Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[MIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/mit-students-hack-electric-grid-play-tetris-on-the-side-of-a-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/mit-students-hack-electric-grid-play-tetris-on-the-side-of-a-da/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/mit-students-hack-electric-grid-play-tetris-on-the-side-of-a-da/#comments Image
What would it be like to play Tetris on an entire damn building? Students using MIT's department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science building found out just that last Friday. See what they hacked just below in our gallery, and a new video just above.

Continue reading MIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building

JoystiqMIT students hack electric grid, play Tetris on the side of a damn building originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackershackinghacksmassachusetts-institute-of-technologymittetrisWed, 25 Apr 2012 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom on the hunt for Street Fighter X Tekken hackers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/capcom-on-the-hunt-for-street-fighter-x-tekken-hackers/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/capcom-on-the-hunt-for-street-fighter-x-tekken-hackers/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/19/capcom-on-the-hunt-for-street-fighter-x-tekken-hackers/#comments
The fact that Street Fighter X Tekken's character DLC exists on the disc is a contentious issue in its own right, but now a preemptive compatibility countermeasure is being exploited by nefarious ne'er-do-wells with hacked Xbox 360s.

As seen in the video above, unreleased DLC characters have begun showing up on Xbox Live. While this doesn't cause any technical problems for law-abiding citizens or break the game in any way, Capcom is unpleased: "Quite ballsy for folks to be taking hacked Xbox 360s on Live where they are detectable," said Capcom senior vice-president Christian Svensson. "In any event, we already have openned channels of communication with MS on these issues Friday night."

Initially, Svensson asked members of the Capcom Unity forums to take screenshots and record videos of offenders, but that thread has since been closed. "We'll catch them ourselves," Svensson added, presumably just before donning a cloak and cowl and jumping out the nearest open window.

JoystiqCapcom on the hunt for Street Fighter X Tekken hackers originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomchristian-svenssonDLChackershackingmicrosoftSFxTstreet-fighter-x-tekkenxboxxbox-liveMon, 19 Mar 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox hacking victim tells her story, fights for others]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/xbox-hacking-victim-tells-her-story-fights-for-others/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/xbox-hacking-victim-tells-her-story-fights-for-others/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/09/xbox-hacking-victim-tells-her-story-fights-for-others/#comments Haxx In the current rash of Xbox Live hacking stories, Susan Taylor's might be the most interesting. Like many Xbox Live users in recent months, Taylor one day found that her Xbox Live account had been hijacked, and hundreds of dollars in Microsoft Points and Xbox Live subscriptions had been purchased, draining money directly from her linked bank account. And, like many others, the following days were consumed by calls with Microsoft support, attempting to get her stolen money returned and her Xbox Live account safely reinstated.

Her story has many other wrinkles, including a second massive purchase, despite Microsoft's word that her account had been locked, and her own detective work into discovering exactly who had stolen her account and why. Suffice it to say that Taylor's story has a happy ending -- no doubt thanks to a hefty amount of public exposure -- though it certainly wasn't an easy process.

Inspired by her experiences, Taylor has founded HackedOnXbox.com, on which her story is recounted and others are invited to share their own. We fully suggest you read Taylor's account of events, and don't forget that Joystiq is still investigating the issue as well. Be sure to contact us if you have any information.

JoystiqXbox hacking victim tells her story, fights for others originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fifa-hackhackingmicrosoftxboxxbox-live-hackxbox-live-hackerMon, 09 Jan 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision sends cease-and-desist to Skylanders hacker]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/activision-sends-cease-and-desist-to-skylanders-hacker/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/activision-sends-cease-and-desist-to-skylanders-hacker/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/30/activision-sends-cease-and-desist-to-skylanders-hacker/#comments The very first time we saw Activision's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure figures at a pre-E3 event earlier this year, it seemed only a matter of time before some enterprising enthusiast cracked open both the toy figures and the "portal" base unit, and figured out how they wirelessly connected. Sure enough, a tinkerer named Brandon Wilson recently did just that, and posted his results on his personal website. In return, he got an official cease-and-desist letter from Activision a few days later, telling him to take the findings down immediately.

Wilson wrote a response to point out that most of Activision's accusations against him are inaccurate: He was not intending to share his findings with others (only saved them in a .zip file for his own personal use), and has no intention to circumvent the game at all, either by using the Skylanders hardware with an iOS device (since the technology is based on RFID), or by "tricking" the portal into thinking he owns a Skylanders figure when he doesn't.

Despite all of that, however, Wilson has agreed to follow the cease-and-desist order. It seems a shame -- some of the most fun hacks have come out of toys both old and new, and if Wilson wants to dissect toys he's purchased for his own enjoyment, that seems reasonable. We've contacted Activision to try and get an official position; it's likely we haven't heard the last of this just yet.

JoystiqActivision sends cease-and-desist to Skylanders hacker originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsactivisionbrandon-wilsoncease-and-desisthackershackingmicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3skylandersskylanders-spyros-adventurexboxFri, 30 Dec 2011 00:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve: Steam user database hacked, no evidence of personal info taken]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/valve-steam-user-database-hacked-no-evidence-of-personal-info/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/valve-steam-user-database-hacked-no-evidence-of-personal-info/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/10/valve-steam-user-database-hacked-no-evidence-of-personal-info/#comments In a message sent to all Steam users by Valve's Gabe Newell, it was revealed that the vandalizing of the Steam forums, which occurred on November 6, was followed by an intrusion on "a Steam database." The hacked database included usernames, "hashed and salted" passwords, transcripts of game purchases, email and billing addresses, and encrypted credit card info. The message specified that Valve doesn't have any evidence of the intruders taking the credit card numbers or any other "personally identifying information," or that the encryption on said numbers or passwords had been cracked.

The company is investigating the incident, but because a few forum users have been compromised all users must change their passwords during their next forum visit. Steam users aren't forced to change their passwords, but are encouraged to do so, especially if they match their forum passwords. Also, if your bank account, Paypal account, PSN, Xbox Live, email, AIM or, you know, anything, shares your forum password, you should probably change that too -- and then you should probably just move into a log cabin in the woods for a while.

You can read Newell's full message after the break.

Continue reading Valve: Steam user database hacked, no evidence of personal info taken

JoystiqValve: Steam user database hacked, no evidence of personal info taken originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>forumsgabe-newellhackhackerhackingintrusionpcsteamvalveThu, 10 Nov 2011 18:14:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: Steam user forums hacked, taken offline]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/report-steam-user-forums-hacked-taken-offline/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/report-steam-user-forums-hacked-taken-offline/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/07/report-steam-user-forums-hacked-taken-offline/#comments Unsatisfied with merely enabling cheating in Steam games with unauthorized code, it would appear that a group called FknOwned took its hackery a step further, hacking the Steam user forum to insert an ad for its own site, which promises hacks, along with "general discussion sections, hacking tutorials and tools, porn, free giveaways and much more." NeoGAF user imek reported that the same message came in as an email from Steam.

