PS3 Hacking & Jailbreaking the PS3

[NewCat]

Hello,
I recently dug up an old ps3 slim CECH 2501b with ofw 2.5 or something like that. Is there any currently working guide to jailbreak it (without using the bgtoolset that's still down ?)
Thanks.

 

[Coro]

Hello,
I recently dug up an old ps3 slim CECH 2501b with ofw 2.5 or something like that. Is there any currently working guide to jailbreak it (without using the bgtoolset that's still down ?)
Thanks.

if your console has 3.55 or below OFW, then you do not need bgtoolset. you can install OFW 3.55 and then install Evilnat 4.89 CFW. (you may be able to install cfw from whatever version you are on now, but i recommend to install 3.55 first.)

 

[NewCat]

if your console has 3.55 or below OFW, then you do not need bgtoolset. you can install OFW 3.55 and then install Evilnat 4.89 CFW. (you may be able to install cfw from whatever version you are on now, but i recommend to install 3.55 first.)

Thanks.
So just to be sure I don't mess up anywhere, can I follow these steps (partly taken from a youtube guide):
- Find a source of 3.55 ofw, get the pup file, put it in a fat32 usb inside PS3/UPDATE/
- Create a new profile for jailbreaking, set the date and time setting through internet.
- Plug it in the ps3, go to system update, update from media storage, choose to update to 3.55 ofw.
- Download evilnat 4.89 cfw from the sticky thread, put it in PS3/UPDATE/
- Plug it in the ps3, go to system update, update from media storage, choose to update to 4.89 cfw.

Is there anything I missed ? And just in case I messed up, is there any safety backup that I can roll over and redo or I have to continue from whatever fw I got when it got stuck ? The video guide mention making backup for stuffs but this ps3 is wipe clean so not sure if it's needed, unless I do need to/able to make a backup of current ofw to roll back.

 

[Coro]

Is there anything I missed ?

no, i think you got it figured out. you do not need a new user profile or psn account. (you can not make a psn account anyway because it would require updating to newest firmware.)

is there any safety backup

normally, we make a backup of flash because it is dangerous to write to it. however, doing it this way is the same as doing two normal system updates. sony's own code is installing the cfw for you so it is as safe as it ever is. you can not make a flash backup on a low firmware without a hardware device anyway.

you can backup you hard drive in various ways, but again it not really needed because it is as safe as a real system update.

 

[STLcardsWS]

Thanks.
So just to be sure I don't mess up anywhere, can I follow these steps (partly taken from a youtube guide):
- Find a source of 3.55 ofw, get the pup file, put it in a fat32 usb inside PS3/UPDATE/
- Create a new profile for jailbreaking, set the date and time setting through internet.
- Plug it in the ps3, go to system update, update from media storage, choose to update to 3.55 ofw.
- Download evilnat 4.89 cfw from the sticky thread, put it in PS3/UPDATE/
- Plug it in the ps3, go to system update, update from media storage, choose to update to 4.89 cfw.

Is there anything I missed ? And just in case I messed up, is there any safety backup that I can roll over and redo or I have to continue from whatever fw I got when it got stuck ? The video guide mention making backup for stuffs but this ps3 is wipe clean so not sure if it's needed, unless I do need to/able to make a backup of current ofw to roll back.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO PS3 DISC TRAY IN THE PS3 WHEN INSTALLING A FW
Depending on game, it could have a higher firmware update and even if your are installing via USB the PS3 will always look to the PS3 disc for an update file first.

 

[NewCat]

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NO PS3 DISC TRAY IN THE PS3 WHEN INSTALLING A FW
Depending on game, it could have a higher firmware update and even if your are installing via USB the PS3 will always look to the PS3 disc for an update file first.

