The truth about hykem

[00:37:24] <g0db1n> hi
[00:39:11] <vformeh> hello
[00:40:03] <g0db1n> last night u said u knew hykem?
[00:41:39] <vformeh> yes
[00:42:43] <g0db1n> do u know what hapnd to him/her?
[00:45:09] <vformeh> sort of. its him btw
[00:46:22] <g0db1n> you knew him irl?
[00:47:38] <vformeh> no
[00:48:18] <vformeh> did see a pic of him once though
[00:48:59] <vformeh> we worked together in a couple projets
[00:49:13] <vformeh> he was a friend, a good one too
[00:51:44] <g0db1n> was? what happen?
[00:52:27] <vformeh> he's gone
[00:52:58] <g0db1n> why? everyone is wondering
[00:53:20] <vformeh> ?
[00:54:40] <g0db1n> after the wii u iosu stuff
[00:55:07] <g0db1n> he disappeared
[00:55:45] <g0db1n> raised hype, failed to deliver and tried to hide away
[00:57:23] <vformeh> i guess thats what you all think yes
[00:57:41] <vformeh> not what happened though
[00:58:34] <g0db1n> can you explain then?
[01:02:21] <vformeh> he got into serious trouble
[01:03:33] <g0db1n> the raid? was that for real?
[01:04:42] <vformeh> he never confirmed so idk
[01:05:10] <vformeh> what i know is that he was working on hackin the wii u
[01:05:31] <vformeh> managed to crack the secure os
[01:05:56] <g0db1n> yes, the iosu
[01:06:17] <g0db1n> he claimed to have a working exploit around xmas
[01:06:39] <vformeh> yes
[01:06:55] <g0db1n> and then delayed the rls
[01:07:12] <vformeh> i know
[01:10:27] <g0db1n> so?
[01:11:40] <vformeh> what went down is a bit different
[01:12:15] <vformeh> he wanted to release the barebones exploit at first
[01:12:32] <vformeh> but decided later to work on a proper cfw before releasing anything
[01:12:50] <vformeh> this was his attempt to avoid piracy as much as possible
[01:13:04] <vformeh> i thought it was a pointless effort though
[01:13:25] <vformeh> he kept workin on it and achieved some nice stuff
[01:13:49] <vformeh> btw, he shared a lot on his progress on irc
[01:14:23] <g0db1n> wiiudev?
[01:14:46] <vformeh> ye
[01:15:12] <g0db1n> ive been there a couple times, diff nick tho
[01:15:37] <g0db1n> did he ever share the exploit?
[01:17:44] <vformeh> afaik, no
[01:18:32] <vformeh> he shared some info with other devs yes, but that was way before all this
[01:18:51] <vformeh> back when he was still trying to exploit it
[01:20:14] <vformeh> btw, more people also found the same bug after the keys were published
[01:20:39] <g0db1n> they did?
[01:21:55] <vformeh> recently, this guy o[] was chattin about the exact same bug hykem found
[01:22:09] <g0db1n> i think i remember smthing
[01:22:27] <g0db1n> smthing about a chicken :P
[01:22:56] <vformeh> ctrlchicken yes
[01:23:31] <g0db1n> thats hykem bug?
[01:25:11] <vformeh> ye, he discussed that a loong time ago on irc
[01:26:34] <g0db1n> dont u need 2 exploits to pwn the iosu? if i understood right, the chicken
thing was just user?
[01:27:45] <vformeh> you need a kernel vuln too yes
[01:28:18] <g0db1n> hykem had one?
[01:30:38] <vformeh> he did
[01:30:55] <g0db1n> what was it?
[01:31:34] <vformeh> he never said
[01:31:59] <vformeh> he never shared any more details
[01:38:20] <g0db1n> then how do u know it was real?
[01:39:47] <vformeh> i have no reason to doubt him
[01:40:12] <vformeh> i knew him for a long time, he managed to pull off some impressive stuff
in the past
[01:41:36] <vformeh> plus, if you followed irc, hykem kept giving info on otp and eeprom
[01:42:22] <g0db1n> most people think he got all that from someone else
[01:42:53] <vformeh> ofc they do
[01:43:38] <vformeh> hykem did try to ask a lot for this stuff
[01:44:41] <vformeh> no one was willing to share squat
[01:45:25] <vformeh> so he got there himself
[01:47:48] <vformeh> really, just ask around
[01:48:25] <vformeh> the other hackers can confirm you that
[01:48:53] <vformeh> the hack was real
[01:49:41] <g0db1n> and he never shared?
[01:51:34] <vformeh> he told me he never did, and i believe him
[01:51:55] <vformeh> otherwise, you would have seen a lot going on after he left
[01:52:13] <vformeh> which is not the case
[01:52:57] <g0db1n> so the exploit died with him?
[01:53:41] <vformeh> why do you all care so much?
[01:54:22] <vformeh> its not like its that hard to pull it off
[01:55:19] <vformeh> i mean, you can verify the ctrlchicken thing yourself, like that o[] guy
did
[01:57:23] <vformeh> he noticed from cos.xml that ppc could call all /dev/uhs ioctls
[01:58:34] <vformeh> and the last 2 have a bad check or something
[01:59:09] <vformeh> one of them is the ctrlchicken that hykem mentioned long ago
[02:00:48] <g0db1n> thats userland only right?
[02:02:30] <vformeh> yes, but theres already a kernel one known
[02:02:54] <g0db1n> WHAT?