We say "it would appear" because we didn't witness the hack for ourselves; rather than allow a hacking site to advertise itself prominently, Valve has taken the forums down "for maintenance."

JoystiqReport: Steam user forums hacked, taken offline originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>forumshackingmacpcsteamsteam-user-forumvalveMon, 07 Nov 2011 10:43:00 EST<![CDATA[FIFA-loving hackers accessing users' Xbox Live accounts to buy DLC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/fifa-loving-hackers-accessing-users-xbox-live-accounts-to-buy-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/fifa-loving-hackers-accessing-users-xbox-live-accounts-to-buy-d/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/14/fifa-loving-hackers-accessing-users-xbox-live-accounts-to-buy-d/#comments We've begun hearing reports that Xbox Live users are finding their accounts accessed without their permission, with the hackers using the ill-gotten accounts to purchase Premium Gold Pack DLC for FIFA 12, and other FIFA content. Ars Technica has gathered a few user reports, including one from a victim who found his or her account used to buy over $100 in Microsoft Points, which were then applied to the full game of FIFA 12 and DLC.

We contacted Microsoft to see if it's aware of this rash of hacks. The publisher sent Joystiq a statement saying "We do not have any evidence the Xbox LIVE service has been compromised," and indicating that these unauthorized logins have only occurred for "a limited number of members," with whom MS is working directly. The full statement is after the break.

Continue reading FIFA-loving hackers accessing users' Xbox Live accounts to buy DLC

JoystiqFIFA-loving hackers accessing users' Xbox Live accounts to buy DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ea-sportselectronic-artsfifa-12fifa-soccer-12hackingmicrosoftxboxxbox-liveFri, 14 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: Compromised PSN info used in mass access attempt]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/psa-compromised-psn-info-used-in-mass-access-attempt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/psa-compromised-psn-info-used-in-mass-access-attempt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/psa-compromised-psn-info-used-in-mass-access-attempt/#comments

In a post on the Official PlayStation Blog tonight, the Chief Information Security Officer for Sony Phillip Reitinger informed users that a major, concerted wave of sign-in attempts were made using login and password information "obtained from one or more compromised lists from other companies, sites or other sources." Sony has, in their words, "taken steps to mitigate this activity." Reitenger specified that credit card information had not been compromised.

Accounts affected by the mass access attempt have received prompts via email to reset their passwords. Sony Online Entertainment accounts affected have also been provisionally disabled until their passwords are changed.

JoystiqPSA: Compromised PSN info used in mass access attempt originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackingplaystationps3psnSOEWed, 12 Oct 2011 00:10:00 EST<![CDATA[George 'Geohot' Hotz now using his powers for good, Facebook]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/george-geohot-hotz-now-using-his-powers-for-good-facebook/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/george-geohot-hotz-now-using-his-powers-for-good-facebook/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/george-geohot-hotz-now-using-his-powers-for-good-facebook/#comments If Uncle Ben taught us anything, it's that with great power, comes great responsibility. And, if you're legendary hacker George 'Geohot' Hotz, great job opportunities! Having survived Sony's legal onslaught earlier this year, Hotz has landed himself a sweet development gig at Facebook.

During an interview with hacking community MyGreatFest, rival jailbreaker Joshua Hill (aka P0sixninja) claimed that Geohot had declined an iPad 2 hacking challenge in order to maintain a low profile, and to focus on his new job at Facebook. Hill implied that Hotz's refusal to hack some 'pads indicated his involvement in the development of Facebook's as-yet-unconfirmed iPad app.

Hotz's rumored employment status was later corroborated by TechMeme's Gabe Rivera, who tweeted a link to the hacker's (now private) Facebook wall, which reportedly called the social network "an amazing place to work." George certainly isn't the first hacker to give up the game and go legit, and with more companies recognizing the talent and skill required for the craft, we doubt he'll be the last.

JoystiqGeorge 'Geohot' Hotz now using his powers for good, Facebook originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookGeohotGeorge-Hotzhackingipad-2ipad2lawsuitspider-manSun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LulzSec doffs its gray hat, your games are safe (for now)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/lulzsec-doffs-its-gray-hat-your-games-are-safe-for-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/lulzsec-doffs-its-gray-hat-your-games-are-safe-for-now/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/26/lulzsec-doffs-its-gray-hat-your-games-are-safe-for-now/#comments
Lulzsec, the anonymous anti-security task force responsible for hacking Sony Pictures, Nintendo, EVE Online, Minecraft, and The Escapist, announced today that its 50-day tour of internet pillaging has come to an end.

In a press release posted on The Pirate Bay, the team of six hackers used confusing metaphors about Hitler and cats (seriously) to justify their attacks, citing the "chaotic thrill of entertainment and anarchy" as their main motivation. While the group claims that they had always planned to call it quits after 50 days, we think this retreat has more to do with the British arrest of 19-year-old Ryan Cleary.

Lulzsec's six hackers hope that their "movement" can continue without them, writing, "Together, united, we can stomp down our common oppressors and imbue ourselves with the power and freedom we deserve." We don't know about you guys, but we can't remember ever feeling oppressed by Super Mario Bros. Peep the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading LulzSec doffs its gray hat, your games are safe (for now)

JoystiqLulzSec doffs its gray hat, your games are safe (for now) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eve-onlinehackingLulzSecminecraftnintendosony-picturesSun, 26 Jun 2011 12:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Report: King of Kong director bringing back WarGames]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/report-king-of-kong-director-bringing-back-wargames/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/report-king-of-kong-director-bringing-back-wargames/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/report-king-of-kong-director-bringing-back-wargames/#comments Guys, we're just gonna be honest -- we kinda really love the MGM hacking classic, WarGames. Alongside Sneakers, it's right up there at the top of our list of best films about computers. And apparently it's getting a reboot from King of Kong director Seth Gordon.

Gordon took a break from documentaries since his 2010 adaptation of NYT bestseller Freakonomics, most recently directing a handful of NBC sitcoms (The Office, Community) and a feature film, Horrible Bosses. He's currently working on two other films, and his IMDB page has yet to even note the supposed reboot in his list of work.

Deadline claims to have gotten exclusive news about said reboot, though unfortunately few details are provided beyond the director and production studio. Lacking details aside, we're taking a wild guess that there'll be at least one joke referencing thermonuclear war.

