Sony Patches Vulnerability With 3.51 PSP Firmware

Sony has released a new 3.51 version firmware for its PlayStation Portable, which adds no functionality but patches a recently discovered security exploit that allows users to run homebrew software on the handheld. The exploit, accessible only by extracting particular data to a users memory stick and running Ubisoft and Q Entertainment's music puzzler Lumines, lets users run unverified homebrew applications and flash unofficial firmware to the PSP. While Sony has frequently pushed minor functionality updates into firmware upgrades that were otherwise meant to close security breaches in the past, the new firmware is solely meant to patch the flaw. The Japanese update site description notes simply that running unauthorized software and firmware voids the handheld's warranty. The exploit has had the otherwise unexpected consequence of dramatically increasing sales of Lumines, with Amazon's stats showing a 5900 percent increase in purchases placing it at the top of the retailer's sales charts.