Recently, some PlayStation console owners have started facing an unexpected problem. Hackers have begun using an unconventional method to compromise their PSN (PlayStation Network) accounts.
After turning on their consoles, victims noticed unknown child accounts in their “family group” list. At the same time, these users claim that they never added these accounts themselves. Sometimes a single “child” appears, and at other times multiple accounts are linked at once. It is also reported that two-factor authentication does not protect against such an attack.
A user going by the handle july31 has been complaining on social media for several days. He claims that attackers managed to change his email and now he cannot regain access to his account:
I woke up to find that my PSN account email had been changed — all because of this ******* exploit involving child accounts. Through it, unauthorized accounts are added to your family group, and their owners can view your account details. I did not give permission to add these accounts and have no idea where they came from. I couldn’t remove them, even though I have an “adult” account. I advise everyone to check the “family management” section. This is the exact exploit used to hijack accounts. Accounts of many people have been compromised through it.
july31 shared that he is unable to log into his own account. For several days, he has been unable to get PlayStation support to resolve the issue. In response to his requests, he receives standard replies along the lines of, “Due to security reasons, we are unable to assist you with this specific account at this time. We cannot make any changes to this account.”