JoystiqReport: King of Kong director bringing back WarGames originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>filmfilmshackinghollywoodmetro-goldwyn-mayermgmmoviemoviesrebootseth-gordonwargamesFri, 24 Jun 2011 19:50:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare's Neverwinter Nights forums hacked, EA Account information at risk]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/biowares-neverwinter-nights-forums-hacked-ea-account-informati/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/biowares-neverwinter-nights-forums-hacked-ea-account-informati/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/23/biowares-neverwinter-nights-forums-hacked-ea-account-informati/#comments And here we thought we'd get through a whole day without a hacking story. BioWare Edmonton Studio GM Aaryn Flynn sent out an email tonight alerting users of its "decade-old BioWare server system supporting the Neverwinter Nights forums." As with the Sega Pass hack, BioWare asserts that there is no danger of loss of credit card data, but other information -- like "user names, encrypted passwords, email addresses, mailing addresses, names, phone numbers, CD keys and birth dates" from EA Accounts may have been taken. These are the same EA Accounts used for online EA games, so it has significance beyond just forums for some old game.

The email includes a password change link, and -- also like the Sega Pass hack -- BioWare took the precaution of changing everyone's passwords immediately. Of course, if you used the same password for any other site that you used for your EA Account, you should change that too. Should you have more questions, EA has posted a brief FAQ about the hack.

Continue reading BioWare's Neverwinter Nights forums hacked, EA Account information at risk

JoystiqBioWare's Neverwinter Nights forums hacked, EA Account information at risk originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareea-accountelectronic-artshackhackingneverwinter-nightspcThu, 23 Jun 2011 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega Pass hack exposed 1.3 million accounts, LulzSec denies responsibility]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/sega-pass-hack-exposed-1-3-million-accounts-lulzsec-denies-resp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/sega-pass-hack-exposed-1-3-million-accounts-lulzsec-denies-resp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/20/sega-pass-hack-exposed-1-3-million-accounts-lulzsec-denies-resp/#comments The Sega Pass hack has been upgraded from "temporary loss of some service to which we weren't really paying attention," all the way to "reasonably serious business." In a statement to Reuters, Sega revealed the scope of the data breach: over 1.3 million user accounts, including dates of birth and passwords. The publisher made it clear when it initially announced the breach that payment information wasn't at risk.

"We are deeply sorry for causing trouble to our customers," Sega spokesperson Yoko Nagasawa said in today's statement. "We want to work on strengthening security."

This time, hacker collective LulzSec isn't claiming responsibility, instead sending out a tweet offering to help Sega find the actual culprit. "We love the Dreamcast," they said. "These people are going down."

JoystiqSega Pass hack exposed 1.3 million accounts, LulzSec denies responsibility originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhackinglulzsecpcsegasega-passMon, 20 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega warns users of recent 'Sega Pass' hack]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/sega-warns-users-of-recent-sega-pass-hack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/sega-warns-users-of-recent-sega-pass-hack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/sega-warns-users-of-recent-sega-pass-hack/#comments It's an all-too-familiar story, as another game-related online service is hacked. Sega sent out an email to users of Sega Pass, an opt-in newsletter service (also used as an account system for online Sega games like Spiral Knights), warning them of an "unauthorised entry" into the Sega Pass database. As a result of this intrusion, Sega took the system offline yesterday.

"We have identified that a subset of SEGA Pass members emails addresses, dates of birth and encrypted passwords were obtained," the email warns. "To stress, none of the passwords obtained were stored in plain text," though it took the precaution of resetting all passwords anyway. In addition, Sega says that since payment information related to Sega Pass was stored through external providers, it wasn't at risk.

Sega asked users to refrain from trying to log into Sega Pass -- there's nothing there at the moment anyway. And "if you use the same login information for other websites and/or services as you do for SEGA Pass, you should change that information immediately."

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Sega warns users of recent 'Sega Pass' hack

JoystiqSega warns users of recent 'Sega Pass' hack originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackhackingpcsegasega-passFri, 17 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[LulzSec attacks Escapist Magazine, EVE Online, and Minecraft]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/lulzsec-attacks-escapist-magazine-eve-online-and-minecraft/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/lulzsec-attacks-escapist-magazine-eve-online-and-minecraft/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/14/lulzsec-attacks-escapist-magazine-eve-online-and-minecraft/#comments Hacker group LulzSec, the same group that's attacked Sony and Nintendo in the past, has tweeted that it's committed three distributed denial of service attacks against gaming companies today, bringing down EVE Online's Tranquility server, Minecraft's multiplayer services, and the Escapist Magazine's website. EVE Online's CCP has confirmed both the outage and the attack, the Escapist is unreachable at the moment, and Minecraft creator Notch says that things were down, but supposedly service has been restored.

LulzSec hasn't shared a reason for the attacks just yet, but we can only guess it's, as they say, "for teh lulz."

Update: The group has gone after Riot Games' League of Legends servers as well. Attempting to log in to the game gives a "server busy" message, though there's no official word from the company yet.

Update: Statement from CCP after the break. EVE Online still seems to be down.

Continue reading LulzSec attacks Escapist Magazine, EVE Online, and Minecraft

JoystiqLulzSec attacks Escapist Magazine, EVE Online, and Minecraft originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attackccpddoseve-onlinehackhackinglulzsecminecraftofflinepcserviceTue, 14 Jun 2011 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Codemasters informs users of website breach]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-informs-users-of-website-breach/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-informs-users-of-website-breach/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/codemasters-informs-users-of-website-breach/#comments Last Friday, some malevolent entity got into codemasters.com, and obtained access to information on the Dirt 3 code redemption page, the E Store, and the CodeM database. The publisher sent out an email today warning users about the site's code having been mastered.

The hacker was able to access information including customer names, addresses, and email addresses (but not payment information), and passwords, along with Xbox Live Gamertags and IP addresses. Codemasters shut its site down immediately upon detecting the intrusion. A new website will launch later this year, with Codemasters planning to redirect to its Facebook page in the meantime.

"Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was downloaded onto an external device," Codies said in the email to users, "we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen." You can read the full email after the break ... right after you change your password anywhere that you had been using the same one you used on the Codies site.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Codemasters informs users of website breach

JoystiqCodemasters informs users of website breach originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codemastersdirt-3hackhackingmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 10 Jun 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft treats kid hacker with kid gloves in wake of PSN debacle]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/29/microsoft-treats-kid-hacker-with-kid-gloves-in-wake-of-psn-debac/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/29/microsoft-treats-kid-hacker-with-kid-gloves-in-wake-of-psn-debac/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/29/microsoft-treats-kid-hacker-with-kid-gloves-in-wake-of-psn-debac/#comments Soon after Sony's aggressive pursuit of hacker George Hotz -- and potentially in an act of retaliation -- other hackers shut the whole PlayStation Network down and made off with millions of users' data.

