Vita memory card dumped by mr.gas and tomtomdu80
Progress on the native side of the Vita hacks is rare, so news like the one we are seeing today is always welcome:
/Talk member mr.gas announced today that him and tomtomdu80 (whom you might remember for his VHBL port on Apache Overkill last year) were able to dump the contents of a PS Vita memory card. Although they are not sharing this content publicly for obvious reasons, they have given reasonable proof that their work is totally legit.
This is the first time we see such a dump being announced publicly, since developer katsu released technical documentation on how to copy Vita game cartridges‘ content more than 6 months ago. Keep in mind that his announce was for game cartridges, while we are talking of a memory card here.
Sony uses proprietary memory cards on the PS Vita, which makes them virtually impossible to read without any additional hardware.
Additionally, it is believed the content on the card is encrypted, but mr.gas precised that a large majority of the content on the card is actually not. Famous vita hacker Yifan Lu was quick to mention that the unencrypted content is more or less useless in the context of a vita hack, while the encrypted content is still, well, encrypted, and therefore useless “as is”. His comments in the thread seem to imply he has been able to read vita memory sticks content himself for a while now.
Nevertheless, the number of people able to read Vita memory cards today can probably be counted on one hand, so this is still exciting news.
As shown on mr.gas’s screenshot, the PS Vita memory card contains several folders, for which the content can in general easily be guessed:
- app
- appmeta
- bgdl
- calendar
- data
- game
- license
- mms
- music
- patch
- pspemu
- SceIotrash
- temp
- user
- inconlayout.ini
- id.dat
Although it is ok to doubt this will help hacking the vita, this could still become useful in several ways:
It could for example be possible to copy/move content to the card without having to go through CMA, which could help transferring psp exploits and homebrews more easily than today. It might be possible to reassign the card to another account without formatting it. It could be possible to handle backups, and in general, everything that CMA does, directly with a third party card reader connected directly to the PC. It might be possible, in general, to tweak a few things here and there for fun and profit, simple mods for the console (icons, etc…)
Source: mr.gas on /talk
Nice, I hope this leads to some light modding for custom icons (and maybe sounds too?) in the near future with a 3rd party reader for the pc to make this ezpz!
I’m also wondering why the heck this is still private information? Stuff like this can be used to explicitly make a new content manager that is completely open. Or even an addon/extension to say Windows explorer to read it directly there.(or heck something for Total commander/insert windows explorer file manager derivative here.) That way it can be MUCH EASIER to backup data/move data over for homebrew, new exploits, etc.
This information should be shared! Unless it directly leads to being able to decrypt games/licenses, then it should be openly shared.(if it does enable things like that. Then someone responsible should lay the foundation for creating an extension/prog for open viewing while keeping this information sealed.) But no…as always…anything that can be remotely useful….is locked up tighter than a tick’s ***! Tired of most devs announcing advancements in the scene simply for e-peen purposes!!! It’s ridiculous!
I can already see practical applications for this in relation to making our lives easier when moving over content/backing up content. Whether legit Sony born content, or homebrew/exploits. Instead of going thru CMA, or using an FTP manager that IIRC STILL causes HUGE bugs during some sessions! Which leads to data corruption! But again…no….lock it up behind closed doors while simultaneously publicly disclosing that it’s done so everyone can give you a virtual HI FIVE!
So WAY TO GO DEVS! HI FIVE! Hope your happy…now go back to stroking your e-peen as I’m not doing that for you!
The problem with that is that if this gets released, Sony takes countermeasures. It happens with almost any homebrew development — do you wonder why every VHBL gets a ninja release?
+1
You are a special kind of idiot, aren’t you?
All the things you said could be done with this: not possible.
This is of no general user use yet – and again, what entitles you to others hard work?
Even if this was “general user useful” why would one release it when it could be used to further investigate the system? So Sony can patch the issue? So you can get your ‘fix’?
You seem to not grasp the most basic of concepts here.
Imagine a PS Vita memory card adapter for MicroSD cards, no more paying Sony’s extortionate prizes
can’t. simply because the PS Vita memory card is too small to make such adapter.
The adaptor doesnt have to be fully internal.
