictionary.net/yabasic/](http://www.mrdictionary.net/yabasic/)

~~~
pjmlp
Yeah, I didn't pay much attention to it beside the day I bought the PS2.

Eventually I got hold of the PS2 Linux package, but getting monitors with sync
on green wasn't that easy.

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shmerl
So can it now run Witcher 2?

~~~
geon
I doubt it has accelerated graphics drivers.

~~~
shmerl
They said it was already working in the past:
[https://twitter.com/fail0verflow/status/684079550943354880](https://twitter.com/fail0verflow/status/684079550943354880)

UPDATE: just found this:
[https://twitter.com/fail0verflow/status/705304480888156161](https://twitter.com/fail0verflow/status/705304480888156161)

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s_kilk
I wonder if this could be used to decrypt/unpack/dump/whatever the contents of
games?

I know the Dark Souls community are gasping to see the cut content which may
or may not live inside the Bloodborne game files.

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astrodust
Why would that be any easier than just ripping the content off the disc
directly?

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iLoch
Pretty sure the game files are encrypted and all the consoles have a secure
chip which decrypts them. Getting files from the game disc is easy, reading
them isn't.

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shmerl
_> all the consoles have a secure chip which decrypts them._

I assume Steam Machines shouldn't do that and therefore they should be more
mod friendly.

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0942v8653
That has to be true for Steam Machines since you can build your own.

~~~
mc42
Especially considering they run Linux, so... I'm decently sure that Steam
could easily use some form of binary protection.

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dang
Url changed from
[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/04/full_linuxonps4_hits...](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/04/full_linuxonps4_hits_github/),
which points to this.