Microsoft seems to have learned a valuable lesson from that ("don't incite hackers"). During a keynote presentation at the Bank of Ireland Business Week, MS's Ireland General Manager Paul Rellis revealed that the company is dealing with a 14-year-old who hacked Modern Warfare 2 not by suing him, but by working with him. According to the Herald, Rellis said that Microsoft was helping the youngster "use his skills for legitimate purposes."

It's a happy ending in this case, but we doubt this will work every time. If you get all up in big companies' systems, you're still a lot more likely to end up with police confiscating your computer than with a cool internship.

JoystiqMicrosoft treats kid hacker with kid gloves in wake of PSN debacle originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionhackerhackinginfinity-wardirelandmicrosoftmicrosoft-irelandModern-Warfare-2xboxSun, 29 May 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN Breach: What it means for you, and for Sony]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/psn-breach-what-it-means-for-you-and-for-sony/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/psn-breach-what-it-means-for-you-and-for-sony/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/psn-breach-what-it-means-for-you-and-for-sony/#comments It's been nearly one week since the PlayStation Network servers were taken down due to an "external intrusion," and nearly one day since we learned PSN users' personal information was stolen during said intrusion. We're still not quite sure of the full scope of the security breach, but the latest update from Sony paints a fairly upsetting picture: Gamers' personal (and, possibly, financial) data has been exposed on a scale more massive than the gaming industry has ever seen.

To help get a grasp on the situation, we spoke with consumer advocates and tech industry figures about what gamers can expect in the aftermath of this security breach. For instance: What financial or legal repercussions might Sony be facing in the coming months? And what can PSN users do to protect themselves from potential identity theft?

Continue reading PSN Breach: What it means for you, and for Sony

JoystiqPSN Breach: What it means for you, and for Sony originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consumer-advocacyecahackinghal-halpinidentity-theftmichael-pachteroutageplaystationplaystation-storeps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonyWed, 27 Apr 2011 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox Live status warns of phishing in Modern Warfare 2 messages]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/xbox-live-status-warns-of-phishing-in-modern-warfare-2-messages/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/xbox-live-status-warns-of-phishing-in-modern-warfare-2-messages/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/xbox-live-status-warns-of-phishing-in-modern-warfare-2-messages/#comments Don't look so smug, Xbox Live users. You may be able to play games online and download things, but the latest Xbox Live status serves as a reminder that no online service is totally safe from malefactors.

"Users may receive potential phishing attempts via title specific messaging while playing Modern Warfare 2," Microsoft warns. This should be more annoying than harmful, considering that every Modern Warfare 2 player has already had to learn to ignore messages from strangers out of self-preservation. Just be extra vigilant about ignoring people right now, because they might be trying to finagle your password or other personal info.

Microsoft says it's "working to resolve the issue."

JoystiqXbox Live status warns of phishing in Modern Warfare 2 messages originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionhackinginfinity-wardmicrosoftModern-Warfare-2phishingxboxxbox-liveWed, 27 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: 'Rebug' custom firmware enabled 'free' PSN downloads, forced Sony's network shutdown]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/rumor-rebug-custom-firmware-enabled-free-psn-downloads-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/rumor-rebug-custom-firmware-enabled-free-psn-downloads-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/rumor-rebug-custom-firmware-enabled-free-psn-downloads-for/#comments According to PSX-Scene forum moderator, "chesh," the now six-day-long PlayStation Network outage may be the result of a particularly exploitative custom firmware (CFW) modification for PS3. In a post on Reddit, chesh claims that a CFW known as "Codename: Rebug" had given its users the ability to log into PSN as if they were doing so from a developer console (or "debug unit").

As a result, chesh contends, this same exploit could allow its users to add funds from "dummy" credit card accounts into their PSN wallets, ostensibly giving them the ability to "unlock" (read: steal) certain PlayStation Store content. Joystiq's research into the purported exploit has turned up multiple tutorials detailing the process, which appears alarmingly easy to execute on consoles running the Rebug CFW.

The hack does not allow its users to access the credit card or other personal information of PSN users, chesh adds. Nevertheless, as we reported earlier today, Sony is working to rule out information theft as part of its investigation during the maintenance outage in which the company is also implementing new security measures.

Sony has not yet responded to our request for comment on this story.

[Image source: rebug.me]

JoystiqRumor: 'Rebug' custom firmware enabled 'free' PSN downloads, forced Sony's network shutdown originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cfwcodename-rebugcustom-firmwarehackhackingoutageplaystationps3psnpsn-outage-2011rebugsonyMon, 25 Apr 2011 18:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony still investigating scope of PSN attack as maintenance outage enters Day 6]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/sony-still-investigating-scope-of-psn-attack-as-maintenance-outa/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/sony-still-investigating-scope-of-psn-attack-as-maintenance-outa/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/sony-still-investigating-scope-of-psn-attack-as-maintenance-outa/#comments As Sony's forced PlayStation Network and Qriocity outages continue, stretching into what is officially Day 6, the company issued a very un-update to would-be users this morning: "Unfortunately, I don't have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time," said corp. comm. director Patrick Seybold on the PlayStation Blog. "As we previously noted, this is a time intensive process and we're working to get them back online quickly."

Speaking to PCWorld, SCEJ spokesperson Satoshi Fukuoka clarified that a "thorough investigation" was ongoing into what the company has characterized as an "external intrusion" into its system, which prompted the service suspensions. More troubling than any frustration caused by downtime over this past weekend, however, is the continued uncertainty about the extent of the attack. According to Fukuoka, Sony had yet to determine if users' personal information or credit card numbers had been accessed by the apparent hackers. If that's found to be the case, he assured, Sony would promptly inform those potentially affected.

On Saturday, Seybold noted that "additional security" would be put in place before the services relaunch, calling this "re-building" effort both "time-consuming" and "necessary."

JoystiqSony still investigating scope of PSN attack as maintenance outage enters Day 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackingidentity-theftmaintenanceoutagepatrick-seyboldplaystationps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspqriocitysatoshi-fukuokascejsonyMon, 25 Apr 2011 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN outage due to 'external intrusion' [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/psn-outage-due-to-external-intrusion/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/psn-outage-due-to-external-intrusion/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/23/psn-outage-due-to-external-intrusion/#comments You might have guessed this already, but it's no simple error that's been keeping the PSN down over the last few days, forcing us into productive activities (like writing this) instead of playing multiplayer Spelunker HD. Sony finally came forward on the PlayStation Blog and admitted that "An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services." Sony says it turned off PSN and Qriocity services on Wednesday to investigate this "intrusion" further.

