Sony PS2's MechaCon security chip cracked wide open after 26 years
Original Sony PlayStation 2 security chip 'broken wide open' after 26 years
Canadian enthusiast DiscoStarslayer has reverse-engineered the CXP102064 MechaCon chip in the original PS2 Fat after four years of work. Using chemical decapping, optical dumping, and a software exploit, the final secrets of the console's security are now exposed. The breakthrough promises to aid hardware preservation, repair, and emulation projects.
After 4 years of effort, I'm happy to announce that one of the final secrets of the PS2 has been broken wide open!
- uyjulian
Hello! I'm one of the people involved in reverse engineering the MechaCon. Please take note of the following:
* It is already possible to run backup/copied discs entirely using software methods (from memory card, HDD, or DVD video player exploit), and in the case of the 50k series and newer (Dragon MechaCon), can use the "force unlock" patch that does not require any patches to copied discs.
* The dumps, alone, does not give enough information to create an """hardware""" ODE (optical drive emulator). However, it is possible to make a modchip that replaces the MechaCon, relying on the DSP to continue to read discs.
* The current method to dump the ROM used in the SPC970 requires lots of writing to NVRAM.
* These dumps will eventually be useful for full-system low level emulation, as MagicGate and KELF/KIRX security goes through it.
* These dumps are useful for vulnability searching, which can allow functionality to MechaPwn (code execution on MechaCon, unlocking security e.g. set disc type and max LBN) or TonyHax (unlocking PS1 mode to read any disc, on SPC970 based MechaCons and all PS1 MechaCons).
* The contents of game discs (except those that use DNAS online authentication) are not encrypted. These dumps don't unlock anything additional there.
See https://gist.github.com/uyjulian/aaf4f4e2e74d980f620a9b73ba0... for updated info.
- ethagnawl
> Some of the reverse engineering tricks utilized by DiscoStarslayer include chemically decapping the CXP102064 to expose the die, then using microscopes and optical dumping skills to analyze the silicon chip circuitry. In this case, a lucky break during the hacking apparently uncovered an exploit that provided a method whereby the chip’s data could be extracted through software.
This is next level commitment to the cause.
Also, I can totally imagine their reaction when they discovered the exploit and realized they could put down the ... chemicals. XD
- dzdt
This article seems to be completely based on the X post by the reverse engineer DiscoStarSlayer : https://x.com/DiscoStarslayer/status/2099132300390744320.
That post reads "After 4 years of effort, I'm happy to announce that one of the final secrets of the PS2 has been broken wide open!
It's been a long process of decapping, optical dumping, and now at last a software solution.
Thank you Libby for finding the exploit from our dirty optical dumps!"
Yesterday DiscoStarSlayer also promised details are coming: "Will share full write-up on how we got here soon!"
- criddell
This will be great for preservation of PS2 games. Well done!
It seems like preservation of games for later consoles is a lost cause. If I pull out my PS5 30 years from now and pop in my Cyberpunk 2077 disk to play, I'm going to have a barely playable game.
It's better than nothing, I suppose, but I won't be able to re-play the excellent version that I played through last year.
- WhiteDawn
Looks like they also wrote a Ghidra Decompiler for the ISA https://github.com/DiscoStarslayer/ghidra-spc970