Major security issue (url spoofing) found on the Vita browser
Security researcher David Vieira-Kurz of website MajorSecurity.com recently reported a critical security issue on the PS Vita web browser. 2.05 is impacted as well, so technically all Vita owners are currently at risk with this issue.
The issue is a possibility to spoof the url displayed in the url bar through very simple javascript operations. This would allow a malicious website to let you believe you are accessing your bank’s website for example, or the PSN, and trick you into entering your credit card number, or some password that would immediately get stolen. More precisely, while the user sees something such as “playstation.com/psn” in their url bar, the real website serving the content can be anything such as “mymaliciouswebsite.ru/stealyourpassword”.
The vulnerability is extremely easy to put in place with a few lines of javascript, and a proof of concept page can be found on MajorSecurity’s website here. We tested and confirmed the issue is still here on 2.05. The security company contacted Sony several times back in January, but a patch has yet to be deployed.
Am I the only one concerned that Sony seems to be eager to fix our harmless homebrew exploits faster than actual security issues which would allow third parties to steal your personal information? I’m sure I’ll have fanboys go against me for that, but at the end of the day, how much credibility can we give to a service company that puts its own interests before that of its clients’ security?
If you’re running on 2.05 or less (which we currently all are), you are definitely at risk, so it is recommended that you don’t go to those fishy websites you use to enjoy on your vita… until Sony fixes the issue.
Oh, and as I’m sure some of you will ask… no, I don’t think anything here can be leveraged to turn this into a “useful” exploit for the scene 🙂
Source MajorSecurity (thanks to The people who mentioned it to me a looong time ago… I was away and didn’t have much time to confirm)
So if i turn of javascript will it counter that risk or does the browser have a major flaw that i can’t counter?
Turning off javascript will remove the problem but seriously impact your browsing experience on many sites.
Ok, thanks i thought there was something stupid like you can’t turn of javascript because the vita browser was poorly coded or something.
Oh…errr, well it’s actually possible, I didn’t check if the option is actually available…
edit: yeah, it’s possible to deactivate javascript on the vita browser
Thanks for the heads up. Will avoid purchasing anything from Sony. See if that motivates them enough to pull their finger out and patch this ASAP.
its known since nearly a week by now and no update
More like a month
Why these ACTUAL threats sony never patches, but a harmless homebrew app gets patched the next day?
The games are just removed from the PS Store. It usually takes several of weeks before Sony comes with an update that patches the game exploits.
Was thinkng about the browser probly the same for the outher vitas or iz the rwo o two updates diferent
Well, that’s useful to know.
The update 2.____ was mostly network update i guess the 1.—- must have mostly be the emulatater.
Is this problem only on the New browser or also on the old psp version?
Because then we would be able to use the psp browser as Tootal_noob Brings out his TN-V with a working browser.
this is horrible sony -____-
Sony can’t do anything about it, it isn’t sony’s fault, it probably is in webkit (which most if not all modern web browsers are based on)
I disagree. The issue is probably a webkit issue (the same vulnerability was reported for iPhone a longtime ago), but Sony’s problem is that they are not updating to the latest version often enough. Last time I checked, their build was based on a 2 year old implementation of webkit, the one used in Android 2.1.
How do you check this?
? shityer then the ones they have one there phone sony need an update thought the was working on the a full size update not a 2.— patch update but i guess till there done with 2.Ooz update there one 2.— patchs wich is shity cuz even there first 2series update paatch had update save problems. ?Was it the same for older vita internet browsers.
You can avoid this bug, even at a lower firmware (like 2.02):
ahhh nuts, i just upgraded my vita like literally 5 minutes ago… >:(
heck, it’s not Sony’s money that could be lost so why would they put in any effort at all?
Laziest developers on earth, they make DS flash cart makers seem on top of things.
they would patch it so that they dont get sued or worst give anonymous (posers in my opinion) a reason to hack them again.
Why don’t you just go play with another console and gtfo?
Interesting read, when I looked at it I was like OMG, the TIFF exploit thing is happening all over again! until I read “possibility to spoof the url”, we really need some random guy at google to find a remote code execution vulnerability 😆
I wonder if that .js gamesite that was spammed all around here is using the exploit?
I suppose I could do some sniffing and see if there are any redirects happening on my vita. I think ethereal/wireshark/ or maybe even a web debug proxy could shed some light.
Do they really want to go through this again?
Maybe it is not as easy to fix as you think, give them some time. It is not easy to get new fermware out, they need to test and fix code, who knows they might do a major update with it as well. I am not say be a sony fan girl, just hop off there *** so they can get stuff done. Understandible?
Nope. They got contacted a month ago. Security issues that critical should be fixed within 48h.
If someone could come up with something to run 20 year old console games with this, it would be fixed in no time.
+1
So true.
So as anyone actually reported this to sony or are we just going to sit here and complain?
As I wrote in the article, the security company contacted sony twice about this already.
I swear I read that. I don’t know how I skipped over that part.
Dear sony…please patch the security problems.After that please make a contract with adobe or replace your vitaos vith android. ps:become international so i can buy games
sincerely,f*ck you
Anyway this could be patched without a firmware update? Oh who am I kidding everything requires a firmware update 🙁
Ohhhh , not another update … I don’t care about this url spoofing b*11sh1t
that’s really alarming.. now sony will have another issue on this one and if the authorities will be able to find out, sony is in big trouble AGAIN..
thanks for informing us wololo
wow this sucks im glad i didint update:)i got uno running my iso and homebrews ect cwcheat and tempar yeah baby tn-v:)
You have TN-V?
Your saying when tn-v is released?
nice sumbody said sumthing i usaly cheack the url fo most fishing but cant tell much on the vita.. the should have used opera like the psp or sumthing fire fox would be old school….wish the vita was more like two Vaio UX jus lighter n mean azz a dell hybread jus a lill smaller but bateryy life nice..
Keep calm and browse on your laptop… or smartphone…
so i ened up on getting uno so thats nice price. Need more vita games.
sony is going to use this as a way to blackmail us. The only way to have a secure system is to buy there stupid trend micro security or update and loose homebrew
Hmm Is this possible? I dont know if anyone here remebers or knows about how the nds hacking scene used to be really big, they had custom made flashkarts that were hard disk replicas of a normal ds games that could contain custom firmwares allowing homebrew and even actual roms can. this be done to the vita by creating our own exploitable game or putting the custom firmware itself onto a hard disk?