Specifications
CD, DVD, BLU-RAY & PlayStation 3 Secrets
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Data from the Blu-ray disc can have a disc-based encryption on it. The encryption key (128 bit) is hidden inside the disc as a
BD-ROM Mark, and requires special Blu-ray reader technology to read it. The disc layered encryption is usually used to encrypt
EBOOT.BIN from Blu-ray discs.
After decrypting this disc layer, the result is a file named *.SELF. These *.SELF files are packed NPDRM encrypted data and
includes SHA1 hashes. When this layer of encryption is removed, the result is an *.ELF file ready for execution on the PS3. The
harddrive is also per PS3 encrypted, so it is not possible to swap drives into another PS3.
In addition, there is another security layer called the Hypervisor running on the PS3. The Hypervisor can be considered the
lowest layer of the operating system and runs on the PPE and the one reserved SPE with the highest priviledge.
Encrypted code can be secured by having it run on the one reserved SPE, which uses hardware root key and hardware
decryption routine for decryption.
The PPE would take the encrypted code (can be analogous to an application file from the decrypted Blu-ray disc, or something
from the flash memory) and setup a SPE to go into secured (isolation) mode. In this mode, the hardware decryption routine
takes over, grabs the encrypted code, decrypts it using a hardware root key, and puts the decrypted code inside the SPE's local
store.
Note that an SPE in isolation mode cannot have its whole code and data read or written externally (not even by the PPE that
started it up), with the exception of a small area of the local store for communication purposes. The only thing the PPE can do
is kill the SPE process (along with the SPE local code and data).
The hardware random number generator in the Cell is there so that you can timestamp sessions keyed to a random number to
prevent replay attacks.
Harddrive Layout
The PS3 harddrive (dev_hdd0) layout looks as follows:
• data
• bootflag.dat
• drm
• game
• GameFolderName1
• USRDIR
• EBOOT.BIN
• ICON0.PNG
• PARAM.SFO
• PIC1.PNG
• PS3LOGO.DAT
• GameFolderName2...
• home
• mms
• vsh
• widget
Installed games would have its own folder under the game folder, and EBOOT.BIN from each game's USRDIR would be run to
boot the game. Games downloaded from the PlayStation Store are actually one large packaged .pkg file. When you install the
.pkg file, it is expanded and the PARAM.SFO file from inside provides information about the game or program.
It also provides other information like the name of the directory that is created inside the /game directory of the harddrive for
the rest of the .pkg files to be dumped into. The contents hierarchy of the .pkg file would look like the above (residing in its
own /game folder of course).
There is a limit of 4GB per file on the harddrive (same as on the Blu-ray disc). Game demos (because they are packaged in a
.pkg file) cannot exceed 4GB in size. The /data/bootflag.dat most likely tells the PS3 to boot into XMB or the OtherOS (Linux).
PS3 Networking
The PlayStation 3 has a Gigabit Ethernet port (all models except one include Wi-Fi to connect wirelessly via an Access Point),
allowing connection to the internet for websurfing and downloading games off of the PlayStation Store. The Ethernet controller
is a Marvell 88E6106 chip.
If Wi-Fi is supported in the PS3, then you can also use the PSP to control and view PS3 content and games. The PS3 allows you
to connect to the internet via three NAT (Network Address Translation) modes.
• NAT Type 1: Your PS3 is connected directly to your modem (usually via ADSL PPPoE), and sending the user name and
password for getting a connection (public ip address).
• NAT Type 2: Your PS3 is connected to your router. The router is connected to your modem (usually via ADSL PPPoE).
The router is giving your PS3 an internal ip address after sending the user name and password for getting a
connection (public ip address).
• NAT Type 3: Your PS3 is connected to your router. The router is connected to your modem (usually via ADSL PPPoE).
The router is giving your PS3 an internal ip address after sending the user name and password for getting a
connection (public ip address). However, ports are not forwarded to your PS3.