There’s lots of things to be said about what just happened over the past couple days, and sadly I don’t have much time right now, but answers will be given asap to all of you. What matters for now is that a PSP Kernel exploit, as well as a CFW relying on it, fully working on the PS Vita, was leaked 2 days ago by a “Sam Jordam” guy on Youtube (download links below). One of the main persons behind this work (which wasn’t supposed to be released now), famous PSP developer Coldbird, decided to leave the scene today, after this leak happened.
I will give as much details as I can in the days to come, but for now let me just say that the files that were leaked have been confirmed by Coldbird to contain a Kernel exploit, but these files are encrypted, and potentially useless for anybody who does not have strong reverse engineering skills. Coldbird has confirmed to me (and in his blog) he has no plan anymore to release this CFW, so what we have here is a Kernel exploit that will most likely be wasted since I expect Sony to patch the vulnerability in a firmware update.
In addition to the Kernel exploit leak, the name of a game with a usermode exploit (as well as the user mode exploit) was also leaked. That game is the PSP Mini Urbanix, which, if you can read between the lines, readers of this blog already knew was vulnerable. If you are on 1.81, I recommend you get this game before it gets removed from the PSN, fully knowing that as of now, I personally don’t have anything running on this exploit (in particular no VHBL release is ready for this yet).
People who are running on 1.80 with the Monster Hunter exploits might want to stay on 1.80. If anything useful ever comes out of the kernel exploit, I am sure it will run fine on Monster Hunter as well.
At this point I think a bit more info is required about the leaker and how all of this was leaked. A private group of beta testers existed for this exploit, and in a sad chain of events, this person (who goes by the names of Sam Jordam, Batman:beyond, or ipadboy, among other of his identities) got his hands on these files through some basic social engineering, and decided to publish them.
It needs to be emphasized that all people involved were aware of the legal risk of publicly releasing such a tool, but this person seems to not be afraid of that (good for him, I guess, he probably thinks he can succeed where geohot and graf_chokolo failed). The hackers even went as far as encrypting the files to limit the damage in case those files were stolen, which is why, in their current state, the files are useless.
I also need to insist on the fact that, in unrelated events, this person had threatened the security of my site several times in the past, involving threats of hacking this site, attempts at stealing information, illegal port and vulnerability scanning, as well as threats to some members of our community and some of our moderators. This person also insists on his video that hackers were trying to hide this hack from the scene in order to enjoy the hack for themselves, which is not true. Simply, most hackers working on that type of thing are realistic about the legal risks of enabling piracy on Sony’s latest device, which doesn’t seem to have crossed that individual’s mind. In other words, a truly great person, who doesn’t seem to worry he is doing illegal stuff.
Some of you might question the decision from Coldbird to leave the scene and not release his work after this. Please understand that it was not an easy decision for him, but there is way too much risk in releasing a Kernel exploit on the PS Vita right now, from a legal point of view. Sam Jordam took the risk of being the first person to release a tool that could easily enable PSP piracy on the PS Vita, while reasonable hackers were all clever enough to avoid these dangerous waters until know, and keep their work for themselves. Will this lead to Sony taking legal action against this guy? I can’t tell for sure, but other hackers didn’t want to be the ones testing the waters for that. Their files were stolen, so legally everything is on this guy’s shoulders, and I understand that nobody else would want to share the legal burden with a leaker, so there is a huge risk nobody will ever even try to touch these files.
There is also the feeling in the community right now that this person should not be helped. He decided to leak some files? Good for him, now let’s let him reverse engineer the files, and figure out a way to get it to work for everybody else. And if some of you disagree with this and think he could use some help, for the good of the community, then knock yourself out, the files are out in the open, I won’t judge (I’m sure most users would be happy with a PSP Kernel exploit on the vita right now).
As far as I’m concerned, I will try to get at least VHBL to run on the Game exploit, in order for this to not go to waste, and some people have already offered some help on that (they will be named in time).
Keep in mind that all that’s happening today is the result of the actions of one single person, and that is the only person to blame.
TL,DR: Some files containing a User mode exploit in Urbanix, as well as a Kernel exploit (that still has to be reverse engineered) were leaked by a youtube user named Sam Jordam. This guy was a known a##hole for some time already, and has proven to be up to his reputation. The files he stole then leaked are encrypted and not usable for anybody in their current state. One of the only persons who could have helped with this, famous hacker Coldbird, decided to leave the scene after this. There is so far one can go for the love of homebrews.
