PlayStation and security: a match made in hell. Following the major PlayStation Network crash of 2011, which brought the network down for 23 days, users often encountered various issues, including account security concerns and prolonged downtime , sometimes caused by DDoS attacks .

Judging from a new report, however, all these may pale in comparison to the possibility of an account being hacked, even with every security measure in place, including 2FA and passkey.

Yesterday, , tech journalist at French publication Numerama, reported on X that their PlayStation Network account protected with a passkey has been hacked, as an unknown user was able to change the associated email and password, and even spend money from a linked payment method.

The story took a bizarre turn after Lellouche initially recovered the account through PlayStation Support, only for the hacker to seize control a second time. In an ironic twist, Lellouche spent the evening communicating with the hacker, who reportedly detailed how their method bypasses modern security measures.

While Nicolas Lellouche has promised an in-depth follow-up to this story (which will be added to this post once it is live), he summarized what happened in a now-deleted message on X, which has been saved by . Reportedly, the hacker is taking advantage of a "a fatal security flaw with Sony's security systems" to hack PlayStation Network accounts, requiring only the associated email address, as they are apparently using internal tools. This, if true, is likely the core of the issue, as knowing a public email address shouldn't normally constitute a security risk.

Ultimately, their account was targeted because a screenshot showing the email address associated with the account had been shared online in the past, and hackers are reportedly "collecting screenshots of that type to take over accounts and making sure the owners never manage to get them back."

Without the follow-up report and a final confirmation of a potential massive issue, there's no way to know if all PlayStation Network accounts are genuinely at risk. For the time being, the basic security measures remain the best: avoid sharing personal information online and use prepaid cards whenever possible to make purchases on any digital store. Losing access to a digital library is bad, but having money stolen is considerably worse.

Follow to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.