Mod your PS4 with GoldHEN and run Homebrew apps

The PlayStation 4 is a great console that’s perfect for modding using a completely software based hack, so no opening up the console and soldering in any extra parts.

There are a number of ways to run the exploit, so in this video I’ll be covering the basic do it yourself approach. I will be making a few more PS4 modding videos showing easier methods but these involve buying some extra parts for around £20 to £30, so I’ll cover those after this initial bare bones version. So do keep an eye out for those tutorials as I make them.

To jailbreak the system using this method we only need a USB thumb drive formatted to exFAT and an ethernet cable to connect it to a Windows PC. You will of course need a PC or laptop to trigger the exploit and your ethernet cable needs to be able to reach from your PC to your console.

This exploit uses the GoldHEN homebrew enabler which is not a persistent mod. This means that if you power down the console, or it crashes, you’ll need to re enable GoldHEN. At the moment there are no persistent mods for the PlayStation 4 so this process will involve reconnecting the ethernet cable to your computer. Leaving the console in rest mode keeps GoldHEN active so this is the preferred option if you can.

Also if your ethernet cable doesn’t reach from where your PS4 is located make sure you move the PC or laptop not the PS4. If you have to power down the console to move it you’ll lose the mod.

The next videos I’ll make use a special dongle that you leave connected to the PlayStation that basically replaces the need for the PC. With these you can re activate GoldHEN directly on the console.

But this basic method does let you get up and running straight away with parts you’ll probably have lying around, and it allows you to see what’s happening as we exploit the network bug and inject our homebrew code into the console.

So, let’s get going!

Make sure you’re using the right firmware version

To start the process we need to make sure we’re running the right firmware version on the PlayStation. At the time of making this video the latest software release was version 12.50 but this exploit will only work on firmware up to version 11.00. If your PS4 is already above 11.00 then you’re out of luck for the moment. There will very likely be mods for your firmware in the future, but probably not for a few months as the software writers need to find new ways to get around Sony’s code on each firmware update. If you are in this situation my advice would be to go through the blocking updates process we’ll look at in a second to make sure your console stays on your current firmware. The lower you can keep the version the less time it will be before you get an exploit.

Before we do anything else let’s turn off our Internet connection to make sure the console doesn’t do anything bad while we’re getting set up. On the PS4 go to Settings, Network and uncheck the box marked Connect To Internet.

Next let’s check what our current firmware version is.

On the console use circle to go back to Settings and then System and then select System Information. This will show you your current firmware version. Mine is on 9.60. Make sure to remember what it is as we’ll need to make a decision in a few minutes.

For now we’ll just make sure that our console isn’t going to try to update itself in the background.

Use the circle button to get back to the System menu and then select Automatic Downloads. Uncheck all the options to stop the console downloading update files. If you don’t and it runs an update you will at best loose the GoldHEN installation, at worst update to a firmware version we can’t exploit!

Update Firmware

Now that our console is safe we need to decide if we are going to update our firmware. If you’re already  on 11.00 you’re fine, there’s no need to do anything.

If you’re less than 11.00 but then you need to make a decision.

There’s a number of viewpoints on whether you should update to 11.00 or not. Lower firmware versions are easier to exploit with more options including webkit mods, but 11.00 has more up to date operating system code making it, hopefully, more stable and better overall.

My view is that this exploit for 11.00 is now stable and mature with plug in devices to help make it easy to use. So, I feel the hackability argument sort of becomes redundant leaving only the improved firmware. So, I’m going to update my PS4 to 11.00. As usual please do have a look at what other people are saying and make your own decision. If you do decide to stick with a lower version you can of course upgrade it at any time.

Upgrading to Firmware Version 11.00

If you do want to upgrade then let’s do that next. Otherwise please just skip this section.

First we need the firmware code. Luckily there are a couple of repositories with all the versions that have been released. Again if you’re on an newer version unfortunately you can force a lower version to be installed.

So head over to darksoftware.xyz/PS4/FWlist

We want the 11.00 retail firmware.

If this site isn’t available you’ll also find the files on darthsternie.net/ps-4-firmware under the 11.00 official firmware.

You should get a file called PS4UPDATE11.0.PUP or something similar. If you get an archive file make sure to extract its contents until you see a .PUP file. If you can’t see file extensions make sure you turn them on.