I think I might have either half asleep and saw the wrong ofw version, or might have fk'ed up the ONLY way I could have by reading this 5m too late
There is indeed an old sport game disc in the tray and I got another look/theme when the ps3 boosted up (not the previous theme I saw). And of course, the ofw version is now 3.61

I guess for now I'll try my luck on ps3HEN while waiting for the bgtoolset. A shame I wanted to try overclocking this old dog.
Another question, can I install ps3HEN right now and install cfw later once bgtoolset issue is fixed ? Or if I update to ofw 4.89 to install ps3HEN (assuming I have to) I'm stuck with it forever ?

 

[NewCat]

Can't edit so I'm making another post to update. I was indeed seeing things, the ps3 minimum fw is 3.40 and I remembered playing the game on the disc (some ps move sport game) years ago when I first bought this so it might have been updated since then.

I have another question, since the minimum fw is 3.40 is it worth trying to downgrade this (from 3.61) to 3.55 to install cfw or should I just try HEN and wait for bgtoolset ? The only difference would be I want to overclock this which is only possible with cfw.

 

[STLcardsWS]

I think I might have either half asleep and saw the wrong ofw version, or might have fk'ed up the ONLY way I could have by reading this 5m too late
There is indeed an old sport game disc in the tray and I got another look/theme when the ps3 boosted up (not the previous theme I saw). And of course, the ofw version is now 3.61

I guess for now I'll try my luck on ps3HEN while waiting for the bgtoolset. A shame I wanted to try overclocking this old dog.
Another question, can I install ps3HEN right now and install cfw later once bgtoolset issue is fixed ? Or if I update to ofw 4.89 to install ps3HEN (assuming I have to) I'm stuck with it forever ?

Yea you can try PS3HEN, for now
we should see the return of the official PS3 Toolset soon.

When it comes back you will be able to use the toolset and it will allow for a CFW install on 4.89 OFW.

There are some unofficial toolset out there, DO NOT USE THEM, they are incomplete stolen code that is very misleading and can cause bricks in various situations. So wait for the official...

Here is a thread that compares PS3HEN to CFW features,
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/ps3-cfw-vs-ps3hen-comparing-ps3-exploits.38774/

 

[GuilloteTesla]

I think I might have either half asleep and saw the wrong ofw version, or might have fk'ed up the ONLY way I could have by reading this 5m too late
There is indeed an old sport game disc in the tray and I got another look/theme when the ps3 boosted up (not the previous theme I saw). And of course, the ofw version is now 3.61

I guess for now I'll try my luck on ps3HEN while waiting for the bgtoolset. A shame I wanted to try overclocking this old dog.
Another question, can I install ps3HEN right now and install cfw later once bgtoolset issue is fixed ? Or if I update to ofw 4.89 to install ps3HEN (assuming I have to) I'm stuck with it forever ?

Well, if you are still bellow FW 4.85 and feeling a bit adventurous, you can try using the old ps3xploit flash tool: https://www.psx-place.com/threads/b...85-there-might-be-a-workaround-for-you.38895/

Beware that this is not as user friendly as the bgtoolset, but it can enable CFW on your console and then you can simply QA flag it to go to any FW you like.

 

[STLcardsWS]

Well, if you are still bellow FW 4.85 and feeling a bit adventurous, you can try using the old ps3xploit flash tool: https://www.psx-place.com/threads/b...85-there-might-be-a-workaround-for-you.38895/

Beware that this is not as user friendly as the bgtoolset, but it can enable CFW on your console and then you can simply QA flag it to go to any FW you like.

I would not suggest that to be honest.
With PS3HEN and knowing that official toolset will be back soon.

Its just not a need for someone to risk
Also that thread is a tut written by someone who really is not a developer or know the fullrisk involved.
Also only one console was tested based on his instructions. So, there is no reason for such risk when you have no need to risk.

A new user is not the best to test something that has been tested by a single model. There is a reason i did not suggest to use.

