Project Overview
This project explores how real-world video game systems like the PlayStation 3 can be modified and understood through direct interaction with production hardware. Using tools such as Rebug CFW, ProDG, and Target Manager, I’ve begun mapping how in-game memory behaves and how it might be manipulated in real time.
Focusing specifically on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, I'm using the modding context to examine deeper cybersecurity concepts like memory access control, anti-cheat mechanisms, and runtime integrity. These games provide rich environments to study how closed systems attempt to protect critical data—and where they fail. This practical context helps bridge exploit development, reverse engineering, and security research.
Current Work
- Installed and configured Rebug CFW (4.84.2 REX) on a production PS3 using a NOR flash-based exploit chain.
- Validated the jailbreak using Rebug Toolbox with access to Debug Settings and homebrew functionality.
- Set up Target Manager and ProDG to attach to running processes and inspect memory and system state.
- Investigating in-game memory structures (e.g., ammo, health) and building familiarity with memory layout and value tracking.
- Used TrueAncestor to convert decrypted .BIN files to .ELF format, perform basic analysis, and re-sign modified binaries for testing.
- Reviewing and reverse engineering community mod menus to understand their structure and runtime behavior.
Ensemble of Workflow Tools
Future Goals
The next phase of the project focuses on understanding and replicating real-time mod menus sourced from the community. These tools provide a basis for exploring how memory modifications are implemented, how values are accessed, and how functionality is injected or toggled live during gameplay.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II presents specific challenges such as encrypted memory regions, anti-cheat logic, and obfuscated value storage. I aim to work through these constraints using debugger-based injection and pointer tracing to build reliable, testable modifications.
Alongside the technical work, I plan to reflect on the countermeasures game developers employ to detect tampering—such as memory integrity checks or runtime validation—and relate these methods to broader cyber defense practices. The final goal is to combine practical modding with a critical understanding of system security.
Reflection
This project provided hands-on experience with debugging and analysis of a closed system under real hardware constraints. Setting up Rebug CFW and ProDG involved resolving compatibility issues, such as mismatched firmware and unstable Target Manager sessions, which required careful troubleshooting and log inspection.
These challenges helped develop my understanding of memory mapping, binary formats, and system behavior. While I haven't yet deployed custom in-game modifications, reverse engineering existing tools and tracking how they manipulate memory has connected abstract concepts to live system behavior. This work has deepened my interest in reverse engineering and systems security in a way that’s both technically challenging and creatively engaging.
Contact
Name: Brian Barry
Student Number: C00274624
Email: bbarry792@gmail.com