Dec 30

PlayStation 3 used to hack SSL, Xbox used to play Boogie Bunnies

Posted in: hack, hacking, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, security, sony, Today's Chili

Between the juvenile delinquent hordes of PlayStation Home and some lackluster holiday figures, the PlayStation has been sort of a bummer lately, for reasons that have nothing to do with its raison d’etre — gaming. That doesn’t mean that the machine is anything less than a powerhouse — as was made clear today when a group of hackers announced that they’d beaten SSL, using a cluster of 200 PS3s. By exploiting a flaw in the MD5 cryptographic algorithm (used in certain digital signatures and certificates), the group managed to create a rogue Certification Authority (CA) which allows them to create their own SSL certificates — meaning those authenticated web sites you’re visiting could be counterfeit, and you’d have no way of knowing. Sure, this is all pretty obscure stuff, and the kids who managed the hack said it would take others at least six months to replicate the procedure, but eventually vendors are going to have to upgrade all their CAs to use a more robust algorithm. It is assumed that the Wii could perform the operation just as well, if the hackers had enough room to spread out all their Balance Boards.

[Via ZD Net]

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PlayStation 3 used to hack SSL, Xbox used to play Boogie Bunnies originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 30

PlayStation Home full of immature jokers, unlike other virtual communities

Posted in: playstation, ps3, sony, Today's Chili

It’s not been a good month for Sony. Layoffs, poor holiday sales for the PS3 and a wee bit of hacking over at PlayStation Home surely have the electronics giant hungry for some good press, which has made the newest PR kerfuffle over at the nascent online service quite unfortunate. According to Ars Technica, Home has become something akin to the nightmare futurescape of The Warriors, a service “incredibly unwelcoming to women, with female players quickly mobbed as players dance around them or type sexual come-ons… a disturbing look at the worst part of human nature.” This is heady stuff, but as the company is quick to point out, the thing is still in Beta, and it’s still evolving — hopefully, as it becomes more popular the free service will move itself out of the adolescent ghetto. In the mean time, they’ve been rocking a bit of good old fashioned censorship, banning words like “gay,” “Jew,” and “Hell” — perfectly understandishable if you’ve ever spent a minute on any online gaming service, but highly uncool if you’re trying to build any sort of inclusive social network. In the meantime, what’s a homosexual Jewish Satanist to do? There’s always Second Life…

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PlayStation Home full of immature jokers, unlike other virtual communities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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