strange DRM behaviour

2ax

Is Sony secretly installing stuff on your hard disk when you play a CD? And are others doing it too, but have not yet been discovered?

Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far

Last week when I was testing the latest version of RootkitRevealer (RKR) I ran a scan on one of my systems and was shocked to see evidence of a rootkit. Rootkits are cloaking technologies that hide files, Registry keys, and other system objects from diagnostic and security software, and they are usually employed by malware attempting to keep their implementation hidden

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html

I might need one of you guys to explain it to me after the fourth or fifth read :rotfl:

Poppycat

Yes some say these programs there install just to play a cd are much like viruses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4413856.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4406178.stm

sra

There's a great feature about it here:
http://www.grc.com/SecurityNow.htm - Scroll down to Episode 12
I really recommend everybody listen to hear about how badly this was done and what a danger it is
(I seem to be always linking to the Security Now podcast - It's a great source of info)

What's funny is Sony's response:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony_President_Rootkit_of_No_Concern/1131475197

2ax

Very interesting. And strange, no, amazing.

Sony's response - most people don't know what a rootkit is, so why should they worry about it? - seems to very obviously include the man saying it.

Someone down the page on the Sysinternals blog alleges that this installation is illegal under California law. And all these tech guys have said that it makes the computer more vulnerable to even simplistic hacking.

I will have to read it again, but I'm assuming that as the only pop-ups I've seen that ask permission to install something were for Quicktime to see video content, then I don't yet have any of these CDs (so-called, but not by Philips, who invented them).

I haven't the slightest intention of copying CDs; I've never used p2p programs; I have about two cassettes from the 70's that could face an argument about home taping - I recorded Wish you were here off the Alan Freeman show, but bought the album anyway. And one other album I bought and recorded to listen in the car, lent the LP to a friend and forgot (I may have lost the tape too).

But I don't want incompetently written software secretly installed by shady hacker techniques that threatens its integrity of my PC. They are entitled to prevent people copying the software, but it is almost beyond belief that one of the world's largest companies seems willing to risk vandalising people's PCs by making them vulnerable to other exploits.

sra

and so the fun begins...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/sony_drm_trojan/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4427606.stm

:rotfl:

sra

lol

more fun:

http://memex.naughtons.org/archives/2005/11/10/2289

:rotfl:

analyst_2

Boy is the world getting incensed about Sony's actions.
here is the latest from the register
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/11/secfocus_sony_analysis/

Now here's the interesting bit.
Consumer power is being weilded against the might of Sony BMG for its audacity to impose its DRM by stealth on the Worlds computers.

It is already buzzing around a number of forums that a world-wide boycott of all Sony or Sony BMG products is gaining momentum.

A) it will teach them that consumers will take a stand against such behaviour

It will serve as a warning to any other conglomerate who fancies riding roughshod over all consumers rights and privacy of their own computers.

And as a consumers forum I think it is right and proper for MSE forum to give this action a prominent place. I can't think of a better time, just before Christmas, for Sony to be given the biggest slap in the face it truly deserves for such irresponsible action.

sra

the story continues:

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/11/15/sony_infects_more_th.html

Darksun

It's also been reported that Sony are themselves breaching copyright law by illegally using LGPL code in their DRM software.

Browntoa

I see Microsoft have decided to added it to their Anti-spyware list for removal :j

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4434852.stm

Sony's controversial anti-piracy CD software has been labelled as spyware by Microsoft.
The software giant said a key part of the XCP copy protection system counted as malicious software under the rules it uses to define what Windows should be protected against.