A significant PS5 hypervisor exploit, recently reported to Sony and earning its discoverer a $50,000 payout, is being blamed by some within the hacking community for preventing the piracy of Grand Theft Auto VI upon its release. The exploit, if left unpatched, would have allowed for easier access to pirated games on the console.
The hacker, known as 2tonejordy, disclosed the exploit to Sony via HackerOne on October 14, shortly before the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI. This timely report means the vulnerability will likely be patched before the highly anticipated game launches, thus thwarting potential piracy attempts.
This action has drawn criticism, with some users on X accusing Jordy of "simping" for Sony and depriving the community of the opportunity to pirate the game. Comments on Jordy's post suggest that the payout was insufficient compensation for enabling piracy of such a major title.
However, the situation is more complex. Jordy explained that the hypervisor exploit was initially discovered by another hacker, Andy "theflow0" Nguyen, who had requested it not be reported. Subsequently, AI tools were used by another party to independently uncover the same exploit. Faced with this development, Jordy chose to report it to Sony himself to claim the bug bounty, rather than risk it being exploited or remain unaddressed.
Jordy has indicated that the $50,000 bounty will be used to support his terminally ill mother. The incident highlights the evolving landscape of game hacking, where AI is increasingly playing a role in discovering vulnerabilities. The timing of such discoveries remains a critical factor in whether new games can be pirated at launch, with "vibe-coding" now identified as a force that can both enable and restrict such activities.