Bye Coldbird, and thanks for everything !
Download
The leaked files can be downloaded here
Details and source: Coldbird, Sam Jordam
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pffffffft lol ya rite playa/
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you guys need to stop hand out expoit to random people you if you dont want them leak
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Goodbye, Coldbird. You are appreciated.
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Today is a sad, sad, day, we ALLMOST had a freakin kernel exploit in the emu. lets just hope some one is able to maby recreate the exploit now what we know that the exploit lies in wlan.prx. It’s sad to a dev go, but its also sad that one person ruined all the fun. This is going to make a lot of people question who the trust allthouhg honestly there are a few short comings in the aspiring vita community like the one exploited here where there is no tight circle of devs or group that every can trust to not leak each other’s stuff
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does anyone have the files? i would like to take a look
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auron, i have the files, ill email them to you if you want. Just reply back with your email or shoot me a pm.
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your Xian Nox the moderator?
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No, he’s not a Moderator for /talk forums.
No Moderator would ever give out files like this through Email…
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May I receive the files as well?
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Nah, im not a mod, id just like to do whatever i can do to help you guys work on this. Eddie, whats your email? you can pm it to me if you dont want it on here, and ill send ya the files
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PM-ed!
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i want them, thx
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i wish to recieve them too if it is possible
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Thats not fair we’ve been waiting all this time just to wait for a custom firmware or a hack to come out and yet one guy ruins it for us all. like is there a way that we could get him to come back and work on it again?
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I say someone should hack Sam and find out where he lives and we should off him like the mafia does. Sam is a coward who hides behind a computer and deserves to die a painful death just like Jimmy Hoffa(Except Hoffa probably didn’t deserve it like Sam does).
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When we find Sam the coward who hides behind a computer, lets make him swim with the fishes.
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it wasnt me
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I don’t understand why they were working on getting iso to work and having people test it if they were never going to release it, it does sound like to me that they want to pirate games they just don’t want other people to, no matter when they would have released it it still would hurt sony.
The files are useless to us so why quit because of one a$$hole. -
could someone send me the files my username is sirauron14 you can pm it to me
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rodman, i tried to send you the files via email, but the message did not go through, was there a mistake when you were typing your email address, or do you have another i may send them to?
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Areo Racer is exploitable? do you have proof? if so i may buy it just in case…
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Im running VHBL Using some of the files that was leaked and the monster hunter save. Combine all those with areo racer and The vita will crash then load VHBL
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Oh, nice! Im just an end user (newb) but that sounds great. do you mind if i send you a pm?
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Hey, I know you probably dont want to be bothered by a newb, but i was wondering if you could explain how to modify the mh save and leaked files? I would love to have vhbl as i bought my vita with 1.8.1. Also, i was wonering, if you are one of the (few?) people who know of this exploit and wololo is close to making another vhbl for urbanix, why would you lay down a hint like that, that may possibly get this patched? seems like you wouldn’t want anyone to find out so that you could have vhbl AND stay on the latest firmware. Idk, maybe im way off, let me know, Thanks.
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Someone with Aero Racers on psp want to try and do what DJ Android has claimed? I am skeptical about this. Why release another title name? Someone can try to make a savedata crash to hbl via psp and not update the vita.
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So I can’t use this? So no one can use this? Wow. That guy that leaked it IS A BIG JERK. >.> I hope he knows what the did. -.- Now Sony will be able to patch it faster than lightning. >:(
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i updated to 1.81 as i already had this game downloaded from the sony promotion lol if you got this game free you should update its still up on the UK store
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Im not 100% sure wololo will allow this but here is the files re uploaded to mediafire http://www.mediafire.com/?yc0p3x1zqvdpppj
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For people who want them
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Why would you upload it again when, he took it down?
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i thought sam took it down, my bad
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Wow check out this retarded video Sam Jordam made. I’m convinced this kid got mental issues or something. I find nothing funny about dead birds… I’m sure your reading this Sam, you freak get some medical help.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ3SgyRLwn4&feature=plcp
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All you need is a hex editor, and a save from a game that contains a file that has the same name as a hbl file. Then usin the hex editor rename CERTAIN things in to to make it read Other hbl enablers
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ill be honest, even thats over my head, i guess ill just wait for an already compiled exploit. Unless you want to send me yours?
