PSX-SCENE Forum Discussion for Sony PlayStation/PsOne/PS2/PS3/PSP/PS VITA
  • PS Vita CFW Leaked - Scene Developer Bids Farewell

    A few days ago I stumbled across the video below. A video claiming a kernel exploit in the PSP emulator of the PS Vita. I was skeptical, due to it been released on youtube, and asked others here if it was indeed true and not another fake. After some investigation I noted some threads regarding this leak been removed at Wololo and judging by the comments on youtube realized this leak was in fact true.

    So what does this mean for PS Vita owners? The files released contain not only a user mode exploit but also a kernel exploit and an encrypted PS Vita custom firmware. PSP developer Coldbird felt that the release of a CFW for the Vita would harm the already struggling handheld, therefore adding security measures should a leak occur. Well... the leak has been made and now PS Vita owners have what they wanted. (Although useless in it's current encrypted state) And from yet another dramatic event we loose a respected developer who bids farewell to the scene.


    About Coldbird's Urbanix User Mode Exploit & CFW:
    This all started 4 months ago, when I discovered the Urbanix user mode exploit and a fitting kernel mode exploit to go along with it... VHBL has always been interesting to me and I wanted to take it a step further, wondering whether a full CFW was possible on Vita.

    What shall I say... 3 months later, it was done. A fully working CFW for Vita... but the time wasn't right for a release... so many things were still out of place...

    PSX emulation worked, but we didn't have sound, Sony's new console was still having problems getting it's safe spot on the market and - while a whole lot of people think we are pirates, we are the total opposites.

    Yes, the CFW could play ISO files, but no - we never supported piracy... and we knew that PSN sales of PSP games would dwindle if this became public.

    With Vita still having a more than suboptimal amount of good games to go with it, the PSP PSN sales were what kept the console going... and we didn't wish to harm this very fragile ecosystem.

    We knew the time for it to shine wasn't there yet... and we made sure this would stay this way for a while...

    We placed a whole bunch of security locks onto the files, so that even if a leak occured from our beta testers, like the one you guys saw a few days ago, no one would be able to use it and Sony's new system would remain secure and tight, unharmed by piracy - which sadly - whether we like it or not... is a negative side effect of the work we do to enable homebrew.

    So yes... the leak is real, yes it contains both a user exploit and a kernel exploit... and in fact, a tightly locked - publically unusable - CFW too.


    News Source: coldbird via wololo

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    SILENT_Pavel likes this.
    Comments 69 Comments
    1. SILENT_Pavel's Avatar
      SILENT_Pavel -
      (Although useless in it's current encrypted state)
      sry i dont understand, can i use it or not? Or anybody can?
    1. Tranced's Avatar
      Tranced -
      When writing this article I knew it could easily become a drama/bash fest. We here at psx-scene value your input but please refrain from name calling. Thanks guys/girls!

      @SILENT_Pavel Apparently the CFW is there but like True Blue's EBOOTS it's encrypted and would require reverse engineering in order for it to be used.
    1. rimi's Avatar
      rimi -
      these devs are full of excuses, if they knew that hacking PSVita is not on the safe spot yet, then dont hack it.

      The thing that there was a leak is because the dev was just being social engineered. And the result a leak. I just dont get these devs these days.
    1. yes159's Avatar
      yes159 -
      Quote Originally Posted by rimi View Post
      these devs are full of excuses, if they knew that hacking PSVita is not on the safe spot yet, then dont hack it.

      The thing that there was a leak is because the dev was just being social engineered. And the result a leak. I just dont get these devs these days.
      They didnt release it, that should be enough. Working on it now wouldnt hurt either, getting things ready in advance. Hacking it now and sharing it with other people increases the risk of leaks and early hacks though, i agree on that.

      Personally i actually have much respect for developers that doesnt just release everything as fast as they can just to get a few minutes of internet fame. I'm glad to see that many of these developers actually take a responsibilty in regards of piracy.


