A malicious message sent to PlayStation 4 users was requiring players to reset their consoles to factory defaults, spreading panic amongst the PlayStation community.
Update (8 PM):
Sony has responded that they’ve “fixed the issue”. Via the PlayStation UK customer support Twitter account, a response was given to a player concerned with what Sony claimed “wasn’t bricking consoles”.
We've since fixed the issue, and it wasn't bricking consoles, just sending them into a crash loop that can be quickly fixed in under 5 minutes. Delete the message on the PS mobile app, go into Safe Mode, use Option 5, console back to normal. ^DB
— Ask PlayStation UK (@AskPS_UK) October 15, 2018
Original story:
The message may look like this, and effectively renders your console useless without a complete factory reset.
Players are saying that the message can be a “bunch of smiley faces” as well.
Some guy just sent me a message on PS4 with a bunch of smiley faces…now my Playstation 4 won't turn on?
— Troydan (@TroydanGaming) October 14, 2018
To be better safe than sorry, it’s being advised that players take extra precautions to make sure that they don’t fall victim to this PlayStation 4 hack.
In order to keep outsiders with malintent off of your console, you can log in to the PlayStation app on your phone or computer to change your message settings to “friends only” or “no one.” For now, it’s likely not safe to log on to PSN on your PS4 console without taking these precautionary measures.
In a statement to GamesRader+, Sony stated “We are aware of the situation and are planning a system software update to resolve this problem.” This system software update cannot come soon enough, as this PlayStation 4 hack has the potential to erase countless hours of saved game progression on all of our hard played games.
Sony’s PSN was subject to a major hacking in 2011, when personal information was breached by hackers. Sony responded by giving players free download codes to games as a result of a class-action lawsuit.
We will keep this story updated with the latest information on when it is safe again to open up your PSN messages to other players, and of when Sony goes live with the PlayStation 4 system software update to remedy the situation.