oct0xor Versus Cobra USB Dongle

Published on 12-18-2012 04:55 AM

72 Comments

Looks to me that developer oct0xor has managed to reverse engineer the Cobra USB dongle. In his blog he explains why the Cobra took some time to reverse engineer, why it was the last item on his hack list and the similarities between it and the True Blue dongle. He also makes a bold statement that Sony can learn something from the Cobra team regarding cryptography. He has created his own payload called OpenCobra but also mentions that he is not sure of releasing his work. With that said here is a extract highlighting some of the more interesting bits of his blog. Should you wish to read the full story, follow the source linked below.

About: oct0xor's blog:

Finally I got my hands on cobra

it was quite a lot of time since I touched this last time. There was s good things happened since then eg. I reverse engineered usercheat and true blue, had done allot PS3 and not PS3 related hacking. There was a bad things eg. BlueDiskCFW, lv0 leak, allot of devs leave the scene...

Cobra was for me really "the last" thing I have to do.
...

3 days and now its all over.

Security is good enough, but not without big security risks. But it still the best crypto/obfuscation what I had seen on PS3. Sony have something to learn from this guys, especially now.

Cobra / True Blue almost identical, have the same source code, if you ever hacked 1 thing, 2nd wouldn't be a problem.
...

On the fourth day I took a decision to make my own "OpenCobra" payload. only clean code without DRM and garbage, to be able to port it to any new firmware, and change/add features. It took 2 days, 3000 lines of ASM, and you had seen the result.

ATM it based on 4.1 payload, plans for future is check/add new features from 4.4/5.0. Port to a new firmware (if cobra will not do this for me), and realize all nice innovations from new version of PSP emu, such as better emu accuracy, 3D and etc...

News Source: oct0xor.blogspot via @oct0xor

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niccoooodu61, nsttnlzd, One2thr456svn and 5 others like this.

Categories:

_{Tags :

cobra hacked,

cobra reversed,

cobra usb,

oct0xor,

ps3}

72 Comments

underball - 12-18-2012, 11:20 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by peleep

why would you need Cobra if CFW 4.30 is available? Silly question?

To be able to play PSP and PS1 backups, discless, from your hard drive.

I've been waiting for this forever, because I don't want to pay some shit ass Dongle company for functionality that should have come with the PS3 in the first place.
And yeah - DeanK, I love Multiman, but only allowing those features to work using a Cobra Dongle (and their shitty-ass mandatory CFW) was really lame.

CS67700 - 12-18-2012, 11:28 AM
- Reply
What some people don't seem to realize, is that we're not criticizing the business model of service/product = money, but the fact that it's completely opposite to the principals of a scene. Which are here to share for FREE.

Companies/developers that milk a community of sceners with DRM dongles are just trying to make big cash and have nothing to do here.

Like I said it numerous times, sell a real piece of hardware (modchip) with quality features and I'll buy it.

A DRM dongle is not modding, it's scamming.

Nothing justifies selling a stupid USB stick protected with DRM, its only purpose is making money.

So yes, call me a hater or whatever you'd like to call me, but USB dongles need to go. Thanks to Rogero and the other boys the TB nonsense came to an end.

Tranced - 12-18-2012, 11:33 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by propJOE

Sure, end is near, end of all things.
People, play fast, die slow.

Octo, one of the best. Shiat, got a feeling he will follow Juans steps.

Deank, how you doing mate. Have a nice hollidays.

Hey... propJOE in the house! Have not seen you around much. Hope all is well.

Hakuoro - 12-18-2012, 11:45 AM
- Reply
Oh yeah! I hope that in the near future, Rogero's CFW supports PS1, PS2 and PSP backups through the HDD.
All hail for free homebrew and CFWs !!

deank - 12-18-2012, 11:45 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by froid_san

dean don't need to implement this on multiman since from the start MM supports cobra. You could use the same Version of MM and get different functionalities depending on the CFW your using. CFW like rogero or rebug just need to implement this if they want to

That is so wrong in so many aspects.

Originally Posted by CS67700

Nothing justifies selling a stupid USB stick protected with DRM, its only purpose is making money.

So yes, call me a hater or whatever you'd like to call me, but USB dongles need to go.

