Security Review: Xbox and Playstation.

With the new advancement in gaming systems and numerous uses of the new Xbox or playstation, can these devices be another tool for hackers to use to violate our lives and gain personal information. Within the last two or three years both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have been hacked into. In January of 2006 “Sources say that a group calling themselves Team Pi have discovered a vulnerability in the Xbox 360, or more specifically in the kiosk CD being used in retailers displays. It seems that though the executable on the disk is signed, the other media on the disk is not signed allowing someone to swap the Project Gotham Racing 3 demo video with a WMV-HD rip of a full length movie. This is far from being a complete hack of the Xbox 360 but it is one little step closer to a full hack.”

This month “PlayStation Home, a 3D social gaming community available on PS3 that allows users to interact communicate and share gaming experiences, launched last Thursday and over the weekend it was hacked multiple times. Hackers found several vulnerabilities that allowed them to run some code to bypass advertisement, replace content originally placed by Sony with the user's own images. Another hack allows uploading files to hack the Home server or deleting any file from the Home server.”

Although these events were both of the minor variety, this leaves a lot to be questioned. On Both consoles people can purchase movies, games, and music by using their online accounts. On these online accounts people provide very sensitive information to be granted access to the following features. Internet access, Movie download center, and music download center. Although not necessary all the features are desired by every user. My question is can these devices, which are operated over the web, be possible hacking opportunities?

Articles : http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/18394/PlayStation-Home-Hacked-Already/

http://theconsolewars.blogspot.com/2006/01/impossible-to-hack-xbox-360.html