PS4 glitch in messaging allegedly crashes the console, forcing a factory reset
A stream of PS4 gamers on Reddit have reported an interesting glitch in the console’s online messaging system, which seems to allow malicious users to remotely crash your console. In some extreme cases, the crash actually leads to enough damage that users need to factory-reset their PS4.
The bug was apparently discovered by gamers who have then leveraged it to crash the console of opposing players in online games, and gain unfair advantage. Huntstark, who first reported the problem on Reddit, states: “the two players who used this exploit initially are now almost diamonds on Rainbow Six from using this exploit”.
The message being sent seems to be an innocent-looking message with an emoji, although variations might exist. Players of games such as Rainbow Six : Siege, Rocket League, FIFA 19, or Destiny 2 have complained about the issue so far, although it seems any PS4 user could actually be impacted.
People have reported that the best way to deal with these messages if they come your way is to open them on the Android or iOS app and delete them from there, not from the console. Additionally, it is advised to disable messages from anybody else than your friends, which on the PS4 you can do from Settings > Account Management > Privacy Settings.
There’s no doubt that Sony will issue a patch shortly to address the situation, even though they haven’t made any public announcement about the problem. Whether that patch will directly be server-side on the messaging service, or require a firmware update, is anyone’s guess.
It would be interesting to see if this glitch could be leveraged into a valid usermode entry point for a hack, and what kind of parsing mistake can lead to such a crash on the PS4. But here again, anything using the messaging system probably needs to go through Sony’s servers anyway, so it sounds like anything remotely exploitable would also easily be patched on their end.
Source: Reddit
Anyone know what they did exactly? And is this an attached file containing code like those pictures that were seen on 4chan a few years back?
also, first
I read that they exploit the unicode parser of the PS4, so that it overflows and crashes.
I’d guess it was some sort of invisible character exploit we have seen on iOS and Android in the past.
If you still remember, it look like old nokia bluetooth exploit, which if system read unparse able character it will crash (reboot) or forced to recovery mode
This somehow reminds me of an bug in iOS a while ago.
That bug was basically capable of freezing the entire device into oblivion, by just 1 silly thing you’d have to sent to someone by text.
I believe that bug however is patched out now.
Such bummer the PS4 can suffer the same fate. :c
first
so he offers free jailbreaking if you win ?
sounds like a deal to me
nadie?
I got that kind of message yesterday. You don’t have to factory reset your PS4. You need to delete the message via the app, then get into safe mode and rebuild database. That fixed my PS4.
And if you actually read the article it said “In extreme cases”
The title is misleading though, it seems way more serious than it is if you only read the title.
maybe he just missed it. calm down troll boy
He is offering false information, you calm down kid
That isn’t false information…
For a username of “Learn2read” you seem to be pretty bad at it.
I wanted to give a possible solution for people who got a message like that and can’t boot their system, without factory resetting their console. You don’t add anything to the discussion and have nothing better to do than trolling in the comments or what? Get a life, ***.
Jeez
Well done, Sony.
Can we somehow report Dunkzy_TP and his buddy xSL4Y3RS14x ? That alone would make PSN a lot better.
NIntendo Fanboyism side effects include: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and erectile dysfunction.
Sounds like a deal to me
I don’t worry because I don’t used the online. Never will and never interested in online at all.
Seems this crash also works in Playroom / Live of Play Station. When a PS4 user streams in Youtube, and you watch the stream in “Live of the playstation”, some text in the Youtube chat can crash the whole PS4 firmware. Don’t know how it works, and in Browser I couldn’t see which character caused the crash.
So this is surely going to help you a lot.
This glitch also affects ps vita causing a system crash that auto rebuilds upon reboot
Therefore not harmful just a bit annoying
A bit curious if this can be escalated into low-level code execution though.