If this is the work of "Anonymous" members, they failed to read their own nebulous organization's press release -- Anonymous supposedly backed off from PSN attacks in early April. It's entirely possible, however, the latest hackers are members of no group other than the loose worldwide confederation of jerks.

Update: PlayStation Blog has provided another update on the outage, explaining, "we are working around the clock" to bring the PSN back online. The update adds, "Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security."

JoystiqPSN outage due to 'external intrusion' [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymoushackingoutageplaystationPlayStation-Networkps3psnpsn-outage-2011pspsonySat, 23 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony and PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George Hotz settle out of court]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/sony-and-playstation-3-jailbreaker-george-hotz-settle-out-of-cou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/sony-and-playstation-3-jailbreaker-george-hotz-settle-out-of-cou/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/sony-and-playstation-3-jailbreaker-george-hotz-settle-out-of-cou/#comments After a short but rather storied history, infamous PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George "GeoHot" Hotz and Sony Computer Entertainment of America have settled their legal dispute, with a statement on the PlayStation Blog stating the two parties "reached an agreement in principle" around 10 days ago. According to said agreement, Hotz has "consented to a permanent injunction," meaning he super swears he won't do it again (legally speaking, of course), though no other terms are given. We were told by an SCEA rep that the terms of the settlement (beyond what was disclosed) are confidential.

Unsurprisingly, both Hotz' legal team and Sony's were excited to resolve the legal dispute so quickly. "It was never my intention to cause any users trouble or to make piracy easier. I'm happy to have the litigation behind me," Hotz said in the announcement.

Previously, Hotz had strict terms for a potential settlement. "Let's just say, I want the settlement terms to include OtherOS on all PS3s and an apology on the PlayStation blog for ever removing it," Hotz wrote on his website during the trial. "It'd be good PR for Sony too, lord knows they could use it," he continued. "I'm also willing to accept a trade, a legit path to homebrew for knowledge of how to stop new firmwares from being decrypted." Apparently the case spooked Hotz enough to reconsider.

The settlement announcement also absolves Hotz of any potential wrongdoing associated with recent PlayStation Network attacks. "Hotz was not involved in the recent attacks on Sony's internet services and websites," the statement reads.

To fully drive the point of the blog post home, SCEA general counsel Riley Russell said of Hotz, "We appreciate Mr. Hotz's willingness to address the legal issues involved in this case and work with us to quickly bring this matter to an early resolution."

For his part, Hotz announced via his blog this morning that he is "joining the Sony boycott," and that he "will never purchase another Sony product." It could be that he's mad after the legal case ... or it could just be that he's broke.

JoystiqSony and PlayStation 3 jailbreaker George Hotz settle out of court originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>geohotgeorge-hotzhackinglawsuitplaystationps3ps3-hackingsceaMon, 11 Apr 2011 12:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Anonymous suspends PSN attack]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/anonymous-suspends-psn-attack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/anonymous-suspends-psn-attack/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/07/anonymous-suspends-psn-attack/#comments According to AnonNews, a community-driven news site for the nebulous hacktivism cooperative Anonymous, a cease-fire is underway in the group's fight against Sony. Over the last week, Sony's websites, forums, and even the PlayStation Network have been intermittently out of commission, allegedly due to attacks from the group.

A press release on AnonNews says that though the group's campaign against Sony will continue in some form, "Anonymous is not attacking the PSN at this time." The group, according to the announcement, is suspending that effort "until a method is found that will not severely impact Sony customers."

Even though whoever wrote this might feel that way, of course, there could still be hundreds of thousands of people out there who feel differently and continue attacking PSN. There's no way of knowing how "official" this announcement is, or even how many Anons were into hacking PSN in the first place. The group is, well, anonymous.

[Thanks, Raniz]

JoystiqAnonymous suspends PSN attack originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymousddoshackingplaystationps3psnThu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Network issues persist as hacker collective continues attacks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/playstation-network-issues-persist-as-hacker-collective-continue/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/playstation-network-issues-persist-as-hacker-collective-continue/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/playstation-network-issues-persist-as-hacker-collective-continue/#comments Taking to the US and EU PlayStation Forums en masse, PlayStation 3 users continue to report connectivity issues with PlayStation Network today. Starting with the declaration of attack by hacker group "Anonymous" earlier this week, PSN has been experiencing sporadic issues over the past few days -- Sony characterized the outages as "intermittent" earlier this week, and promised that "engineers are working to restore and maintain the services." As of the time of publishing, we have been unable to connect to PSN today through several staff accounts.

According to a Sony EU forum moderator, a trio of error codes could be showing up for affected users (80710092, 80710D36 and 8071053D), though little else is offered in way of information. "We are currently looking into this and I will update the thread as more information becomes available," the post notes.

Additionally, PlayStation Lifestyle reports that a splinter group of Anonymous -- identified as "SonyRecon" -- is apparently going after specific Sony executives, seeking to reveal "names, phone numbers, pictures, home addresses, email, internet protocol address, family members and other data." CEO Sir Howard Stringer is said to be one of the group's targets, among others.

As previously detailed, Anonymous launched the attacks on Sony earlier this week as a sign of solidarity with hackers George "GeoHot" Hotz and Alexander "Graf_Chokolo" Egorenkov, both of whom are currently in litigation with Sony.

JoystiqPlayStation Network issues persist as hacker collective continues attacks originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander-egorenkovanonymousgeohotgeorge-hotzhackershackinghoward-stringerplaystationplaystation-networkps3psnsir-howard-stringersonyreconWed, 06 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hacker group 'Anonymous' attacks Sony and PSN]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/hacker-group-anonymous-attacks-sony-and-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/hacker-group-anonymous-attacks-sony-and-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/05/hacker-group-anonymous-attacks-sony-and-psn/#comments The amorphous hacking collective "Anonymous" is now fighting a war on two fronts -- while one battle continues to rage over WikiLeaks, a new battle has begun with Sony. As of yesterday, Anonymous is focusing efforts on both PlayStation Network and PlayStation's official website, bringing both down at various points. Sony's PlayStation blog noted the issue yesterday, stating that some folks were "experiencing intermittent service" and saying Sony was "working on finding a solution."

"We are currently investigating, including the possibility of targeted behavior of an outside party, "Sony senior director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold told us this morning. "If this is indeed caused by such act, we want to once again thank our customers who have borne the brunt of the attack through interrupted service. Our engineers are working to restore and maintain the services, and we appreciate our customers' continued support."

A manifesto declaring the group's intentions was posted, which not only declares loyalty to George "Geohot" Hotz and Alexander "Graf_Chokolo" Egorenkov, but also states intentions to "attack your [Sony's] private property because we disagree with your actions." While the group acknowledges this is "wrong," the idea is to mimic what it believes Sony to have done -- restricted the actions of folks trying to use an object they own.

