Last PlayStation 2 Protection Hacked 26 Years After Console Release

The last unhacked PlayStation 2 protection system was bypassed 26 years after the console's release, thanks to four years of work by modder DiscoStarslayer and user Libby.

The PlayStation 2 was released in 2000, and part of its protection remained untouched until now. This refers to the MechaCon chip ("Mechanic Controller"), which is responsible for drive control, KELF file decryption, and MagicGate identification and authorization.

DiscoStarslayer managed to remove the MechaCon casing and study the internal structure of its circuits. After four years of work, the modder discovered a vulnerability that allows bypassing the chip's protection programmatically.

The discovery could help further develop PS2 emulation and expand the possibilities of using alternative optical drives for the console. DiscoStarslayer published the results of his work in open access on GitHub.