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  1. Games

PSN hit by password-update exploit

News
By Tom Goulter published 19 May 2011

Problem fixed, immortalized in Flash game

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If you're getting sick of reading about PlayStation Network hiccups, imagine how it must feel to have the job of curing them. (Plug your ears and drink a glass of water without stopping %26ndash; works every time.) While PSN itself remains ironclad, the latest issue to slow Sony's recovery involves the mandatory online password change implemented to protect users. It's been resolved %26ndash; but not before online whits had time to poke fun at the company by way of aFlash game.

The exploit made use of a backdoor intended only for Sony customer service personnel, allowing anyone with access to a user's email and date of birth to reset that user's password. In response, Sony took Qriocity and PSN web-login offline for several hours %26ndash; long enough to plug the leak and remove the offending page. In-dash sign-ins, trophies and the like weren't affected.


Above: To tell the truth, this game's actually not much fun %26ndash; but then, neither is defending the real PSN, we imagine

Article continues below
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Expressing the resignation reached by many during the month's fracas, Dutch designer Kenny Vleugels has put together a tower defense-style flash game entitled PSN Protector, which tasks players with defending the besieged network from online attacks. Of course, like so many things in this harsh world %26ndash; notably, tower defense games %26ndash; there's no way to win, making PSN's next hack a matter of when, not if. Lucky for us, such stark fatalism remains confined to the realm of fiction...we hope.

But seriously, folks, are you back on PSN yet, passwords securely updated and games securely played? How do you feel Sony's doing? Let's hear your thoughts.

May 18, 2011


inFAMOUS 2 beta extension being 'evaluated,' PlayStation Blog to start posting about games again

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.


Not quite the same as the US' offering

The exploit made use of a backdoor intended only for Sony customer service personnel, allowing anyone with access to a user's email and date of birth to reset that user's password. In response, Sony took Qriocity and PSN web-login offline for several hours %26ndash; long enough to plug the leak and remove the offending page. In-dash sign-ins, trophies and the like weren't affected.


Above: To tell the truth, this game's actually not much fun %26ndash; but then, neither is defending the real PSN, we imagine

You may like
  • Dune: Awakening - two soldiers looking at the mouth of a sandworm during the new game. After surprise server shutdown, Dune: Awakening devs squash bug that cost players 1,000-hour bases
  • Arc Raiders Shared Watch event update. Arc Raiders devs rush to fix duplication exploit, threaten "possible penalties"
  • The sandworm in Dune: Awakening Dune: Awakening "shutting down all servers" for emergency fix to yet another exploit that put entire bases at risk

Expressing the resignation reached by many during the month's fracas, Dutch designer Kenny Vleugels has put together a tower defense-style flash game entitled PSN Protector, which tasks players with defending the besieged network from online attacks. Of course, like so many things in this harsh world %26ndash; notably, tower defense games %26ndash; there's no way to win, making PSN's next hack a matter of when, not if. Lucky for us, such stark fatalism remains confined to the realm of fiction...we hope.

But seriously, folks, are you back on PSN yet, passwords securely updated and games securely played? How do you feel Sony's doing? Let's hear your thoughts.

May 18, 2011


inFAMOUS 2 beta extension being 'evaluated,' PlayStation Blog to start posting about games again


Not quite the same as the US' offering

TOPICS
Sony
CATEGORIES
PlayStation Platforms
Tom Goulter
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