We now need to put this file onto a USB drive that we can connect to the PS4. Make sure you format the drive to either FAT32 or exFAT and pop it into your PC. On the root of the drive make a folder called PS4. This and all the files and folders in this update part need to be in capitals.

Inside the PS4 folder make a folder called UPDATE and then copy the downloaded firmware file into this folder. Lastly we need to rename the update file to PS4UPDATE.PUP. The drive is now ready to update the console.

Pop the USB drive into the console and go to the Settings list and then System Software Update. If everything is correct you should see the 11.00 update ready for installation. Select the next option and then accept any terms to get the update installing. Once that’s completed we should be able to go back to the Settings and System and System Information screen and our console should now be on firmware version 11.00.

Now it’s time to start the exploit.

Prepare Mod Files

This exploit is going to use a bug in the PPPoE network protocol software of the PS4. Previous mods used a vulnerability in the webkit browser but Sony fixed that a while back.

The basic process we’ll be going through is to get the PS4 to talk to our PC over its ethernet connection. The PC will be running some software that will try to trigger the protocol bug. Once that happens it will be able to force some code to run on the PS4 which will then enable our Homebrew code.

First we need to get hold of the GoldHEN code. If you head over to https://github.com/GoldHEN/GoldHEN you’ll get to the GoldHEN Github page. Click on the releases link so that we can get to the version 2.4 downloads and scroll down to the bottom of the latest release post. Version 2.4 is still listed as beta but it’s the working version for 11.00. On the way you’ll see lots of information about the exploit and who contributed to writing it.

The developers put a lot of effort into these exploits so please do consider a donation if you can afford one. It’s not compulsory but obviously helps them continue their work on the next versions.

In the Assets section you’ll find the code downloads. We want the GoldHEN archive file, so simply download that to somewhere sensible on your computer. Once that’s downloaded you need to extract the files and you should get something like I’ve got on screen at the moment.

The goldhen.bin file needs to be copied onto the root of our USB drive so that we can connect it to the PS4. In the PPPwn folder you’ll probably find another archive file. Inside that you’ll find files for each of the firmware versions the exploit supports. You need to extract the one that matches your firmware version to your PC, not the USB drive. This stage 2 file is the payload that our PC is going to use to hack the PS4.

You can now put the USB drive into the PS4 so that it’s ready for use.

We now need some software that will talk to the console and deliver the stage 2 payload.

There seem to be a number of places to download this code and some seem more legitimate than others. Modded Warfare, who is one of the leading PS4 modding YouTubers, has released an app to run the exploit. The link to his latest version can be found on Modded Warfare’s Twitter feed so please do you this link. As Usual you’ll find the links in the description. https://www.sendspace.com/file/4f9mp0.

Going to the link will take you to a download page. My Norton Internet protection didn’t like this site and wanted to block the download. After forcing it to download the file itself threw up a number of other warnings so I initially decided to use a ‘disposable’ PC, which is simply the PC in my project area which hasn’t got any important data on it to test the files and everything does seem to be OK. Again if you get warnings about the software please do make your own decision about whether to proceed or not.

If this issue with possible malware is a concern I would use one of the commercial dongle devices to run the exploit that I’ll be covering in my next PS4 video. These cost around £20 to £30 but use a self contained circuit that simply plugs into the back of your PS4 so you never need to connect to your PC.

Running the Exploit to Enable GoldHEN

The PPPwn GUI software has an install first file that you need to run to set up the system. Do that now.

Next we need to run the PPPwn GUI .exe file to get the PC to ready for the PS4 to connect. This should open up a window for the PS4 loader. We now need to give it the stage 2 payload package that we downloaded with the GoldHEN code.

We next need to set up the config details. So we’ll be using our PC’s ethernet connection. Make sure the correct one is selected. Then make sure you select the matching firmware version. We’re now ready to start the exploit. Leave the PC as it is, don’t press the Run Exploit button yet.

On the PS4 we need to get the ethernet connection set up.

Connect your PS4 to your PC with your ethernet cable.

Go to the Settings page and then select Network. We want to turn on the Internet Connection again and then set up an Internet Connection. We’ll be using a LAN cable with a custom setup. It will use PPPoE but we can type anything into the username and password fields. DNS should be automatic as should MTU and we don’t want to use a proxy server.