      Quote Originally Posted by Quakes69 View Post
      Low sales are Sony's own fault. Limiting access to the device is their own fault! (This statement goes out to the Millions of none scene user.) >> Making a user have to connect it to the PC with Internet access is their own fault! I can't wait to see what ppl are going to say when PS4 comes out with Contracted games to the End-Users. imagine that. Buying a Game that is contracted to you and you only. Can't sell it and or give it away.

      Hopefully they learn from the PS-Vita's mistakes. They probably won't but, who cares. One will always have their own opinions. You know what they say about them. "Opinions are like ******** and every one has one!"
      These things are not the reason for low Vita sales. In general, hardly anyone cares that you have to be connected to internet to transfer some files, "everyone" have internet access anyway.

      The reason for the low sales of the Vita is mainly the price and the selection of games. I think that the selection of games are good personally, but most of the games does not have mass appeal which wont result in big sales (what does this have to do with the article by the way? I'm not trying to sound rude, i'm just curious).
    1. jkoiou's Avatar
      jkoiou -
      1 question. is it worth it to stay on 1.80 with MHU VHBL, or more worth it to update to 1.81 in order to be able to download the new exploitable game for VHBL (if it can be used fr VHBL that is)....
      debating, as I am at work and will have to set up my iphone as a hotspot in order to do this... (cant get it on my ps3 b/c I can't transfer the file to my vita unless I update anyways... plus I'm not at home)
      Only asking because I have Vita LBP which I cannot play unless I update, plus AC3 liberation coming out in 3 weeks, but if I do I lose VHBL....
      suggestions...???

      On a side note, that's pretty crappy for the Dev, but in some respects good for the scene.. it's just too bad it wasn't a complete work. I believe it would have been released had the Vita taken off on sales or if more games were worthwhile to the average consumer.

      Personally, I already own 3 ps3s, 2 are CEX, over 50 games, plus my vita, about 7-8 games, 3 psps (1000, 2000 & Go), 10+ games... and not to mention the PSN purchases, or MANY for each system I have traded in, sold or now have as backups... so in a sense, good for people supporting sony by spending money on the hardware, bad for the game dev's as they start to lose money on no game sales.
    1. indirect76's Avatar
      indirect76 -
      Quote Originally Posted by SILENT_Pavel View Post
      sry i dont understand, can i use it or not? Or anybody can?
      What is so hard to understand?

      Useless | Define Useless at Dictionary.com
    1. SILENT_Pavel's Avatar
      SILENT_Pavel -
      @indirect76
      I'm not interested what those words mean. I'm just wanted to know why those words so ambiguous, thanks to Tranced for good and short info anyway. And my English is not perfect, sorry if it's so hurts you or something...
    1. Menace's Avatar
      Menace -
      gotta love the theory that the dev knows best...


      worried about psn game sales ? gimme a break.


      yeah there the gods an were the idiots that only deserve something when they think the time is right.
    1. indirect76's Avatar
      indirect76 -
      Wow. The attitude of entitlement is astonishing....
    1. BahumatLord's Avatar
      BahumatLord -
      Quote Originally Posted by CS67700 View Post
      Tired of drama queers.
      And I'm tired of people that have done nothing but take, take, take thinking they can talk about devs like that here. He f*cked up and gave a beta copy to the wrong person. Sh*t happens. If he decides to continue with the project or not it's entirely up to him.

      This is the only warning anybody is going to get about this kind of thing on this thread - If you've never done anything for anybody other than yourself in the scene then this kind of opinion is not welcome and won't be tolerated

