PS3 HFW Update Server

DNS + HTTP server for distribution of PS3 HFW (Hybrid Firmware) updates, enabling installation without a USB drive on consoles with OFW (Official Firmware) or HFW (Hybrid Firmware).

Overview

This server intercepts PS3 update requests and serves a custom HFW PUP file instead of downloading from Sony's servers. It works by:

1. DNS Server: Redirects PS3 update domains (*.ps3.update.playstation.net) to the machine
2. HTTP Server: Serves the spoofed updatelist.txt and PS3UPDAT.PUP file

Important: The DNS server runs on port 53 (the standard DNS port). The PS3 can only be configured with an IP address for DNS, not a port number, so port 53 is mandatory.

Quick Start (Download & Run)

Prerequisites

• Java 17 or higher

1. Download the Latest Release

Go to the Releases page and download the latest hfwserver-*.jar file.

2. Download HFW Firmware

Download the HFW firmware from the PS3-Pro/Firmware-Updates GitHub repository:

curl -L -o firmware/PS3UPDAT.PUP \
  "https://github.com/PS3-Pro/Firmware-Updates/releases/download/HFW/Hybrid_Firmware.PUP"

The server reports version 9.00 to force the PS3 to always perform the update, even if 4.92 is already installed.

3. Prepare Directory Structure

Create the following structure:

ps3-hfw-update-server/
├── hfwserver-{version}.jar
└── firmware/
    └── PS3UPDAT.PUP

4. Run the Server

Linux/Mac:

java -jar hfwserver-{version}.jar --verbose

Windows:

java -jar hfwserver-{version}.jar --verbose

The server will auto-detect your network IP address. You can also specify it manually:

java -jar hfwserver-{version}.jar --local-ip 192.168.1.100 --verbose

Note: DNS runs on port 53 and HTTP on port 80 (standard ports required by PS3).

5. Configure PS3

From the PlayStation 3 main menu:

1. Go to Settings > Network Settings
2. Select Internet Connection Settings
3. Confirm Yes when prompted about disconnecting from the internet
4. When prompted to "Select a setting method," choose Custom
5. Choose your connection method:
   • Wired Connection (for Ethernet cable)
   • Wireless (scan for your Wi-Fi network and enter the password)
6. IP Address Setting: Choose Automatic (or Manual if you prefer a static IP)
7. DHCP Host Name: Select Do Not Set
8. DNS Setting: Select Manual
9. Enter your server's IP address in both Primary DNS and Secondary DNS fields
10. Scroll through remaining settings with defaults:
    • MTU: Automatic
    • Proxy Server: Do Not Use
    • UPnP: Enable
11. Press X or Enter to save your settings

6. Run System Update

1. Make sure the server is running
2. On PS3, go to Settings > System Update
3. Select Update via Internet

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Docker Deployment (Recommended for Servers)

Docker is the easiest way to run the server 24/7 on cloud servers (tested on Linux/Mac).

Pull Pre-built Image from GitHub Container Registry

docker pull ghcr.io/pcamposu/ps3-hfw-update-server:latest

Quick Start with Docker Compose

1. Clone repository:

git clone https://github.com/pcamposu/ps3-hfw-update-server.git
cd ps3-hfw-update-server

2. Configure LOCAL_IP:

Edit docker-compose.yml and set the LOCAL_IP environment variable to your server's IP address:

• LAN deployment: Use your local network IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
• VPS/Cloud deployment: Use your server's public IP address

IMPORTANT: LOCAL_IP is REQUIRED in Docker. The default value 192.168.1.100 MUST be changed to your actual IP address. The PS3 will be redirected to this IP, so it must be reachable from your PS3.

3. Start server:

Production (ports 53/80):

docker compose build --no-cache
docker compose up -d --force-recreate

Development (ports 53/80):

docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml build --no-cache
docker compose -f docker-compose.dev.yml up --force-recreate

4. View logs:

docker compose logs -f

5. Stop server:

docker compose down

Cloud Deployment

Deploy to any cloud provider (AWS, GCP, Azure, DigitalOcean):

ssh user@your-server
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
usermod -aG docker $USER

mkdir -p ~/ps3-hfw-server/firmware
cd ~/ps3-hfw-server

curl -L -o firmware/PS3UPDAT.PUP \
  "https://github.com/PS3-Pro/Firmware-Updates/releases/download/HFW/Hybrid_Firmware.PUP"

# Run container (replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your LAN IP or public IP for VPS)
docker run -d \
  --name ps3-hfw-server \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 53:53/tcp \
  -p 53:53/udp \
  -p 80:80/tcp \
  -e LOCAL_IP=YOUR_SERVER_IP \
  -e UPSTREAM_DNS=8.8.8.8 \
  -e VERBOSE=false \
  --pull always \
  --cap-add=NET_BIND_SERVICE \
  ghcr.io/pcamposu/ps3-hfw-update-server:latest

Important: Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with:

• Your LAN IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100) for local network deployment
• Your public IP for VPS/cloud deployment (use curl -4 ifconfig.me to find it)

View logs:

docker logs -f ps3-hfw-server

Stop server:

docker stop ps3-hfw-server && docker rm ps3-hfw-server

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Manual Build (Development)

Requirements

• Java 17 or higher
• Gradle (included via wrapper)

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/pcamposu/ps3-hfw-update-server.git
cd ps3-hfw-update-server
./gradlew clean build

The JAR will be created at: build/libs/hfwserver-{version}.jar

Run from Build

java -jar build/libs/hfwserver-{version}.jar --verbose

Development Options

Option	Description	Default
--upstream-dns	Upstream DNS server	8.8.8.8
--local-ip	Local IP (auto=detect)	auto
-v, --verbose	Enable verbose logging	false
-h, --help	Show help	-

Note: DNS runs on port 53 and HTTP on port 80 (standard ports required by PS3).

The firmware file must always be at ./firmware/PS3UPDAT.PUP. The server reports version 9.00 to force PS3 updates (hardcoded in UpdateListService).

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How It Works

DNS Redirection

When your PS3 tries to update:

1. PS3 sends DNS query for dus01.ps3.update.playstation.net
2. This server intercepts the query and returns the server's IP
3. PS3 connects to this server instead of Sony's servers

HTTP Server

The HTTP server serves:

• /update/ps3/list/{region}/ps3-updatelist.txt - Spoofed update list with Target ID
• /PS3UPDAT.PUP - Your HFW firmware file

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Development

Project Structure

src/main/groovy/com/pcamposu/ps3/hfwserver/
├── Ps3HfwUpdateServerApplication.groovy
├── config/
│   ├── CliConfig.groovy
│   └── DnsServerConfig.groovy
├── dns/
│   └── Ps3DnsServer.groovy
├── http/
│   ├── controller/
│   │   └── Ps3UpdateController.groovy
│   └── service/
│       └── UpdateListService.groovy
├── model/
│   └── RegionInfo.groovy
└── util/
    └── NetworkUtils.groovy

Running Tests

./gradlew test

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Credits

This project was inspired by and built upon the work of many talented developers in the PS3 homebrew scene:

@LuanTeles, @PS3Xploit, @habib, @Evilnat, @DeViL303, @zecoxao

And many others who have contributed to the PS3 scene over the years. Thank you for paving the way.

Links

• PS3-Pro/Firmware-Updates
• PS3 Dev Wiki

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See the COPYING file for details.