A hacker who goes by the handle “Jordy” was awarded a $50,000 reward from Sony for privately reporting a vulnerability found using AI on the PS5 console. The bug, a 'Hypervisor Bug', affects the PS5 on firmware from 13.60 up to 14.00 and allows hackers to execute kernel code. Jordy used generative AI to find the bug, which was also discovered by a prominent security engineer, Andy Nguyen, aka theflow0, months ago. However, theflow0 wanted to hold onto it until GTA 6 launched. Jordy's decision to report the bug sparked controversy within the PlayStation 5 homebrew scene, as it would have allowed players to boot Linux on their consoles and still run the Sony operating system, which would have allowed people running Linux to play GTA 6 when not using the jailbreak.
The controversy surrounding Jordy's bounty claim was further fueled by the use of AI in finding the bug. Information security experts are calling this month 'Black October' due to several major security incidents and vulnerability disclosures prompted by the growing use of artificial intelligence in research. Jordy's decision to report the bug early, ahead of GTA 6's launch, allowed Sony to patch the exploit, leaving modders who want to run Linux with a choice: keep their PS5 offline or update and make the console GTA 6-ready while locking themselves out of Linux.