PS3 Dumping The EID Root Key

Berion

Developer
Tutorial assembled from three others which I made in some period for some purposes. It describes three methods:
  1. Based on Flatz's eEID Root Key Dumper which fit for any CFW 3.55 - 4.75 (which still can be useful if user do not want update fw for various of reasons).
  2. Based on Rebug Toolbox which can be used on any CFW Rebug from 3.55.4 to 4.86.1.
  3. Based on CFW Tools in CFW Evilnat 4.88 - 4.92.
First was published 10 years ago in some Polish site. Second was(is) part of HDD mounting on Linux tutorial, but soon I will publish new version based on my toolkit, so I decided to strip it from ERK dumping chapter. Third method is from today. ;p

So nothing special but it is good to have all in one place.

If You don't know that, purpose of reading ERK is internal storage decryption outside console, e.g on PC (imagine scenario when PS3 died but saves, photos etc. wasn't backuped in time). Which this tutorial covering.
 

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I would add that Rebug Toolbox can be used to retrieve the ERK up to FW 4.90 (as long as the Toolbox has no incompatibility issues in the future... which I don't think so).

Very nice tutorials!.
 
Thanks.

Rebug Toolbox package is part of CFW, always ready to install until user intentionally remove it. So it is always under hand on Rebug CFWs. On Evilnat we have this XMB mod + xai_plugin combo so it is always easier than anything additional to install - and in this case - seek because rebug.me and scenefiles are long dead. If You suggested that RT can be used in exchange of eEIDRK app, then I dunno, maybe You have right and that would have sense (especially that people preferring GUI and because potentially covering all firmwares). Yet I don't really want to test it. ^^ I will in nearest occasion but hard to say when. Anyway, thanks for insight.
 
If the Rebug Toolbox ERK dumper is the same as the eEIDRK app, then no need to test it as it will work the same as the Toolbox.

But if not, then I would stay with CFW Tools/Rebug Toolbox as those are correct (we still have the issue with the dumping process failing sometimes, but it's not so problematic).
 
Hi gents,

I was reading this thread, and it's very interesting to me. I'm going to try this out using the EVILNAT solution when I get my experiment console back on to 4.91.2 CFW. I'll even be tempted to do this on my other consoles too! Amazing work once again! You guys are amazing!
 
Thanks. Nothing has changed in that matter on Evilnat 4.91.x, so it still works like tutorial shows.

BTW: I've added in first post what is purpose of ERK, plus link to decryption guide.
 
Hey @Berion I used your instructions to collect my EID root key, but I have a question. I'm now in the middle of changing out the HDD on this same console for a larger one, so will this mean a new EID root key will be produced with the console and its new HDD, or is the EID root key particular to the console no matter what HDD is in it?
 
ERK cannot be changed. It is not key related to HDD encryption directly but from it i.e, are calculated ATA and Flash keys which encrypting disk and eFlash/VFLASH. Seeds are static, used also for other stuff so also cannot be changed. In summary, ERK will stay always the same on this particular pair: Cell + Flash. And all keys calculated from it.

Based on Yours other threads, You prefer OFW. So, if You will read ERK and IDPS, You will always have full control over data on HDD, access to and ownership, having those two little keys. No matter if this is OFW or CFW or HEN. Just FYI.
 
ERK cannot be changed. It is not key related to HDD encryption directly but from it i.e, are calculated ATA and Flash keys which encrypting disk and eFlash/VFLASH. Seeds are static, used also for other stuff so also cannot be changed. In summary, ERK will stay always the same on this particular pair: Cell + Flash. And all keys calculated from it.

Based on Yours other threads, You prefer OFW. So, if You will read ERK and IDPS, You will always have full control over data on HDD, access to and ownership, having those two little keys. No matter if this is OFW or CFW or HEN. Just FYI.

Ah right, excellent. Thank you for the simple clarification. Just in case, before you replied, I took an updated copy of the EID root key once I was up and running on the new HDD, but I guess I didn't need to now that you've confirmed that.
 
I edited first post but not PDFs, because it is pointless to replace documents when procedure still looks the same for newest firmwares.
That should be enough, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut... 4.92 Evilnat allows to dump directly to the pendrive instead of writing to /tmp
So, maybe an update is in order?
 
@HWNJ It does since beginning of xai plugin used in Evilnat CFW, and in tutorial I said that too. Yet I said also that it is not reliable because on USB sometimes freezing (I have no idea why, and if still can), so best is just dump to HDD, and later move it on USB. ;)

BTW: Additionally, worth is also to check if EID Root Key proper, by taking out disk and trying decryption on PC. Worth to check recovery scenario when you still have a way to dump key in case something goes wrong. I never heard of bad ERK dumping but, You know, as we saying in Poland: "strzeżonego Pan Bóg strzeże." ;}
 
Do you lose any contents copying via browsed folder with FTP? from Bluray to PC vs copying the whole ISO & decrypting it? or is just the cd keys?
I tried dumping to internal ps3 hdd & usb but it always seems to fail on certain sectors with read errors, same with ps2 discs, that'll dump on pc fine via drive, I guess the PS3 drive is just really weak on faint scratches.
For DLC & Updates can I copy the installed game id folder into the dump folder an generate a installable .PKG?
 
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