Uses for memory card MCID, Kbit, Kc?

[mark_k]

Hi,

I've been using MCID_PAL.ELF to get the MCID/Kbit/Kc info for my memory cards. Question is, what is that info useful for?

Would it (in theory) be possible to write a program which uses that ID info to sign ELF files for that specific memory card? Then you could e.g. install Free McBoot using a non-Sony PS2 memory card USB adaptor. (Get an image of the card, and run MCID_PAL.ELF on a PS2 to get the ID info. The program would then use that info to sign the FMCB ELF file. You could then copy the signed file into the memory card image and write it back to the card.)

Or maybe in future (when PS2 emulators get better) you could properly emulate a memory card with Free McBoot or similar installed.

Is there any other software which can use memory card ID info? (Maybe a modified version of ps3mca-tool could be made to work with non-Sony USB adaptors? The user would pass Kbit/Kc etc on the command line instead of reading it from the USB adaptor.)

[Berion]

I could be wrong but there are tools for signing MC KELFs.

I don't see any purpose for that. We can already install FMCB via PC and manage "ps2mcfs" via PC. And the problem is not with PS3MCA Tool but non license mc adaptors (most of them doesn't support write) and drivers for such devices.

[SP193]

Hi,

I've been using MCID_PAL.ELF to get the MCID/Kbit/Kc info for my memory cards. Question is, what is that info useful for?

From what I remember from my past research on the Magicgate KELF mechanism, there are a two keys to decrypt two main parts of the KELF: The content key (Kc) and the bit table (Kbit). Each KELF has both keys.

The bit table describes the various protected and unprotected sections of the KELF, while I think that the content key is for decrypting the encrypted parts of the KELF. Both keys are obtainable by software means.

The MCID is an unique ID that belongs to each Memory Card. If this ID cannot be retrieved for whatever reason, it will not be a bootable Memory Card the KELF cannot be decrypted.

I suppose that full support for Magicgate by the Memory Card adaptor is required, as operations like retrieving the Memory Card's ID (MCID) and certain (emulated) MECHACON challenges that are used to generate some other keys require a working Magicgate implementation.

[mark_k]

Okay. So the only thing unique to the memory card is the MCID? And the Kbit and Kc values printed by running the MCID_PAL.ELF program relate to something else, and are not specific to the memory card you have inserted?

Hypothetically, would it be easy to modify ps3mca-tool to take an MCID passed on the command line and use that, instead of requiring the original Sony CECHZM1 USB memory card adaptor? (The user would have obtained the MCID by running MCID_PAL.ELF on their PS2.)

[kadorna2]

Hypothetically, would it be easy to modify ps3mca-tool to take an MCID passed on the command line and use that, instead of requiring the original Sony CECHZM1 USB memory card adaptor? (The user would have obtained the MCID by running MCID_PAL.ELF on their PS2.)

eh, the only purpose for the use of the ps3 mca is that you don't need a modified console to install fmcb, and if you want to run mcid_pal.elf you need one... which brings us to square 1... you NEED an official adapter, that's all. If you don't have one, buy it.

[SP193]

Okay. So the only thing unique to the memory card is the MCID? And the Kbit and Kc values printed by running the MCID_PAL.ELF program relate to something else, and are not specific to the memory card you have inserted?

Exactly.

The funny thing about some of the Chinese clone cards is that they often come with the exact same MCID, so installing any KELFs (E.g. FMCB) on any one of them and copying it onto another clone card will often work.

Hypothetically, would it be easy to modify ps3mca-tool to take an MCID passed on the command line and use that, instead of requiring the original Sony CECHZM1 USB memory card adaptor? (The user would have obtained the MCID by running MCID_PAL.ELF on their PS2.)

Yes, but you need to obtain the MCID first. If your adaptor does not allow you to do that, you will need another method. But then, you might as well use that other method of obtaining the MCID to install FMCB....

I'm not sure about this, but I think that I remember from the PS3MCA sources that part of the signing process involved cryptographic materials generated from certain challenges made against the memory card... so the MCID is going to be only part of the requirements.

Maybe instead of obtaining the MCID, maybe it's best to just acquire the generated Kbit and Kc keys for your KELF instead.... but that means that you have already signed the KELF for your card and it becames unique to your card. @_@

eh, the only purpose for the use of the ps3 mca is that you don't need a modified console to install fmcb, and if you want to run mcid_pal.elf you need one... which brings us to square 1... you NEED an official adapter, that's all. If you don't have one, buy it.

Exactly.

But can we be sure that 3rd party adaptors really can't be used to install FMCB? AFAIK it was because of a lack of proper drivers to support those 3rd party adaptors.

[mark_k]

But can we be sure that 3rd party adaptors really can't be used to install FMCB? AFAIK it was because of a lack of proper drivers to support those 3rd party adaptors.

Datel's DataMAX product comes with PC software to back up memory cards. You can check the PDF user guide here. (However, according to the manual the supplied PC software only works with non-Sony memory cards.)

If someone wanted to spend enough time on it, it should be possible to figure out how to talk to a DataMAX USB adaptor. Whether that would actually allow data to be written to a real Sony memory card is another matter though.