PS4 hit with hack, is running custom Linux OS

Hacking group fail0verflow has taken the biggest stride yet toward a full-scale hack of Sony’s PS4.

The group, which Eurogamer reports has previously been responsible for discovering exploits on the PS3, Wii and Wii U, has not only bypassed some of the machine’s security systems, however – it has even got a fully customised version of Linux up and running.

While some 7,000+ changes have been made to facilitate Linux use, some elements remain work in progress, most notable of which are 3D graphics acceleration and HDMI audio output.

However, while the group has publicly released its custom version of PS4 Linux, it is not, for the time being at least, releasing details of the hack needed to run it. The group never released details of its Wii U hack, perhaps because of the piracy fallout caused by its PS3 exploit.

Of note is the group’s optimism about the prospect of PS4 Linux. It thinks that running triple-A games built for Linux – as all Steam OS games are, for instance – is a very real possibility, as is the prospect of Steam OS running on Sony’s machine.