View Full Version : Sony rootkit Part 3: Virus
Vandenh
11-10-2005, 05:54 AM
Here comes the pain! The first virus exploiting the incredible Sony DRM CD protection rootkit has been spotted according to El Reg (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/10/sony_drm_trojan/).
Virus writers have begun taking advantage of Sony-BMG's use of rootkit technology in DRM software bundled with its music CDs.
This screams class action.
Paranoia
11-10-2005, 06:03 AM
Way to go Sony!!
DanAmerson
11-10-2005, 06:10 AM
I think there's already a class action suit from California. Probably read it on slashdot.
dba
Suicidal ShiZuru
11-10-2005, 06:16 AM
Would be funny if a suit really went through and did well and sony went out of business...
cough
phantomhitman
11-10-2005, 06:30 AM
Is there any way to completely uninstall it? Or did they dig deep into the registry or temp files?
Savok
11-10-2005, 06:37 AM
Congrats Sony, I'm never getting one of your products again.
AniAko
11-10-2005, 06:39 AM
The way the DRM rootkit works is with a system hook. It intercepts low level windows messages, and changes them so the system obey's it's bidding.
This article (http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html) explains how it works, and what had to be done to detect and rid of it
Morratut
11-10-2005, 06:41 AM
Death to Sony!!!
Death to Sony!!!
Death to Sony!!!
Is the S.A.D.S online yet? ;)
Only joking guys :)
In all seriousness this is bad PR for Sony. Best they can do is probably allow for them to release a uninstall program quickly on their website.
Roc Ingersol
11-10-2005, 06:42 AM
This screams class action.
Funny you should say that... (http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/)
I don't buy CDs anymore and that action doesn't correlate with my MP3 downloading habits. I'm not playing Russian Roulette with my computer.
agentgray
11-10-2005, 06:55 AM
In all seriousness this is bad PR for Sony. Best they can do is probably allow for them to release a uninstall program quickly on their website.
Har. Har. Read more about this (http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/sony-you-dont-reeeeaaaally-want-to_09.html). They have, and it makes it even worse.
Oh yeah, good luck finding it on their site.
(I love the sysinternals guy. My new hero.)
NoName
11-10-2005, 06:55 AM
I'm suddenly glad I never buy music CDs...
Grimgrock
11-10-2005, 07:10 AM
Yet another reason to get your music from a different source. The iTunes Music Store is just one example.
Talanvor
11-10-2005, 07:14 AM
Ha, it's safer to use P2P apps to get your music than buying it from a store. How about folks?
emperordahc
11-10-2005, 07:22 AM
Hum. I this doesn't appear to affect my OSX computer. :)
And RIAA wants to jack the prices on iTunes even though their profit margin is higher through iTunes right now than through CDs.
Hum. I this doesn't appear to affect my OSX computer. :)
Give it time.
Roc Ingersol
11-10-2005, 07:36 AM
And RIAA wants to jack the prices on iTunes even though their profit margin is higher through iTunes right now than through CDs.
Because they don't want iTunes to succeed.
If it doesn't fail, their stranglehold over distribution is lost, and they have to actually compete.
horror of horrors.
Grimgrock
11-10-2005, 07:50 AM
Hum. I this doesn't appear to affect my OSX computer. :)
While the Sony DRM issue may not affect your OSX machine, having your machine rootkit-ed (is that a word?) is absolutely possible. This is an issue for all operating systems whether they are UNIX-based (OSX) or Windows-based. This is coming from a OSX user.
jacktion
11-10-2005, 08:04 AM
It's ironic how sony is punishing the very people who are buying their music legally. This will only push people towards free downloads even more now.
So to sum up,
if you illegally download music, crooked people will sneak bad programs into your computer that mess it up.
and if you buy cds, crooked people will sneak bad programs into your computer that mess it up.
It sounds like the consumer is getting screwed whichever way you look at it.
That is why we need more tax breaks for big corporations! And no regulation! We need to give them more money so they get richer and we should let them do whatever they want! I'm sure they would never do anything to hurt the common man. It is good for jobs. It's the american way.
I only get screwed by legally purchased music.
Magnanimous Gnome
11-10-2005, 08:37 AM
That is why we need more tax breaks for big corporations! And no regulation! We need to give them more money so they get richer and we should let them do whatever they want! I'm sure they would never do anything to hurt the common man. It is good for jobs. It's the american way.
Exactly!!
Vote Republican!
:rolleyes:
Republican, Democrat. They're both puppets.
/go back to bed America
Dirty Harry
11-10-2005, 09:09 AM
Would be funny if a suit really went through and did well and sony went out of business...
cough
you really sure about that?
Goronmon
11-10-2005, 09:33 AM
Not that I ever buy CDs anyways, but this pretty much ended the chance of it ever happening again. It'll be iTunes and P2P music sharing for me from now on.
moron
11-10-2005, 09:34 AM
When did EA become technically illiterate? A trojan is not a virus, it is just a program that pretends to be something that it is not or hides extra stuff in it. It has no way to replicate without your interaction. Doesn't make it nice mind you but a virus is a totally different beast than a trojan.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/Trojan_horse.html
Cheers
Give me a break moron, in this case it's a trojan, but I'm sure we'll see viruses in the future. The classification is really not relevant in the least.
By the way, you are confusing a worm with a virus. So watch who you call technically illiterate.
To back myself, from your own link
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2004/virus.asp
Virus:
Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action,
Worm:
A worm is similar to a virus by its design, and is considered to be a sub-class of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the ability to travel without any help from a person
Roc Ingersol
11-10-2005, 10:06 AM
I guess it's not just a clever name.
superherotaco
11-10-2005, 10:07 AM
Now why do they even do this? Individuals making MP3 copies arn't the problem with sales, it's people who distribute the MP3 online. And those people will always exist as long as audio CDs exist. I mean as long as there's still an audio in on a computer, you can just put a CD player next to your computer, and use a high quality cable to connect it, and just hit record.
I mean there are people out there that get off on getting around the system. These are the kind of people with the skill and knowhow to really distribute the MP3 online. Hell even I love to get around protection to some extent when I do, put in something to stop me from doing something, and I'm simply encouraged to do it.
Zurik
11-10-2005, 12:21 PM
When companies put securities on their CDs that do more than just prevent illegal copying of that CD, that's when I either don't buy it or find a way around it. Between this and StarForce, I'm really getting tired of so-called copyprotection that hurts the totally legal user more than the pirate. Do they NOT want to sell their products?
dr_wily
11-10-2005, 01:54 PM
hackers always seem to make their statement the hard way.
goddamn brilliant people sometimes though. Most paid developers can't hack their way out of a paper bag, hence real hackers always unlocking everything :P
KSmitty
11-10-2005, 02:44 PM
When companies put securities on their CDs that do more than just prevent illegal copying of that CD, that's when I either don't buy it or find a way around it. Between this and StarForce, I'm really getting tired of so-called copyprotection that hurts the totally legal user more than the pirate. Do they NOT want to sell their products?
Amen Brother AMEN! I always thought it was ridiculous to put copy protection on the CD. Hey Jackass I bought the CD legally, why can't I copy my own damn CD. This is the equivalent of those dumbass 'Downloading movies is a crime' commercials that come on....you guessed it...just before the movie on the DVD which I purchased!? :rolleyes:
Don't go burning all your CD purchases just yet, this is only a problem for some CDs and they are clearly labeled (for now).
-K
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