Once you get to the end screen don’t select Test Internet Connection. Just press circle to go back to the Network settings.

We’re now going to run the exploit!

On your PC hit the Run Exploit button and wait for it to say loading.

Then on the PlayStation 4 select the Test Internet Connection option.

The two computers will now start talking to eachother. Keep an eye on the PPPwn Loader app on the PC. This will show you the exploit progress. You’ll also get some error messages showing up on the PS4 but just ignore these for now.

The exploit will go through 4 stages which you’ll see being processed in the app. Just keep watching so see how it goes. This exploit doesn’t always work first time so if it does error out just take the PlayStation back to the Network Settings screen, re run the exploit on the PC and then re test the connection on the PS4.

Eventually you’ll get to Stage 4 where it sends the payload and hopefully completes the hack. At this point your PlayStation will tell you the payload was successful end that your console has been PPPwned and is now running GoldHEN.

Your PS4 is now modded!

Errors

There are some common errors that you might get that do need you to do something.

If the PS4 is not able to obtain an IP address this usually means that it wasn’t able to connect to a DNS server. To solve this you need to make sure the PlayStation ethernet connection can access your live Internet connection.

On PC click your start button and search for Network Connections. Open the control panel app. If you’re using a WiFi connection you need to bridge that with your Ethernet. Select one then ctrl select the other. Then Right click and select bridge.

Or you can right click your internet connection, WiFi or however else you connect Select properties and then the sharing tab Allow other computers to connect through the computer’s internet connection, then select the adapter the PS4 is connected to.

This should then allow the PS4 to get an IP address.

Running Homebrew

Once first exploit run is complete the GoldHEN activation file that was on the USB drive gets copied to the PlayStation internal hard drive. So we no longer need to have the USB plugged into the console.

You can also re connect the PS4 to the Internet as normal. So I’m using my home WiFi connection here to get the PS4 able to go online. This is safe to do as GoldHEN will automatically block any system updates even if you restart the PS4.

So we now need to set up GoldHEN and start adding some Homebrew software.

Setup GoldHEN

If you go to the main settings menu you’ll see a new entry for GoldHEN. If you go back out to the XMB you’ll also see it at the far left of the list.

If you select it, you’ll get to the GoldHEN control page. There are a whole range of settings you can play around with. The important ones are to set up an FTP server in the Servers menu. This lets you connect to the PS4 from your computer over our network. With this you can transfer files which comes in very handy. Enabling the BinLoader is also a good idea so you can upload other payloads to configure the PlayStation.

You also must go into the Settings menu and Enable Rest Mode Support. This keeps GoldHEN active while the console is in Rest Mode so that when you wake it up GoldHEN is still running. Remember if GoldHEN stops during a power down for example you will need to connect the ethernet cable and run the exploit again.

With all that set up we can now start loading in some Homebrew apps.

Installing Apps Via USB

The first method to install Homebrew is using a USB drive.

To begin with we’ll install the Homebrew Store App. This will allow us to install most Homebrew apps directly from the Internet on our PS4.

Head over to pkg-zone.com. This is a place where you can download a whole range of PS4 apps. We want to get the HB-Store so click on the top menu button and then for the PS4 version. This will download a pkg file that you need to save onto the root of your USB drive.

Once that’s downloaded we can put the USB drive back into the PlayStation and then go to the GoldHEN section, and Debug Settings. In here you’ll find the Package Installer option. The Package Source should be set to your USB drive so simply select the top Package Installer option and it should then list the Store-R2.pkg file that we just downloaded. If you downloaded any other apps at the same time you’ll see those listed as well. From here you can select an individual app or the top option to Install them all.

Once those are installed we can go back to the home menu and you should now see those listed. I’ve just installed the Homebrew Store so if I open that up I can now simply select apps and have them directly downloaded and installed from the console.

Next Steps

So that’s your PS4 fully modded with the GoldHEN Homebrew enabler. From here you can really start to explore the features and applications such as other console emulators, game cheats and of course backing up your game disks and installing games from those backup files.

Over the next few videos I’ll be covering all aspects of PS4 Homebrew as well as a much more convenient method of enabling GoldHEN using a small microcontroller based dongle.