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Latest PS5 Jailbreak News: Firmware 12.52, New Exploits, and Important Updates

The world of PlayStation jailbreaking continues to see active development. New reports, firmware updates, and tool improvements keep appearing. This past month brought significant news for both PlayStation 5 (PS5) and PlayStation 4 (PS4) users. These updates cover everything from new security patches to helpful fixes for existing jailbreaks. Developers are also making strides in bringing more homebrew features to higher PS5 firmware versions. This post will break down the most important news you need to know about the PS5 jailbreak scene.

PlayStation 12.52 Firmware and New Security Updates

Sony recently released firmware update 12.52 for the PS5. This update included security fixes. The timing of this release lines up with a notable bug bounty report.

TheFlow's Bug Bounty Report

A well-known developer, TheFlow, submitted a report to PlayStation's bug bounty program. This report earned TheFlow a $5,000 bounty. The bug was classified as "high severity." While kernel exploits typically bring rewards of $10,000 or more, a $5,000 bounty for a high-severity issue is still significant. This report was resolved shortly after the 12.52 firmware update. This suggests that the vulnerability TheFlow reported was likely patched in this new firmware. Sony often releases a patch first, then publicly resolves the bug bounty report after confirming the vulnerability is fully fixed.

Changes in Firmware 12.52

Further investigation into the 12.52 update revealed more details. Developer ZicoX0Z (also known as ZiggoX0Z) compared a specific Java security file within the PS5's Blu-ray player software. This file, located at system_x/app/mpx20113/bdjson/security/java.se.security, showed changes between firmware 12.50 and 12.52.

Specifically, lines 189 and 206 in this file were updated. These changes indicate that Sony added more packages to its protected list. This means certain parts of the system that were not protected in older firmware versions are now secured. Previously, these unprotected areas might have offered a way to gain higher access through a userland exploit. There is a chance these changes could affect potential Blu-ray exploits. Such an exploit could allow users to load a jailbreak using a Blu-ray disc. This would avoid the need for expensive and hard-to-find Japanese game titles that some older methods required. However, these are currently just theories. More information will become clear when TheFlow's report is eventually made public, which could take several months. Other exploit developers might also find ways to use or bypass these changes sooner.

PS4 Jailbreak: Fixing Web Browser Issues

For PS4 users on firmwares 9.00 up to 9.03, a common issue plagued the web browser method of loading the TheFlow's kernel exploit, also known as the labs exploit. Users often faced black screens and save data corruption when trying to launch games after using this method. This problem led many to stick with older USB-based exploits, like the PoNe exploit, which required additional devices.

The Golden Plugin Fix

There is now a workaround for these frustrating black screen and data corruption issues. Installing an old Golden Plugin, specifically the AudioIX plugin for Golden, can resolve these problems. If you are on a 9.xx firmware and use the web browser to load the labs jailbreak, simply installing and enabling this plugin should fix the issues.

Tests confirmed its effectiveness. For example, a user testing with one of the GTA Definitive Editions saw black screens at first. After enabling the plugin, the game loaded correctly. Save files also worked without any issues. Users could create new save files, relaunch the game, and continue their progress. This means that if you prefer the convenience of the web browser method and want to avoid using a USB drive on your 9.xx PS4, you can now do so more reliably. Always proceed with caution, as other minor issues might still exist with the web browser exploit. However, the plugin addresses the main problems that prevented its widespread use.

PS5 Homebrew and Debugging Tools Advance

The PS5 scene continues to evolve with developers porting applications and improving tools. This progress opens new doors for homebrew and debugging.

Progress on Higher Firmwares

Developers are actively working to port homebrew applications and PS4 game packages to higher PS5 firmwares. This includes versions above 7.61. Echo Stretch recently demonstrated significant progress in this area. They successfully used the PS5 Remote Lua Loader on firmware 8.00. This shows that homebrew is making its way to these newer firmwares, potentially even higher than 8.00. This is exciting news for those waiting for more functionality on their updated consoles.

