Developer reveals potential PS5 firmware exploit ahead of GTA VI release
A developer has shown what appears to be a kernel-level exploit in Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 firmware, potentially reopening access to console features that Sony’s October update had restricted. The discovery matters because the update is reportedly required to play Grand Theft Auto VI, but it does not mean the game has been pirated or can now run on other platforms.
A video posted by developer Ge zine shows the PS5’s normally hidden Debug Settings, though no hacking method has been published. The developer suggested they may first disclose the issue through a bug bounty programme. Cracking games would also require a separate hypervisor exploit, which has not surfaced; for now, GTA VI requires a standard purchase, reportedly costing $80, and its physical edition comes with a download code.
- A PS5 firmware exploit may expose hidden Debug Settings.
- GTA VI reportedly requires the latest firmware.
- No exploit to crack or port the game has emerged.
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The PlayStation 5 is Sony’s games console, and its firmware is the software that controls how the console works. Sony updates that software to add features and address security issues; kernel-level access means reaching a deeply protected part of the system.
Sony’s bug bounty programme offers rewards to people who responsibly report security flaws. Finding a flaw does not by itself make games free to copy or let them run on other platforms: bypassing the protections around games requires further weaknesses. Grand Theft Auto VI is a forthcoming game for the PS5, so changes to the console’s software security have drawn attention from players and developers.
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Originally published by Engadget as “The latest PlayStation firmware may have already been cracked ahead of GTA 6”.