[02:03:48] <vformeh> back when plutoo dumped the keys and posted the pic
[02:04:23] <vformeh> he changed his twitter status to a unique hex string
[02:05:57] <vformeh> 0xF5AF5AF5AF5AF5A...
[02:07:32] <vformeh> no one gave a fuck and when the keys came out plutoo had removed that
already
[02:08:52] <vformeh> try searching for that string now on the os kernel and see what happens :/
[02:14:33] <g0db1n> nothing
[02:16:17] <vformeh> 0xF5AF5AF5
[02:20:47] <g0db1n> ahh, ok found smthing
[02:22:02] <vformeh> thats why wannabe hackers like that wulfy guy are preaching that the
exploit was out for a long time but no one cared
[02:23:04] <g0db1n> was that what hykem used too?
[02:24:19] <vformeh> dunno, he never said
[02:26:40] <vformeh> the thing is, its really easy to know that he was telling the truth
[02:27:18] <vformeh> just no one cares to think for a bit
[02:27:51] <vformeh> really, just ask around other devs
[02:28:39] <g0db1n> but why did he stop then?
[02:30:05] <vformeh> he got involved with bad people, VERY bad people
[02:30:42] <g0db1n> sold out?
[02:31:49] <vformeh> no
[02:32:39] <vformeh> they tried to buy the exploit, but he never sold
[02:33:14] <g0db1n> whos they?
[02:34:28] <vformeh> just google
[02:34:53] <vformeh> its always the same fuckin guy behind drm
[02:35:49] <g0db1n> ok
[02:37:21] <vformeh> they blackmailed him at some point
[02:38:13] <vformeh> got his address from someone
[02:38:41] <g0db1n> who?
[02:39:38] <vformeh> no clue
[02:40:11] <vformeh> they kept putting pressure for him to work on drm
[02:40:48] <vformeh> he managed to never give them anything while pretending to be
working
[02:42:51] <vformeh> hykem was very poor
[02:43:09] <vformeh> ofc the money made him think twice
[02:43:39] <vformeh> but he told me he just couldnt do it, he would never accept such
dirty money
[02:44:19] <vformeh> he tried to get away from them, but was too afraid of what they could do
[02:45:27] <g0db1n> damn...
[02:46:30] <vformeh> idk the details, but the law got involved and thats when he had to vanish
[02:47:19] <vformeh> think about it for a sec
[02:47:41] <vformeh> if he was just hiding from pesky kids because he failed to give them the
exploit, why would he delete his github?
[02:48:33] <vformeh> a lot of people admired and worked with him in the projects he had there
[02:49:42] <vformeh> he quit rpcs3 and he was the co-author of it
[02:50:39] <vformeh> psxtract and make_npdata were really useful for the ps3 scene
[02:51:23] <vformeh> and vitasploit, thats gone as well
[02:51:47] <vformeh> he could have just left everything there
[02:52:35] <g0db1n> u have a point
[02:54:17] <g0db1n> so this had nothing to do with sony?
[02:55:29] <vformeh> ofc not
[02:55:48] <vformeh> he never did any wrong
[02:56:20] <g0db1n> people were talking about ps4 hacks?
[02:58:14] <vformeh> he didnt even have a ps4 :/
[02:58:56] <g0db1n> oh...
[02:59:35] <g0db1n> what about ninty?
[03:00:07] <g0db1n> they had nothing to do with this then?
[03:01:43] <vformeh> no, why would they care?
[03:02:34] <vformeh> smealum and plutoo have done much more and are still out there
[03:03:46] <g0db1n> and wheres hykem now?
[03:05:01] <vformeh> no clue
[03:05:41] <vformeh> last time we talked was days before he deleted his github
[03:06:33] <vformeh> he was telling me he had to disappear for good
[03:07:08] <vformeh> i didnt believe, thought he was fuckin with me
[03:07:39] <vformeh> but he never came back
[03:08:45] <vformeh> no new nick, nothing
[03:09:15] <vformeh> vanished from irc, doesnt answer email
[03:10:56] <vformeh> hes gone, for good
[03:11:41] <g0db1n> shit
[03:14:30] <vformeh> i lost a friend
[03:14:58] <vformeh> and all people care is about the fuckin exploit
[03:17:21] <g0db1n> do u mind if i share this conv?
[03:18:33] <vformeh> why would you do that?
[03:19:03] <g0db1n> i think people should know the truth
[03:20:06] <vformeh> do you think any of them care?
[03:20:43] <vformeh> they will just dismiss it as bullshit and believe in what they want
[03:21:18] <g0db1n> still
[03:23:29] <vformeh> do what you want
[03:24:07] <vformeh> this is why i refused to came here with my regular nick
[03:24:50] <g0db1n> sry, i just think people should know
[03:25:09] <g0db1n> this is very serious
[03:25:44] <g0db1n> cant say i fully believe though
[03:26:39] <vformeh> see?
[03:27:28] <vformeh> if you doubt that much, ask around
[03:27:52] <vformeh> other hackers/devs can confirm all this
[03:28:19] <vformeh> hykem told me he contacted some of them to warn them about the pirates
[03:29:01] <g0db1n> why?
[03:30:17] <vformeh> they had interest in other hackers from the scene
[03:30:42] <vformeh> and were acting agressive apparently
[03:41:19] <vformeh> are we done now?
[03:42:38] <g0db1n> i guess
[03:43:02] <vformeh> ok, goodbye
[03:43:57] <g0db1n> bye