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i kept my other vita on 1.80 just in case
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Goddamnit
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Yay I can’t wait when you release your usermode exploit wololo I wanted homebrew on my vita for a long time.
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think so?
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Oops i posted wrong my bad. lol
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Can we have anyone else work on this im really sorry about this coldbird that all your hard work has to go to waist but im hoping you would one day come back to the ps vita community i one for myself enjoy cfw for the ps vita if it were released wololo thanks for your hard work and you also coldbird thanks to the ass hole who messed up something we been dreaming about deeply i may not be a hacker but ill soon become one and one day i can also bring something for the community
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I’m having a problem with this savefile.
For me its showing up as French on the Vita where in the video its English.
How do I fix it so its also in English and doesn’t crash and works? -
if no one updates for a year hopefully we might see cfw lolz 9000
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If anyone that have the files could send them to me, I would be very grateful, thank you, greetings from Brazil, sorry for the bad english
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look up…
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Can this be made on games that support cfw? Like monster hunter? I really want to play Crisis Core but I don’t have that game you guys mentioned, I only have 1.80 Monster Hunter. ;(
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I know right i would love to play some Crisis Core, and I’m on 1.80 using monster hunter too.
Since you mentioned that i am wondering the same thing too.
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yes, that kernel exploit works pretty much on every publicly announced usermode exploit
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also in the future release it in a country sony cant do nothing about like china, china and japan hate each other currently so releasing it on a chinese forum is pretty safe if you do it anon
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Well, fuck. I downloaded the game just in case, but coldbird shouldn’t have left the scene. I was fucking waiting patiently for him to release xD. Well, gj Sam, you fcked this up for everyone.
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Damn, sorry for cursing T_T
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is it still on the psn? and has it been patched?
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it still hasnt been brought down. i just bouugght it.
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if the ps3 cfw 4.21 is real then we will have the vita keys so hopefully it is and it will pawn this
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it has not been patchd they do not know what to patch as the file is excrypted
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they do… exploit itself is not encrypted. only firmware.
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who has heard about the vita browser exploit ????
and the vita browser is the same software
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espero y se haga un port de esto para poder simplificar el xploit y hacer publicos los archivo tan mencionados y poder dar la ultima esperanza a vita en 1.81 y todos los que estamos aqui apoyemos en todo lo necesario ya sea economico o moral para poder dar este paso y asi seguri con el proyecto vhl y mas ports o esto es caso cerrado y nunca sabremos de hombrew en nuestras vita
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As I’m very tired, I want to make sure I’m reading this right:
Some nob knowingly ruined a Vita exploit for everyone?Or is this a kernal exploit for the PSP emulator on the Vita?
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Kernel exploit for PSP emu on Vita (and a user mode exploit as well) – jerk got leaked exploit files, but then discovered they had been encrypted by the creator… and since he was concerned he’d never have access to the hack (it had no set release date), he released the encrypted files and game name to try to force the creators to release publicly.
So he didn’t completely knowingly ruin the exploit… he was just a selfish idiot all around and then his plan kinda backfired ;p
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I found some information about Sam. Don’t ask me where i got it, i rather remain an anonymous source. This info is real not fake.
name: Sam Jordan not Jordam.
born in: 1988-06-27
location: Manhattan, NYC
email: xbatmanbeyondx(at)gmail.com
Xbox live id: XBatmanBeyondX
IP Address: 167.25.98.0
I will keep you guy’s updated once i collect more info.
Viva La Revolucion!
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Sam number: 347-709-6345
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so this game has a kexploite for 1:81? and the files are encrypted for the cfw? i can decrypt them with ease. but what this dude has done is wrong and right at the same time. i thank him for leaking greedy hackers work to everyone. what i dislike is that he did it at the wrong time.
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It’s not like Coldbird, or anyone else, was releasing tidbits of information to piss everyone off.
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No ps3 cfw after 3.55 that’s what its about, that’s why stuff is not released so early in the cycle
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PS Scene = Drama
If it isn’t one thing then its another.
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exactly.
Why cant it be like the 360 scene. They always release things without any problems. EVERYTHING works in the 360 scene. NO DRM DONGLES, NO Devs crying, NONE of the crap we get in the PS Scenes.How about the PS Scenes look for some GOOD devs, some that RELEASE things and DONT CRY when things get leaked. Oh NOTHING will be LEAKED as it will get released so you cant leak something thats already released can you.