AFAIK the cobra dongle doesn't DRM any official Sony/PS3 features.

indirect76 - 12-18-2012, 11:54 AM
- Reply
Originally Posted by underball

To be able to play PSP and PS1 backups, discless, from your hard drive.

I've been waiting for this forever, because I don't want to pay some shit ass Dongle company for functionality that should have come with the PS3 in the first place.
And yeah - DeanK, I love Multiman, but only allowing those features to work using a Cobra Dongle (and their shitty-ass mandatory CFW) was really lame.

It's not a case of DeanK just deciding to not allow this functionality for people without the dongle. If you haven't noticed, Cobra were the only ones that could figure out how to get these features working. He simply supported them by building a version of Multiman that worked with it. So, not lame.

indirect76 - 12-18-2012, 11:55 AM
- Reply
Whatever, I'll just let DeanK respond to all this nonsense. He knows better than anyone else.

pizzamann - 12-18-2012, 12:00 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by deank

That is so wrong in so many aspects.

AFAIK the cobra dongle doesn't DRM any official Sony/PS3 features.

Does this mean, that it would be possible to implement it in the new MM?

I don't really understand it.
I thought the Dongle had the Payroll to enable the compatibility of PSP gaming on the Cobra CFW. (I'm confused )

So do we need to implement this to the CFW or MM, or both?!

Btw. won't you get trouble by Team-Cobra for implementing it in MM? :/

deank - 12-18-2012, 12:03 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by pizzamann

I thought the Dongle had the Payroll...

That's a funny typo I must admit. Some other sites would love that phrase.

Yes, the payload has the features, not mM. If oct0 manages to port it - it will work with mmCM (which is not mM).

x3angel - 12-18-2012, 12:16 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by deank

That's a funny typo I must admit. Some other sites would love that phrase.

Yes, the payload has the features, not mM. If oct0 manages to port it - it will work with mmCM (which is not mM).

DeanK: Do you plan on using this in any way shape or form with the latest mM for cfw 4.30+ firmware or lower etc... meaning those who have 4.30 cfw would be able to use the features such as psp iso

deank - 12-18-2012, 12:19 PM
- Reply
If oct0xor releases a working 5.00 version - yes.

Hakuoro - 12-18-2012, 12:20 PM
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I don't get it. Will mM support the cobra features in the future?

x3angel - 12-18-2012, 12:45 PM
- Reply
Thanks DeanK ... & keep up the great work!!! Here's hoping oct0xor releases a working 5.00 version

Ultimatepump - 12-18-2012, 01:30 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by deank

If oct0xor releases a working 5.00 version - yes.

Deank,

With cobra being reversed, what would be involved and can you please give hope to making ps3usercheat Code Unique work on the new 4.30 cfw? It was hard for me to leave 3.55 to 4.30 because I love code unique. Any hope on this?

Thanks for everything.

Ultimatepump - 12-18-2012, 02:21 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Ultimatepump

Deank,

With cobra being reversed, what would be involved and can you please give hope to making ps3usercheat Code Unique work on the new 4.30 cfw? It was hard for me to leave 3.55 to 4.30 because I love code unique. Any hope on this?

Thanks for everything.

Sorry. Let me reiterate that. What I meant was the boys over at Code Unique stated the reason there is no code unique for 4.30cfw is that bit was written under an old multi man core and only deank could make it happen.

nadheeh - 12-18-2012, 04:39 PM
- Reply
@deank....wat do u mean by a 5.00 version???

deank - 12-18-2012, 04:53 PM
- Reply
I meant Cobra Dongle Firmware 5.00. He said he cracked 4.1 from September 2011.

Ultimatepump - 12-18-2012, 05:04 PM
- Reply
Deank. Please say you will work on implementing cheats into multi man and I will be happy to donate. You are awesome by the way.

underball - 12-18-2012, 05:15 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by indirect76

It's not a case of DeanK just deciding to not allow this functionality for people without the dongle. If you haven't noticed, Cobra were the only ones that could figure out how to get these features working. He simply supported them by building a version of Multiman that worked with it. So, not lame.

No, that's not it. DeanK had PS1 disc backups working before Cobra even shipped the first time.

jollyroger - 12-18-2012, 06:21 PM
- Reply
I really hope some of the functions of cobra can be integrated to MM, I really want to be able to play my backed up blu rays.