Additionally, Ars Technica reports that the group is encouraging people to show up at Sony stores on April 16 and complain. Nothing quite says "stick it to the man" like complaining to retail employees.

[Thanks, Aaron]

JoystiqHacker group 'Anonymous' attacks Sony and PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander-egorenkovanonymousgeohotzgeorge-hotzgrafchokolohackershackingplaystationplaystation-networkps3psnTue, 05 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stepto on Xbox Live hacker: 'He's not trying to help']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/microsofts-toulouse-on-xbox-live-hacker-hes-not-trying-to-he/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/microsofts-toulouse-on-xbox-live-hacker-hes-not-trying-to-he/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/microsofts-toulouse-on-xbox-live-hacker-hes-not-trying-to-he/#comments "He got an old cell phone [number] of mine, and yeah, he called it occasionally," Xbox Live director of policy and enforcement Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse told us of the contact he'd had with the apparent hacker known as "Predator," who took control of Toulouse's Xbox Live account this past weekend. "I can play you a voice message if you want, to show you the nature of his contact with us." What followed was ... not suitable for printing. Expletives and derogatory terms were all that we could make out in the mess of a message.

Multiple voices could be heard, too. "I have a six minute one where he and his friend discuss all the different ways they're gonna have sex with my wife." Not exactly what Predator characterized as "reaching out" to Microsoft to offer his help resolving the security issues he's claimed to have exploited.

"I would say 'reaching out for contact' is an extremely generous phrase," Toulouse said. "Most of the stuff that he leaves on there is flat out harassment. It's not contact. He's not trying to help or do anything. He's mostly just insulting me. And I get that from time to time. It's just the nature of my role. The kids sometimes try to go after me -- it's not that big a deal."

In terms of what actually happened, Toulouse was quick to point out that his Xbox Live account wasn't "hacked" per se, but rather his personal site's web host failed to protect his information. The actual issue, he said, is social engineering (Predator's ability to manipulate the web host in order to reset Toulouse's password) -- an issue that "no one has solved."

Continue reading Stepto on Xbox Live hacker: 'He's not trying to help'

JoystiqStepto on Xbox Live hacker: 'He's not trying to help' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackingmicrosoftpredatorsecurtiystephen-toulousesteptoxboxxbox-livexbox-live-hackerMon, 04 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox Live hacker: 'All accounts are open' to attacks [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/xbox-live-hacker-all-accounts-are-open-to-attacks/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/xbox-live-hacker-all-accounts-are-open-to-attacks/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/xbox-live-hacker-all-accounts-are-open-to-attacks/#comments He only had access for a limited period, but a self-proclaimed "hacker" managed to finagle his way into Xbox Live policy enforcement lead Stephen Toulouse's Xbox Live Gold account over the weekend. The hacker calls himself "Predator," and has created a six-minute video showing off his exploits. Predator allegedly used "social engineering techniques" and didn't employ any "programs," he told Joystiq this afternoon. Predator was able to alter Xbox Live account information after resetting Toulouse's password, all through Toulouse's personal website host, Network Solutions.

But despite his actions, "Predator" says he didn't go do it for malicious reasons. "I'm simply letting them know I'm willing to help them secure accounts from future hackers," he explained. "All accounts are open for hacking." That last statement rings especially true in light of last year's hacking of Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb's Xbox Live account.

And this isn't his first success, Predator claims. "I've done many illegal things on Xbox -- I've taken Trixie360's account, 15 Original Gamertags, 4 H3 Pro's [Halo 3 pros], and a few randoms," he told us. He also notes in his video (which has been pulled) that he's had "over 35" console bans, and points out that, as a result, Toulouse "had it coming, man." Predator, however, remains unconcerned about his own fate. He notes after explaining his past exploits that nothing has happened to him so far. Predator says his offer to help with Xbox Live security stands.

Update: We spoke with Stephen Toulouse, who offered his comments on the incident. Additionally, the video after the break has been removed as it is no longer available on YouTube.

JoystiqXbox Live hacker: 'All accounts are open' to attacks [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gamercardhackingmicrosoftpredatorstephen-toulousesteptoxboxxbox-livexbox-live-hackerMon, 04 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony claims George 'Geohot' Hotz is avoiding trial in South America]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/sony-claims-george-geohot-hotz-is-avoiding-trial-in-south-amer/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/sony-claims-george-geohot-hotz-is-avoiding-trial-in-south-amer/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/sony-claims-george-geohot-hotz-is-avoiding-trial-in-south-amer/#comments Sony may have access to pretty much all of PS3 jailbreaker George "GeoHot" Hotz's records, but it doesn't have access to Hotz himself. As unearthed by VGHQ, a legal complaint filed by Sony alleges that Hotz "is now in South America, an excuse for why he will not immediately provide the components of his hard drives." Sony believes that Hotz left with the intention of delaying his ongoing trial.

According to Sony's lawyers, Hotz has been "engaged in a campaign to thwart jurisdictional discovery at every turn" over "the last several weeks" -- including the intentional removal of "integral components of his impounded hard drives," said to contain implicating evidence of Hotz's alleged misdeeds. Apparently, when SCEA discovered that Hotz's HDDs were missing parts, a request for the components was met with a response from Hotz's legal counsel that Hotz "was in South America." One thing's for sure -- if he is in South America somewhere, Hotz's freestyle rap about Sony is no longer the weirdest thing about the story of the PS3 jailbreak.

JoystiqSony claims George 'Geohot' Hotz is avoiding trial in South America originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>geohotgeorge-hotzhackingjailbreaklawsuitlegalplaystationps3ps3-jailbreaksceasony-computer-entertainment-americasouth-americaWed, 23 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Modern Warfare 2 patch arrives March 8, 'to address hacking']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/modern-warfare-2-patch-arrives-march-8-to-address-hacking/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/modern-warfare-2-patch-arrives-march-8-to-address-hacking/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/07/modern-warfare-2-patch-arrives-march-8-to-address-hacking/#comments It appears that whatever Sony did to mitigate security issues in its most recent PlayStation 3 patch has enabled Infinity Ward to address its "unplayable" version of Modern Warfare 2. Creative strategist Robert Bowling announced on Twitter that a patch "will release on PlayStation 3 worldwide on March 8," with an Xbox 360 and PC release following at some point. The patch, Bowling said, is specifically intended "to address hacking."

Bowling detailed the process on the Infinty Ward forums, having updated his original post about the PS3 situation as new information was available from IW while staying intentionally light on details, "as we don't want to give out any information that could potentially hinder the security any further." He additionally noted that the patch "will also address a small geo exploit on the map Fuel, which players exploited in order to get inside a rock on the outskirts of the map." Apparently some players were ... rocking that exploit real hard.

[Thanks Tom M.]

