- A tech journalist recently penned a report that revealed a glaring security flaw that allows hackers to take over PlayStation accounts.
- As detailed in the report, the journalist’s account was hacked using just his username and a transaction ID from an invoice that dates back to 2023.
- The hacker responsible also confirmed that this is a tried-and-tested method.
The PlayStation Network, or PSN, has had its fair share of security problems, ranging from data breaches to widespread hacks in the past. In most cases, users are able to get their accounts back by contacting online support, which makes the tale of Numerama’s Nicolas Lellouche even more peculiar.
The French journalist recently penned a report detailing how his PSN account was taken over by an unknown hacker. In the process, Lellouche also revealed a glaring security flaw that can seemingly sidestep the need for 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) entirely. As it turns out, you don’t need to be a technical wizard to gain access to someone’s profile, as the required information for doing so seems pretty innocuous at first.
New PlayStation Breach Suggests Accounts Can Be Hacked Using Profile Names and Transaction IDs
As per the report , the journalist’s PlayStation account was hacked out of nowhere without prompting the required Two-Factor Authentication. The culprit quickly changed the account’s email and password, and even triggered a payment worth €9.99 to the owner’s PayPal account. Lellouche acted quickly and immediately disputed the charge before contacting PlayStation support about the issue.
It took some time, but the support agent was able to retrieve the account. What’s interesting is the information they required from the journalist, asking only for the account’s username and a transaction number from an invoice, regardless of how old it was. This, by itself, was an admission of how easily a hacker can take over an account, as all that’s needed is the username and the transaction ID from any of their purchases.
Unfortunately, Lellouche’s troubles didn’t end there, as the hacker managed to take over the account yet again. On this occasion, he chose to contact the hacker directly, who, after a bit of mockery, turned cooperative and spilled the beans behind his heist. As it turns out, the hacker nabbed the transaction ID off an article the journo posted back in 2023, combined it with the username, and gained access. After publishing the report, Lellouche received messages from readers who were also affected by the same security flaw, meaning this technique is tried and tested.
So, unless you want someone to hijack your digital games library, keep those transaction IDs well-secured. It’ll be interesting to see if PlayStation addresses this vulnerability in the future.
A massive gaming nerd who’s been writing stuff on the internet since 2021, Aryan covers single-player games, RPGs, and live-service titles such as Marvel Rivals and Call of Duty: Warzone. When he isn’t clacking away at his keyboard, you’ll find him firing up another playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas.
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- Sony and AMD tease a new GPU technology for Sony’s upcoming console, the PS6.
- AMD revealed Radiance Cores, which can free up other components to quickly process shaders and give a performance boost.
- Sony’s Mark Cerny mentioned that the PS6 is coming “in a few years time” and the Radiance Cores will power it.
Mark Cerny, the lead architect of PS5 and PS5 Pro, and Jack Huynh, the SVP and GM of AMD’s computing and graphics group, recently sat down to discuss the future of GPUs and technology for Sony’s upcoming console, aka the PS6.
In a nine-minute-long YouTube video, Huynh introduced AMD’s next-gen RDNA architecture, which uses Radiance Cores that are dedicated to handling ray tracing and path tracing, for future consoles.
Sony and AMD’s New Radiance Cores are a Game Changer
This next-gen GPU technology will be integrated into Sony’s next-gen consoles , which is likely going to start with the PlayStation 6. Also, you can expect to see the same technology in other AMD hardware, including their future desktop GPUs. The Radiance Cores are a new dedicated hardware block designed for unified light transport, handling Ray Tracing and Path Tracing in real time.
The YouTube video goes into detail, revealing that the Radiance Cores take full control of ray traversal and can free up other components to quickly process shaders, instead of spinning so many plates, leading to a boost in performance.
Commenting on the new tech, Cerny said in the video, “Overall, it’s still of course very early days for these technologies, they only exist in simulation right now, but the results are quite promising and I’m really excited about bringing them to a future console [read PS6] in a few years time.”
Other than the Radiance Cores, Mark Cerny and Jack Huynh also spoke about Neural Arrays. This is another groundbreaking tech that teams up a bunch of computing units together, making them share data and process things together like a single focused AI engine , instead of breaking the data down into multiple bite-sized pieces. This way, they can connect the CUs with each shader engine in a smart, efficient way.
As Mark Cerny puts it in the showcase, Neural Arrays will let the console process a large chunk of the screen in one go, making it a game-changer for the next-gen upscaling technology.
Hopefully, this next-gen GPU technology will finally push next-gen consoles to achieve the much-anticipated 4K/ 120 FPS performance on PS6 . Many of the PlayStation 5 games still run at 60 FPS till today, some even getting locked to 30, which is just disheartening as a console owner.
An old soul who loves CRPGs and Souls-Like to death. Takes pleasure in simplifying “Complex and Hard” games for casual players with tailored guides and videos. He loves to explore new places, read fantasy fiction, watch anime, and create wacky character builds in his off time. He also loves solving puzzles, and is proud of maintaining his long winning streak on NYT Connections.
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- A new PlayStation State of Play is reportedly set for late September, with leaks pointing to next week.
- Marvel’s Wolverine is expected to be the main highlight, alongside other 2026 game reveals.
- Possible announcements include GTA VI updates, Phantom Blade 0, the Marathon reboot, and a Metroidvania-style God of War.
State of Play is one of the best ways for Sony to showcase their upcoming releases. Their recent State of Play events have only showcased one game, like 007 First Light, without extensive coverage of other games since June 4. A recent leak has surfaced from a trustworthy source, hinting that a PlayStation State of Play is scheduled for later next week.
A New State of Play Event Leaked for Next Week
Image Credit: Sony (via YouTube/PlayStation)
There have been rumors of a new PlayStation State of Play scheduled for the end of September for quite some time. These leaks also mentioned that the upcoming State of Play will feature Marvel’s Wolverine as the main highlight. Now, a prominent leak from @NateTheHate2 (on X), who is a reliable source, has revealed that the State of Play is scheduled for next week.
This State of Play is expected to be stacked with games that are going to be released in 2026. The main highlight of the event will obviously be Marvel’s Wolverine, but we might also see some unexpected announcements. Particularly, GTA VI is always on everyone’s mind. Check our GTA 6 guide if you are also starved for information.
Other than these, expect an announcement for Phantom Blade 0, the new revamped Marathon, and the Metroidvania God of War.
An old soul who loves CRPGs and Souls-Like to death. Takes pleasure in simplifying “Complex and Hard” games for casual players with tailored guides and videos. He loves to explore new places, read fantasy fiction, watch anime, and create wacky character builds in his off time. He also loves solving puzzles, and is proud of maintaining his long winning streak on NYT Connections.
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