Something that just plugs into memory slot and has an external dock
I’d rather pay for Sony’s overpriced cards than have a dongle stick out of my Vita. Too afraid of damage to Vita’s memory card port. Only exception would be they could make the dongle stick out, wrap around and be flush with the case.
Why not create an adaptor in the shape of a Vita game card and insert the micro sd there? (like the R4)
or a card the size of a vita memory card that wirelessly connects to a SD card adapter.
beer anyone?
If this was released publicly, I’m sure this could be used for future downgrading.
Nah.
nope, firmware is residing on flash, not memory card.
Lol should study vita boot mode realy.
Count it on in China they can make one without any sweat.Just like the way they do with the DS with R4 and TTDS.They can surely make one adapter for that on the PC, just wait until it comes out.
What I want to know is can we get icons and pictures from the apps and stuff, and I guess it depends on the file layouts of the games but we should be able to copy over content to the right folders and with the right license it be playable like the crash bandicoot ps1 files, just some theories, keep up the good work guys.
It is possible! maybe can skipped account authentication
cma too much trouble
Think Positive just as you think everything is impossible. One day PS2 games can be dumped on the Vita.No more cons please think outside of the box or think outside of your bounded thoughts!
You mean, live in your own delusions?
That does sound nice, although perhaps somewhat close to a psychotic state.
+1, exactly.
This is definitely progress but, as Yifan Lu said, it’s only a small step forward. Great work though guys, could be the beginnings of something big.
Hey Chris, good news eh? Check out the discussion I had with some guys on the wololo FB page under my post hehe 😀
I also added you to the credits of my PS Vita tuto o—b
It is great, kudos to tomtom and mr gas, but this is far from being an actual hack. We now need a way to actually get files in there, and that might be a bit more tricky.
I just wonder what that id.dat file contains looks interesting…..Has anyone thought of reengineering the Vita’s USB driver
id.dat contains your PSN nickname, your account ID, system version (ex 03150000) and 3 other ID (PSID?)
So id.dat is the file that links your account to your memory card haha
So it could be possible to keep all your games from your previous account and have them while you are on your new account….just switch id.dat files and some of the ids that are different…also with the icon layout file can you change how many icons you want?
I wonder if and when an adapter becomes available, if we could find a native exploit utilizing OCMA, Vita, and mem card+adapter! Any thoughts?
no, sensitive content itself is encrypted, so it will not lead to anywhere.
Nice news 😉
10 of 100 still a long way to go for real native hack
this is an important step. Congratulations tomtom and mr. gas teams.
Thank you so much tomtom and mr.gas. We appreciate the efforts being put into understanding the PSVita much more. /o/
Always hoping…
Oooo, sounds cool. Glad to hear some Vita hacking news (actually any Vita news, Sony doesn’t seem to care to advertise)
that’s great news! it’s too far for native hack (because this is the *first step for softmod) but for exploits, it would be favorable for the devs/hackers from VHBL TN-V/ARK etc…
I hope that they can release some exploit for FW 3.15 soon 🙂
It might be possible to hack the vita if there is a game downloaded on the memory card. For example if you took a modded executable of the game to include a native cfw for the Vita. It might actually possible assuming the original executable wasn’t encrypted.
Can’t mod the executable of the game just like that
Well I understand it’s much harder to actually achieve than I’m making it seem, but it’s the jest of it.
Also I would wait for a kernel mode exploit before a release in hopes of preventing Sony from patching it before any real progress is made.
How do you think they would patch this? Come our homes and swap out our memory cards?
I think it looks like a micro sd content from android/ios phones but it would be hard to unencrypt the encrypted files because of f**king $ony’s way of encryptions. It’s totally different to sd card’s encrytions but still there is a way to unencrypt that. I hope mr.gas & tomtomdu80 can unencrypt that…
“sd card’s encryption”
You can use the word “decrypt” in place of “unencrypt.” – friendly suggestion
yeah your right thanks for your suggestion my friend i will remember that
You are welcome. Add me as a friend on the wololo talk forum, it’s JCK07115. And please check out my tutos:
http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=38998
&
http://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=38997
😀
You hate sony because they try to protect their product/business??