      And now back to the regularly scheduled program
    1. bitsbubba's Avatar
      bitsbubba -
      Bashing is unbecoming
    1. BahumatLord's Avatar
      BahumatLord -
      Quote Originally Posted by bitsbubba View Post
      Bashing is unbecoming
      I'm not the first mod to visit this thread. Sad thing is I don't even own a Vita and have no plans on getting one. Sucks I gotta be the asshole here but I'm so good at it
    1. zzk2001's Avatar
      zzk2001 -
      I was big into modding systems back in the 90's-2005 and even made a few things for the ..."scene".. And never would i care if someone got a hold of my work and made it there own. It was never about who made it, It was about Doing it Just because we could and giving it out to people to see what they can do with it, Maybe even make it better.
      It's Sad to see the Newer kids today just wanting fame over the stuff they make =|
      And never blame the Modder's for a systems fail, To many times a system gets FULLY hacked and does BETTER then what it was doing before.
      Many systems from the WII to NDS or even 360 to this day are Fully hacked and still kicking strong with Good Sells.. Yes the Vita is a good system BUT has many things that just Bug the crap out of people... Like Poor Support and bad software.
    1. jkoiou's Avatar
      jkoiou -
      I think once the Vita gets Final Fantasy Type 0, Remastered FFX, Monster Hunter, Even Persona Golden later this month, it will take off. I think the problem is that it tried to be a hardcore gaming machine a la ps3, and yet most of the people who buy it are DS graduates. No one I know that is a hardcore gamer has the system (except me), and that is troubling. Problem with the DS graduates is they expect nintendo quality games, or the kind of support nintendo has/had. Where is Square-Enix, where is Capcom with Monster Hunter, Mega Man, and WHY for gawds sake are PSP games not natively available via the UMD transfer option that Japan has. Sony has made many mistakes, and I feel this is the cherry on top for most people. They didnt give the people a reason to get rid of their psps. But then again, even in Japan, the PSP is outselling the Vita (or was?).

      For one, I am happy the scene is still kicking and not fully hacked as of yet. Call it a double standard but I think the current method of VHBL is helping keep game devs afloat with the psn purchases we all make, and updates to the OS makes us buy more when games are patched. Then you have the physical game releases for new firmwares, so as in my dilema, do you update and risk losing homebrew in order to play the newest game?... and it keeps a fresh cycle of money flow to Sony and the game Devs while keeping most of us happy having homebrew capabilities.
    1. Quakes69's Avatar
      Quakes69 -
      Quote Originally Posted by yes159 View Post
      These things are not the reason for low Vita sales. In general, hardly anyone cares that you have to be connected to internet to transfer some files, "everyone" have internet access anyway.
      Tell that to all the ppl that comes in my shop wanting to get rid of there PSv's complaining of this very thing. Sounds like you hardly care what other ppl have issues with other then what you think. what eve! And No! Not every one has internet. Atleast you have it
    1. Gvaz's Avatar
      Gvaz -
      Quote Originally Posted by indirect76 View Post
      Did you even read the article?
      >implying that's not exactly what everyone's been waiting for
    1. cyto's Avatar
      cyto -
      Quote Originally Posted by neko86 View Post
      does it mean free vita games and vita ISOs?
      Yes, I am playing all my Vita ISOs on a special memory card made in China, as we speak. Uncharted is even better as an ISO.
    1. racer0018's Avatar
      racer0018 -
      Well being someone that likes to mess around with systems I got a vita and it is good for the kids. However I remember the game gear days. Playing sonic on that was hella fun. Lol
    1. Ceedlorenzo's Avatar
      Ceedlorenzo -
      The reason why psp units prospered, especially ps2 is because of the hack... this is also the reason why I dont even buy the unit and some others I know... The unit will prosper, i dont know about the games, maybe somehow, but for profit? i know its not going to like it... So anyhow, i really wish there would be a CFW, a free and open psvita unit for all..

      Just observe... XBOX 360 and Wii was so much popular than ps3... its because these have stable hacks.. unlike ps3, a pain to hack... so still many people just stayed with ps2...
    1. Raikalo's Avatar
      Raikalo -
      It doesn't really matter whether or not he was going to release the hack. Let's be honest for a minute.....name 3 things, other than piracy, that make a custom firmware even worth having. HBL does everything that the "anti-pirate" needs.

      For those of you that use CFW to run your legitimate backups, good for you. The other 95% of people are going to abuse the privilege and play whatever they can download.

      It's probably for the best that this CFW won't see the light of day (anytime soon?). Besides, if sales are so bad on the Vita, why bother hacking it anyway? No one is using it (including me).
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