Updated PS5 Debug Tool

A new build of PS5 Debug has been released by developer CTN. This updated version now includes full support for all 7.xx firmwares. PS5 Debug is a powerful tool. It allows for remote debugging of the console. This means you can connect various debugging tools, mod tools, and trainers to your PS5. This enables deeper insights into the console's operations. One of its key features is its integration with the Save Mounter.

Enhanced PS5 Save Mounter

The PS5 Save Mounter also received an update from Null Pointer. Currently, this tool works only for PS4 saves on a PS5 console. It does not support PS5 native saves. The Save Mounter lets you handle encrypted save files. You can extract decrypted save data, modify it, and then re-inject it into your save. This new version has significantly expanded its firmware support, now covering:

• 4.03
• 5.20
• 5.50
• 7.20
• 7.40
• 8.20
• 9.00
• 9.40
• 10.01

Using the Save Mounter requires first loading PS5 Debug and then FTP. Here’s how you can get it running:

Using Save Mounter with the Lua Exploit:

1. Load PLK's latest autoloader. This opens the Lua menu.
2. Go to the "Manage Payloads" option, usually found in the top left corner.
3. On another device (like your computer) connected to the same network, open a web browser. Enter the IP address and port shown on your PS5's Lua menu.
4. Use the "Upload" option in your browser to send the PS5 Debug payload to the console.
5. Return to your PS5 and refresh the menu. The PS5 Debug payload should now appear. Load it.
6. After loading PS5 Debug, also load the FTP payload. This allows the Save Mounter to access your console's files.

Using Save Mounter with the Blu-ray Exploit:

1. Place the desired payload (PS5 Debug) on the root of a USB drive.
2. Plug the USB drive into your PS5.
3. Load Victoriox's EOS.
4. Navigate to the "Disc Menu" and select Option 1 for "USB."
5. Then select Option 2 for "ELF Load."
6. Next, choose Option 3 for "Jailbreak." This option allows you to load payloads from the USB drive.
7. Go to the "USB Menu." The PS5 Debug payload should be listed. Load it.
8. Finally, load the FTP payload to enable Save Mounter functionality.

A key new feature in this version of the Save Mounter is that it does not require the game to be running. This is a major improvement. In previous versions, some games would mount their save files as soon as they launched. If a game had already mounted a save, the Save Mounter could not mount another one. This caused problems, especially when trying to install saves for the Lua exploit. Now, you can mount save files even when no game is active. This makes replacing save files much easier, even for games that were previously difficult to modify. For example, you can now easily swap out a save file for the SPK autoloader to get the Lua exploit running on certain titles. If you want a more detailed guide on older versions of Save Mounter, you can find a video on it here: https://psjailbreak1.blogspot.com/.

Unlocking Debug Features in PS4 Retail Consoles

OSoldskoolMods recently published a detailed write-up about debugging investigations into PS4 retail kits. This report uncovered a wealth of dormant debugging features. These features come from development and test kit consoles and still exist within the retail units. The investigation found that Sony's retail kernel retains almost the full debug stack. This includes basic debug fuses and cycles. These features are simply hidden behind environment checks.

By mimicking the correct environment and patching a few guardrails, developers can unlock a surprising amount of deep functionality on retail hardware. The write-up suggests that it is possible to bring many of these hidden debugging features back to life. The next part of this investigation will further explore the "DCI Demon." It aims to understand what it would take to reactivate Sony's official debugger, even partially, on retail consoles. This would be a significant step for modding and development. You can read OSoldskoolMods' detailed write-up on PS4 retail kit debugging for more information. Find the first part here: https://psjailbreak1.blogspot.com/.

The PS5 and PS4 jailbreak communities remain vibrant and active. New discoveries and tool improvements emerge regularly. The recent 12.52 firmware update and TheFlow's bug bounty report highlight Sony's ongoing security efforts. Yet, developers continue to find ways to expand console capabilities. From fixing PS4 web browser exploits to advancing PS5 homebrew and debugging, the future holds exciting possibilities. These developments allow for deeper customization and exploration of PlayStation consoles. Please remember that jailbreaking your console can void its warranty and may carry risks. This information is shared for educational purposes only.