Sony denies second hack after password reset page goes offline

Sony has hit back at claims that its networks may have been hacked again, after the company was forced to take down the PlayStation Network and Qriocity password reset page.

The under-fire online entertainment firm had been trying this week to get services back to normal after a major hack on its systems which may have exposed the details of up to 100 million customers.

However, when customers tried to log-in to reset their passwords, as they had been told to by Sony, they found the page unavailable owing to "essential maintenance", leading many on various forums to speculate that the site had been hacked again.

However, Sony explained the real reason in a short blog post on Wednesday.

"We temporarily took down the PSN and Qriocity password reset page. Contrary to some reports, there was no hack involved. In the process of resetting of passwords there was a URL exploit that we have subsequently fixed," said senior director of corporate comms Patrick Seybold.

"Consumers who haven't reset their passwords for PSN are still encouraged to do so directly on their PS3. Otherwise, they can continue to do so via the web site as soon as we bring that site back up."

Sony did not elaborate on the "URL exploit", although it is believed that, as the page asked only for date of birth and email address, it could technically have been exploited by the original hackers to reset users' passwords and gain control of their accounts.

Dates of birth and email addresses are just a couple of the pieces of personally identifiable information stolen by hackers in the breach of Sony's network in April.