The problem is at the hardware level, so it cannot be fixed with a simple OS update.
On January 2nd, information about the leak of ROM keys (BootROM) for the PlayStation 5 console appeared in the hacker and cybersecurity specialist community. According to The Cybersec Guru, these keys, embedded directly into the APU processor and unchangeable at the hardware level, are now publicly available. This opens the way for jailbreaking consoles that are already on sale.
ROM keys are used when the PS5 is turned on to verify the authenticity of the bootloader using encrypted code stored in the chip. With the leak of these keys, hackers gain the ability to decrypt the official bootloader, study the system loading process in detail, and use the knowledge gained to develop exploits at the kernel level.
The main problem for Sony is that the vulnerability is hardware-based: the keys are "hardcoded" into the chip and cannot be changed by firmware or updates. The only way to neutralize the leak is to switch to new revisions of the processor in future batches of consoles. All PS5s already released (including Slim and Pro) remain potentially vulnerable to future jailbreaks that may appear based on these keys.