 

[NewCat]

I'm not in any big rush but thanks anyway. Knowing myself I would definitely mess up somewhere again

 

[GuilloteTesla]

I would not suggest that to be honest.
With PS3HEN and knowing that official toolset will be back soon.

Its just not a need for someone to risk
Also that thread is a tut written by someone who really is not a developer or know the fullrisk involved.
Also only one console was tested based on his instructions. So, there is no reason for such risk when you have no need to risk.

A new user is not the best to test something that has been tested by a single model. There is a reason i did not suggest to use.

That's why I've written "Beware that this is not as user friendly". I only linked the thread because it has all the links together. And there is a lot to polish on those instructions as well.

The flash tool works, but lots of precautions and considerations must be taken.

 

[NewCat]

Please pardon me if this is not on topic, but is there any guide somewhere on how to replace my hdd with ssd ?
I found a few guides saying I can use cloning software to do so, but when I plug my ps3 hdd and new ssd in for cloning it doesn't work because ps3 hdd isn't initialized (thank god I didn't do so).
After some more googling I can only find random advices like dumping NAND/NOR for backup before doing anything (which I also don't know how from HEN) and how to physically replace the drive, and not how to clone/make it so that my ssd can be read by ps3 like the old hdd.

If anyone can throw me a link or gather a step-by-step it would be amazing. Didn't know there're this many technical huddles to get through just to get rid of the disc.

 

[Coro]

Please pardon me if this is not on topic, but is there any guide somewhere on how to replace my hdd with ssd ?
I found a few guides saying I can use cloning software to do so, but when I plug my ps3 hdd and new ssd in for cloning it doesn't work because ps3 hdd isn't initialized (thank god I didn't do so).
After some more googling I can only find random advices like dumping NAND/NOR for backup before doing anything (which I also don't know how from HEN) and how to physically replace the drive, and not how to clone/make it so that my ssd can be read by ps3 like the old hdd.

If anyone can throw me a link or gather a step-by-step it would be amazing. Didn't know there're this many technical huddles to get through just to get rid of the disc.

you should start a new thread for this topic. you can only use the ps3's built-in tool to copy to a drive of the same size. but there are other ways to do it.

BTW you do not need to back up the flash memory (nand/nor) to change hard drives. nor will require you to install you firmware pup file again. nand will not need pup install.

 

[RoboKing's Cosmos]

Will the toolset be updated with Metldr2 support from 3x upon testing?

 

[GuilloteTesla]

Will the toolset be updated with Metldr2 support from 3x upon testing?

There are no known exploits for metldr.2 at the moment, so nothing to update on the toolset.

 

[NiQ]

you should start a new thread for this topic. you can only use the ps3's built-in tool to copy to a drive of the same size. but there are other ways to do it.

BTW you do not need to back up the flash memory (nand/nor) to change hard drives. nor will require you to install you firmware pup file again. nand will not need pup install.

Also @NewCat if your PS3 was on CFW before you replaced the HDD, when it asks you to reinstall the FW after changing the HDD you can (and should) use the same CFW you have. You don't need to go through OFW.

 

[RoboKing's Cosmos]

There are no known exploits for metldr.2 at the moment, so nothing to update on the toolset.

Other than MITM (Man in the middle) but requires hard modding instead of software flashing.

 

[NiQ]

Other than MITM (Man in the middle) but requires hard modding instead of software flashing.

Yeah it may be possible to hardmod a metldr.2 console to load CFW, but afaik no one has bothered creating a modchip that does it seamlessly, and even if they do, the cost of the chip and someone to solder it for you will probably be higher than a hackable 2nd hand console.

 

[GuilloteTesla]

Other than MITM (Man in the middle) but requires hard modding instead of software flashing.

Yes, that is another whole thing and a potential exploit. But it is only a proof of concept at the moment, and like you said it requires hardware stuff.

I believe that it is possible to reverse engineer how the random number is generated for the scrambled keys, but I'm not sure as Sony did their homework and revamped all the PS3 security.