JoystiqModern Warfare 2 patch arrives March 8, 'to address hacking' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinginfinity-wardmicrosoftModern-Warfare-2multiplayerpatchpcplaystationps3robert-bowlingsecuritysecurity-updatexboxMon, 07 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Latest PS3 firmware update brings the bans for Black Ops hacks]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/28/ps3-firmware-bans-black-ops-cheaters/#comments Dirty, dirty Black Ops cheaters that downloaded the new PS3 firmware, update 3.56, are finding out exactly what Sony meant when it said the patch would help bolster "security." A grip of consoles have been permanently banned from Black Ops multiplayer servers for hacking or cheating after their users installed the new firmware -- though some of the outspoken among the banned are contesting the presumption that they are cheaters on the game's official forums. (Which is like, the first thing you'd do if you were a dirty, dirty cheater.)

In a seemingly cooperative attack executed by two mortal enemies, firmware 3.56 joins last week's mandatory Xbox Live update, which also stopped pirated and modded copies of Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 in their tracks. Is Activision's cash cow so powerful that the publisher can request its own console updates at will? If that's the case, Activision: Would you please, please ask Sony to add cross-game chat?

Oh, and see if Microsoft will bring black the blades. We miss the blades.

JoystiqLatest PS3 firmware update brings the bans for Black Ops hacks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbanCall-of-Duty-Black-Opscheatinghackingpermabanplaystationps3ps3-firmwareps3-firmware-3.56securitysonytreyarchFri, 28 Jan 2011 10:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony begins legal action against PS3 hackers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/12/sony-begins-legal-action-against-ps3-hackers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/12/sony-begins-legal-action-against-ps3-hackers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/12/sony-begins-legal-action-against-ps3-hackers/#commentsLast week, hacking group fail0verflow and well-known iPhone hacker George "GeoHot" Hotz revealed new hacks for the PS3 allowing pretty much anyone to run unsigned code on the system. Sony has yet to nullify this through "network updates" as promised, and has instead chosen to address this problem by filing temporary restraining orders against the hackers. Hotz posted the court documents on his own site after receiving them.

The court documents claim that the hacks violate the DMCA, and that "Already, pirated games are being packaged and distributed with these circumvention devices." Sony's restraining order is designed to "restrain" Hotz and the others from continuing to hack the PS3's protection measures, and from distributing their exploits.

Hotz doesn't seem worried about Sony's ire. "I would expect a company that prides itself on intellectual property to be well versed in the provisions of the law, so I am disappointed in Sony's current action," Hotz told the BBC. "I have spoken with legal counsel and I feel comfortable that Sony's action against me doesn't have any basis."

[Thanks, Mike]

JoystiqSony begins legal action against PS3 hackers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fail0verflowgeohothackinglawsuitplaystationps3ps3-hackingSonyWed, 12 Jan 2011 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[PS3 homebrew caught on video, Sony promises 'fix']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/ps3-homebrew-caught-on-video-sony-promises-fix/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/ps3-homebrew-caught-on-video-sony-promises-fix/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/ps3-homebrew-caught-on-video-sony-promises-fix/#comments The PS3 root key saga continues, with hacker Geohot posting a video demonstrating homemade software running on a PS3 using firmware 3.55. There's not much to the software, essentially a reworked "Hello World" that says "sup dawg, it's geohot," but it's more than enough to prove viability of homebrew software on the PS3.

Sony, for its part, has stated to Edge that it will "fix the issues through network updates, but because this is a security issue, we are not able to provide you with any more details." However, fail0verflow hacking group member pytey recently told the BBC, "The complete console is compromised - there is no recovery from this." He added that the only possible way to correct the hack would be for Sony to "issue new hardware."

Continue reading PS3 homebrew caught on video, Sony promises 'fix'

JoystiqPS3 homebrew caught on video, Sony promises 'fix' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fail0verflowgeohothackhackingplaystationps3ps3-root-keyroot-keysonyFri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP Go hacked to load game ISOs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/06/psp-go-hacked-to-load-game-isos/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/06/psp-go-hacked-to-load-game-isos/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/06/psp-go-hacked-to-load-game-isos/#commentsGood news! There's now a way to run UMD-only games on a PSP Go. The bad news: it's an unofficial exploit. Coders "Virtuous Flame" and "Coldbird" have released a "Homebrew Enabler" for PSP firmware 6.31 and 6.35. Using that, "Liquidzigong" was able to get the Prometheus ISO Loader program running on the disc-free handheld, allowing copied UMD disc images to be saved and run on the system.

After the break, you can see a demonstration of the hack, in which a user loads up Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep -- a high-profile title never released on PSN. While we can't speak on the legality of using this method to back up your UMD games and play them on a Go (and then on the go), we can confidently condemn the use of this exploit to play games that aren't yours.

Continue reading PSP Go hacked to load game ISOs

JoystiqPSP Go hacked to load game ISOs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinghackshomebrew-enablerplaystationprometheus-iso-loaderpsppsp-gosonyThu, 06 Jan 2011 00:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Hacker GeoHot claims release of PS3 root key]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/03/hacker-geohot-claims-release-of-ps3-root-key/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/03/hacker-geohot-claims-release-of-ps3-root-key/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/03/hacker-geohot-claims-release-of-ps3-root-key/#commentsLast week, hacking group fail0verflow claimed to have found a method for discovering a PlayStation 3's "private key," each system's unique code restricting access to unsigned code. GeoHot (who found another PS3 exploit a year ago) says he has released the PS3's METLDR root key to the public, which allows access to the PS3's loaders, and reportedly could be used to allow any unsigned code to be run on the system. In addition, fail0verflow has started releasing development tools for the PS3.

In a brief note on his site, GeoHot congratulated the fail0verflow team and noted that "I do not condone piracy," and then suggested that the three current console manufacturers contact him if they want secure systems. "It'd be fun to be on the other side."

JoystiqHacker GeoHot claims release of PS3 root key originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fail0verflowgeohothackhackingmetldrplaystationps3Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hackers claim discovery of PS3 'private key,' enabling unauthorized code [Update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/hackers-claim-discovery-of-ps3-private-key-enabling-unauthori/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/hackers-claim-discovery-of-ps3-private-key-enabling-unauthori/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/29/hackers-claim-discovery-of-ps3-private-key-enabling-unauthori/#commentsDuring the ongoing Chaos Communication Conference 27C3, the hackers responsible for the Wii's Homebrew Channel, calling themselves fail0verflow, gave a presentation in which they claimed to have figured out the "private key" used by Sony to authorize code to run on retail PS3 systems. This means, as a PSX-Scene forum post puts it, giving a hacker "full control of the PS3 system," without the use of a USB device.

