A hacker has published what he claims to be the root key of the PlayStation 3, leading to what some have speculated could be full root access to the game console without the need for external media.

The key, published by an individual calling himself or herself "geohot," is accompanied by a "hello world" piece of code.

At press time, Sony representatives said that they were still awaiting confirmation or a denial from within the company.

As gaming blog Kotaku noted, the hack may be tied to the fail0verflow group, which develops for the PS3 homebrew scene. "Homebrew" modifications to the console are akin to "rooting" a phone, where the user installs his or her own operating system, usually for the purpose of adding custom software. Doing so, however, usually voids the device's warranty.

In September, hackers gained access to the root key of HDCP, the technology used to secure Blu-ray discs. Access the the HDCP key theoretically allows the development of players that could output an unsecured Blu-ray video file.

Although some have claimed that geohot simply leveraged the work done by the fail0verflow group and others, the hack could allow software to be digitally signed using the encryption key, thus presenting itself to the console as a legitimate piece of software.

In September, Sony released a firmware update to the PS3, supposedly in response to homebrew teams and other hackers that had worked to crack the console. Soon after, Best Buy announced a $30 service to provide firmware updates to the console.