Geohot

[bascule]

For those of you who don't hack your iPhones or PS3, George Hotz a.k.a. Geohot is the guy who found the majority of the exploits you've probably used.

He recently discovered and published the PS3 master signing keys used to validate software on the system. The rationale? Sony recently removed the ability to install Linux from the most recent versions of their software. Geohot wanted to continue to support Linux on the PS3. PS3s running Linux have been successfully used in many scientific computing applications as they pack a considerable amount of CPU power into a relatively cheap device. Sony originally supported Linux on PS3 directly but removed support in recent updates to the OS.

Sony sued Geohot. As a result, he's just skipped the country:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20046386-1.html

My attitude about this is any hardware you sell me is MINE. I have the right to do whatever I want with it. If the device is coupled to a service, and you don't like what I'm doing with my device on your service, cut off my access to said service. But don't tell me what to do with some hardware I have purchased.

It seems many companies' attitude is purchasing a physical piece of hardware does not confer ownership of said hardware and doesn't entitle you to modify it as you see fit.

I hack my iPhone. Why do I do it, among other reasons? So I can modify the goddamn SMS message tone, because that is not a feature supported by iOS.

I really don't like corporations trying to dictate to me what I can do with hardware they've sold me. I guess it's just the typical libertarian attitude: anything I do with products I buy that doesn't directly affect anyone else should be allowed. Period.

[theprez98]

Re: Geohot

"Fleeing the country" would make no sense given it's a civil, and not a criminal case. It's not like he's in danger of being locked up.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Geohot

"Fleeing the country" would make no sense given it's a civil, and not a criminal case. It's not like he's in danger of being locked up.

URL1

GeoHot says he didn't flee and that he didn't sabotage hard drives
...
Hotz wrote on his geohot goes sued blog last night that, "Factually, it's true I'm in South America, on a vacation I've had planned and paid for since November. I mean, it is Spring break; hacking isn't my life. Rest assured that not a dime of legal defense money would ever go toward something like this. And of course Townsend loves the idea of painting me as an international fugitive. I have been in contact with my lawyers almost every day; I would not let the case suffer. That said, I also won't let this ridiculous lawsuit run my life either. Then the fearmongerers win."

[bascule]

Re: Geohot

Yeah my bad, looks like this was a bit of Internet hype that was blown out of proportion

[TheCotMan]

Re: Geohot

Yeah my bad, looks like this was a bit of Internet hype that was blown out of proportion

No worries, I did the same thing at work when I mentioned a similar news story. Then one of my co-workers let me know about the blog post.

[bascule]

Re: Geohot

FYI, Geohot and Sony managed to settle out of court:

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/...orge-hotz-case

[oilu23]

Re: Geohot

i thought the fight was going to be a little longer but well.

[theprez98]

Re: Geohot

I wonder if Anonymous will call off their "war" against Sony. Somehow, I doubt it.

[animus.anima]

Re: Geohot

I wonder if Anonymous will call off their "war" against Sony. Somehow, I doubt it.

Although they claim to have called it off, Playstation Network is down anyway...and now we get the news that all of PSN's user data has been compromised (usernames, emails, passwords, birthdays, and *maybe* credit cards). Very curious to see how the news unfolds on this--whether it's a legitimate (and frankly a bit incredible) snatch-and-grab on a database of 75 million users, or Sony throwing a fit in public and tanking their stock for a while.

Also curious as to whether anyone from Anonymous actually had something to do with it.

[Xodia]

Re: Geohot

Also curious as to whether anyone from Anonymous actually had something to do with it.

Yes, someone from Anonymous definitely had something to do with it. Lets be real here, man. Anonymous is damn near EVERYONE on the internet at this point.

I get so tired of people talking about it as though its some kind of centralized group. It once meant something along the lines of "those motherfuckers from 4chan", but now it pretty much applies to any activist type that is aware of news on the web.

In any case, one would think Sony would separate the user information in such a way that the credit card info was not also compromised. Their press releases make me think they didn't...but its incredibly hard to say given the nightmare their PR department is trying to sort out right now. Details will take some time to emerge through the haze of image management.

[DjDamyard]

Re: Geohot

Apparently he got employed by FaceBook shortly after this hack! Haha.

Does that mean if I can hack into Microsoft and find out lots of XBox live information of users, Twitter will employ me?...