The group will explain more when its website launches, and also plans to show a demo tomorrow at the conference. This hack is designed not to enable PS3 game piracy (though it might have that effect) but, according to a tweet by fail0verview, to enable Linux to run on all PS3s, "whatever their firmware versions."

Update: Find video of the full presentation after the break, courtesy of PSGroove.
[Thanks, Liam]

Continue reading Hackers claim discovery of PS3 'private key,' enabling unauthorized code [Update]

JoystiqHackers claim discovery of PS3 'private key,' enabling unauthorized code [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>27c3fail0verflowhackinghackmiiplaystationps3Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox-modder trial underway, no plea bargain offered [update: case dismissed!]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/xbox-modder-trial-underway-no-plea-bargain-offered/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/xbox-modder-trial-underway-no-plea-bargain-offered/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/02/xbox-modder-trial-underway-no-plea-bargain-offered/#commentsThe landmark jury trial of Matthew Crippen, indicted on two federal counts last fall for running a side-business in which he modded Xbox 360s at his home, began yesterday with opening statements in a Los Angeles court. Wired's colorful report of U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez's colorful reaction to the prosecution's case suggested that the government could be headed toward a deal with Crippen during an early-afternoon recess.

"I really don't understand what we're doing here," Gutierrez apparently "roared," as he ripped into the prosecution. The judge questioned government prosecutors' use of two witnesses who may have broken the law themselves and prosecutors' instructions to the jury that it was unnecessary to prove Crippen had knowingly breached the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The judge apparently backtracked on an earlier ruling that had prohibited a "fair use" defense (i.e., modding for back-up or homebrew purposes). "The only way to be able to play copied games is to circumvent the technology," Gutierrez said. "How about back-up games and the homebrewed?"

However, prosecutors returned from recess yesterday determined to convict Crippen, 28, on two counts of violating the DMCA (for a maximum sentence of ten years) by proving he knew he was breaking the law. ESA investigator Tony Rosario was called to the stand to recount how he had visited Crippen's Anaheim, Calif. home in 2008 and paid the defendant $60 to mod an Xbox 360. Rosario secretly videotaped the procedure -- which the defense argues is a violation of the state's privacy law -- though he did not capture video evidence of Crippen allegedly playing a pirated game on the modded console (nor did he include this supposed fact in his original report or sworn declarations). Still, the prosecution offered up a pile of a 150 pirated games, apparently seized by authorities from Crippen's home, which it hoped would show jurors that the defendant had a clear understanding that he was involved in illegal activity.

Rosario is expected to return to the stand today, followed by two additional prosecution witnesses: a federal agent, who also allegedly paid Crippen to mod a 360, and a Microsoft employee, a so-called expert on Xbox security (and self-admitted modder in his younger days). The defense is scheduled to begin its case tomorrow.

Follow the drama on Wired's Threat Level blog. Update: Prosecutors dismissed their case today, Wired reports, saying their decision was "based on fairness and justice" (read: they made errors). "It still has not hit me yet," Crippen said outside of the courtroom.

[Pictured: Matthew Crippen; photo credit: David Kravets/Wired.com]

JoystiqXbox-modder trial underway, no plea bargain offered [update: case dismissed!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allen-chiucallie-steelecopyrightdmcaesafair-usehackerhackingken-mcgraillawlegallos-angelesmatthew-crippenmicrosoftmoddermoddingmodsphilip-gutierrezpiracytony-rosariotrialus-district-courtxboxThu, 02 Dec 2010 15:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/kinect-hacks-chest-tracking-grotesque-morphing-midi-music/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/kinect-hacks-chest-tracking-grotesque-morphing-midi-music/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/23/kinect-hacks-chest-tracking-grotesque-morphing-midi-music/#commentsHomebrew developers continue to do much more interesting things with the Kinect sensor than have been done in any of the retail games so far. Two recent projects manage to use the sensor for proof-of-concept programs that are simultaneously sophisticated and kind of juvenile.

Dan Wilcox rigged up Kinect to see a human body and estimate approximately where the chest area would be on that body ... and then display either a bra or pasties over that area. Of course it's called "Titty Tracker." And Robert "Flight404" Hodgin created a program that generates a 3D model of the person in view of the Kinect, and then distorts that model to create some kind of puffy monster. The point isn't to create nightmare fuel, it's just proof of the open-source Cinder software's ability to access Kinect data.

Other hacks can be found in this roundup, including one that renders people entirely in horizontal white lines, one that uses movement with a MIDI controller to turn the Kinect into a sort of theremin and a head-tracking program.

Continue reading Kinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more

JoystiqKinect hacks: Chest tracking, grotesque morphing, MIDI music and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dan-wilcoxflight404hackhackinghackshead-trackingheadtrackingkinectkinect-hacksmicrosoftmodstitty-trackerxboxTue, 23 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard bans over 5,000 StarCraft 2 cheaters]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/01/blizzard-bans-over-5-000-starcraft-2-cheaters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You guys just couldn't listen, could you? You're way too cool to heed the warning issued by Blizzard a few weeks ago -- you know, the one that said that StarCraft 2 hackers and modders were about to feel the crushing blow of the permabanhammer? As you might have expected, that wasn't an idle threat. Blizzard recently announced on the game's official blog that it had banned "over 5,000 StarCraft 2 players who were in violation of the Battle.net Terms of Use for cheating and/or using hack programs while playing."

This group of unfortunate, unsportsmanlike souls won't be the only ones to suffer Blizzard's retribution, as the blog update explained, "maintaining a stable, safe, and secure online-gaming experience for legitimate players is a top priority for us, and we'll be continuing to keep watch on Battle.net and take action as needed." Keep it legit, friends -- we'd hate for you to join the ranks of the damned.

JoystiqBlizzard bans over 5,000 StarCraft 2 cheaters originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banbattle.netblizzardcheatinghackingpcStarcraft-2Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2 cheaters and hackers not long for this virtual world]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/14/starcraft-2-cheaters-and-hackers-not-long-for-this-virtual-world/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It seems like it's becoming common practice for video game companies to warn their games' illicit players that trouble is swiftly approaching in their direction. Blizzard recently updated the official Starcraft 2 site with a warning, which explicitly states that if a player "is found to be cheating or using hacks or modifications in any form, then as outlined in our end user license agreement, that player can be permanently banned from the game." Like, forever. For-ev-er.

Later in the update, Blizzard warns "suspensions and bans of players that have used or start using cheats and hacks will begin in the near future." If you're guilty of exercising some dubious winning strategies, you might want to go ahead and put the kibosh on that ASAP -- provided it's not already too late.

JoystiqStarCraft 2 cheaters and hackers not long for this virtual world originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banblizzardcheatinghackingpcpermabanStarcraft-2Tue, 14 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST