PS3 Root Key Revealed As Geohot Takes Sony Security To Task

After the so-called "epic PS3 security bypass" announced last week, Sony's console has taken a second punch with notorious hacker Geohot publishing the PS3's root key. It's not the first time George Hotz has taken on Sony; last year he fashioned a custom PS3 firmware in response to the company removing "Install Other OS" functionality in firmware v3.21.

The PS3 root key will allow modders to install their own software onto the console, and while Sony is likely to bill this as a method of piracy, it's not only stolen games that can take advantage of the new access. Many individuals and institutions have used the PS3 as a Linux box because of its capable Cell processing engine, including fashioning supercomputer-style clusters of multiple consoles.

Hotz, saying that he does not condone piracy, has offered his security services to either Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo should they want it, though it's hard to tell whether Sony will be so welcoming after their root key has gone public.