Yes because they spend on protection over speed,storage of memory card
yes Sky Yuki was right because its too cruel that sony makes some simple improvements to make it expensive instead of using sd cards like 3ds in short they make that memory card for marketing strategy not only a protection for their games etc. that is why we hate sony
then why buy a vita?
Thats the problem vita sells are very low.
This news is always good news, I hope these lead to greater exploiting.
i doubt this is anything but… just on a hunch i opened the vita web browser and tried “mc0:/id.dat” as the web page and got a error saying could not find the application… then tried C:/id.dat and get the error couldnt load web page…makes me think the web browser could load things from memory card or internal memory say a service mode or debugger moder?
Maybe vita browser is the “File Manager”
C:/ shouldn’t work, that’s for windows
write “data:device” and get a useless base64 coded html on the url bar 😛
*about:device
but it actually works with about:whateberyouwanthere
Thank~~!!!
The Vita is built in part on a Linux operating system try using maybe /sdcard/Id.dat
Just a suggestion
“c:/” addresses will only work under windows or dos.
other operating systems don’t assign single letters to storage devices.
Nice, I hope this time be psvita hacks
i wonder how secure the bubbles are.
it would be interesting if a psp demo could be replaced with a signed homebrew launcher.
Good new, hope can see cfw as soon as possible, or even can see new hack base on vita game, not psp game anymore. thanks for those people hardworking . wait for more good news coming.
Oh wow the rest is so easy now…. open id.dat in hex editor and replace the name to have lot of “A” then load the card back and the vita will crash and we have a native exploit.
Now just clone the Hardware of the Memory Card and write the dump back. 🙂
you can get game free ?
My oh my!… I guess it’s just a matter of time before we could actually push the vita to its very limits! Good job for this news and specially for those 2 who did the experiment 🙂
Creeis que sera posible conseguir hackear la ps vita? Yo la tengo y la tengo guardada en su caja. Yo solo la queria para tener una consola portatil. Y con ella poder llevar conmigo mis juegos de toda la vida de mi CPC de mi amiga de mi psx o las recreativas. Ya los modernos tampoco me preocupan tanto es por tener una portátil para llevar e distraerme.
You think that will be possible to hack the ps vita? I have it and I have kept in its box. I only wanted to have a portable console. And she can take with me my games my whole life my friend CPC my psx or recreation. And modern me not worry so much about having a portable and distract
Creeis que sera posible conseguir hackear la ps vita? Yo la tengo y la tengo guardada en su caja. Yo solo la queria para tener una consola portatil. Y con ella poder llevar conmigo mis juegos de toda la vida de mi CPC de mi amiga de mi psx o las recreativas. Ya los modernos tampoco me preocupan tanto es por tener una portátil para llevar e distraerme.
You think that will be possible to hack the ps vita? I have it and I have kept in its box. I only wanted to have a portable console. And she can take with me my games my whole life my amstradCPC my amiga 500 my psx or arcade mame. And modern me not worry so much about having a portable and distract
Hi I don’t like there memory cards,they are way to expensive and the games are too,most of the games are online and getting them in the store is hard ,they only have a handful of them.The PSVita sales are low cos of the smartphone,One question Are you going to buy say Fifa14 for the Vita when you can get it for free on your S3/S4/S5 or Iphone..well i went for the free one.I don’t use my PS Vita that much anymore its a collectors item now,in about 10 years it will be obsolete.Its a PSP with a touch screen..sorry.
I’ve been able to change icons via CMA, by reloading backed up data with an different picture file in the same format, if we could exploit commonly known and open source software like back on the PSP with the tiff exploit one could load a properly signed exploit via CMA. On another experiment I had edited one single bit in a game with a hex editor (retro city rampage) and the game would cease to run, opening the file and saving as into a new field changed the md5 but still would run as a game which leads me to believe only portions of downloaded game binaries are encrypted and may house a payload if we can encrypt it or hash out one from a game.
Next Step: Dumping the game card. 😀
Im excited to know whats inside those and its maximum capacity.. 😀
that already happened http://wololo.net/2014/01/23/dumping-games-from-ps-vita-cartridges-is-now-possible-the-beginning-of-piracy/
In the reading of this article I have found that the website is getting more and more boring after each post. I wish wololo.net keeps its freshness so that more and more people get to know about it.
Would this allow me to use my vita memory card as a sd