To the PS Scene devs, GROW UP and STOP CRYING!
You’ve had ISO backups playing for months so WHY didn’t you release it? BECAUSE YOU ARE PRICKS! WE DONT NEED YOU IN THE SCENE. We need people that WILL release things and NOT HIDE them from the public.
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Well, I can certainly understand why he would leave the scene like he did. Hats off to you Coolbird and good luck!
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……..oh I almost forgot. Lick my nutz Sam and F U sony.-
Really? She’s had the exploit for months and when it finally gets leaked she goes off crying. She needs to grow up and get out of preschool and into the real world where the public are waiting for things like this and to release them so other people and devs can better it NOT keep it hidden forever and not release it. If it was a new hack and its only been around for a few weeks and needs work then ok, but this has been around for at least 6 months and just not released coz they want to keep it from the public.
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You definitely are Sam Jordan, FU and gtfo
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I found some information about Sam. Don’t ask me where i got it, i rather remain an anonymous source. This info is real not fake.
name: Sam Jordan not Jordam.
born in: 1988-06-27
location: Manhattan, NYC
email: xbatmanbeyondx(at)gmail.com
Xbox live id: XBatmanBeyondX
IP Address: 167.25.98.0
Number: 347-709-6345
I will keep you guy’s updated once i collect more info.
Viva La Revolucion!
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Do you feel like a big man now that you released his details?
WHY would you even do that? Are you a complete moron?
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NakedFaerie,Johnny Bravo,Sam Jordan,leave this place and fuck you
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@Johnny bravo or should I say Sam. You deserved it after all you done, faggot. What goes around comes around. Deal with it!
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I guess all is lost forever. I am quitting this scene also and throwing away my Vita and my PS3. Xbox is probably next. Some kid pissed in someone’s Cool Aid. It is garbage now.
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NO, the Xbox360 scene is fill of real devs that do actually help the scene. It will always be great.
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LOL^ This kid will be hunted down and scared to death for the next few months. He will never know who is watching him.
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juvenile “hackers” = warez shitcocks as i said before.
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Hang on. If he encrypted it to only work with that 1 Vita then WHY did he leave the scene when it got leaked? If it cant run on anyone elses Vita then whats the problem?
Is he a total girl and having a cry coz the public know about it now? WHY doesn’t he finish it as nobody can use the leaked files so him leaving the scene is just him having a cry.-
Yup… same here. I don’t get it. If it’s encrypted then nothing got leaked. If it can be decrypted than all this talk about “taking the CFW with me to the grave” is pointless. I don’t get this drama. Really… I don’t. It doesn’t have any sense.
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Maybe because IT IS HIS WORK AND NOT YOUR so HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANT WITH IT ?? If I made something I will get angry If someone as Sam Idiot Jornan leak my work.
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OMG… I know that basic logic is not the strong side of many people but come on: acting non-sense just because you can doesn’t make your actions less non-sense. All logic aside for a moment – sorry, but for me actions like “now I’m taking my toys and leaving the sandbox and you can’t have them *sticks out tongue*” is so 3rd grade. Really… Coldbird’s blog post is very interesting, I love his (her?) work on the PSP but the part about leaving and taking the toys with him/her is the most childish thing I’ve read since mathieulh on the PS3 scene. Seriously… man up.
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..And by the same token, the PS Vita is Sony’s work and they can do what they want with it, so if they want you not to hack it then you should obey their wishes.
I can’t possibly take an argument like yours seriously when it’s based on one-sided logic and hypocrisy.
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it is because exploits are unencrypted in this leak. only cfw…
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Hey I have a question Is there a patch that can bypass update when you connect your vita to ps3 ?
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After watching more videos from Sam’s channel, it seems like he is trying to blame The Z for giving him the files.
It’s almost like he’s saying, if The Z didn’t give me the files, I wouldn’t have leaked them. Blame him, not me.
If Person A gave Person B 100 bucks and Person B spends it all on drugs and alcohol and buys a gun and kills a bunch of people, you can’t just blame it on Person A and be like it’s his fault for giving me the money.
It does not work that way.Coldbird, you have rocked my PSP world.
Thank you for everything that you have contributed to this community and it’s people like you who I strive to be.
I wish for you the best in all that you put your heart to.
Sincerest thanks and blessings.
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