Rootkits: the latest in DRM from Sony<
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Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far<
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Quote:Some newer CDs from Sony BMG contain an antipiracy application that must be installed in order to play the CD on your Windows PC. Should the unwary consumer say "yes" to the license agreement, the application implants hooks into the Windows kernel to make sure you don't use the CD in a manner Sony doesn't approve of. Those hooks are undetectable unless you know exactly what you're looking for, and are all but impossible to uninstall apart from contacting Sony and requesting removal. Attempting to remove the software yourself will leave you with a nonfunctional CD-ROM drive. Heaven help you if you're running a beta of Vista. Sony's application will utterly hose your Vista install.<
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What's even more infuriating is that Sony's rootkit provides a means of entry for other hackers to compromise your system (assuming they are able to gain access). All they have to do is use the same naming convention Sony's software uses. And even if your system is never compromised, you still have a process you didn't ask for taking up CPU cycles—1 to 2 percent even when your PC is otherwise idle.<
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MPAA looks to bolster its dominance by plugging the analog hole<
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Quote:These laws aren't about piracy, and anyone who thinks they are needs to stop, look, and listen. Once the MPAA and pals have their way, you're going to pay through the nose for even the most basic of Fair Use rights. You're going to pay for the right to rewind and "re-experience" content. The Copy Prohibited Content class, complete with its asinine insta-delete feature is nothing but a back door into attacking what the content industry hates most: your ability to timeshift content. Yes, Jack Valenti said the VCR would destroy Hollywood, and while these moonbats no longer believe that, they do know that the rhetoric works.



Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.

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Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.

The biggest enemy of freedom is a happy slave.

If it's one thing you can count on, it's hackers.<
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I guarantee they'll have a removal tool not long after this "hook" method becomes widespread.<
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[Tynkur Toyz][70 Gnomish Arch Magus][Email][Magelo]<
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Yep Hackers gotta love them.. and some if not most work for the companies who make the lock outs. LOLIRL Sites underdevelopment:<
> 3dxMail.com | AnthonyHays.com | ModMyConsole.com <i></i>

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"Creating Havoc and Pie Since 2001!"
My Website: http://www.anthonyhays.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cakvala

I'm freeking blind, I looked in general, tech, and I swore I didn't see this thread in here before posting my own 8P. Arch Lich of Lanys (Retired)<
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World of Warcraft hackers using Sony BMG rootkit<
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Quote:Want to cheat in your online game and not get caught? Just buy a Sony BMG copy protected CD.<
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World of Warcraft hackers have confirmed that the hiding capabilities of Sony BMG's content protection software can make tools made for cheating in the online world impossible to detect. The software--deemed a "rootkit" by many security experts--is shipped with tens of thousands of the record company's music titles.<
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Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of World of Warcraft, has created a controversial program that detects cheaters by scanning the processes that are running at the time the game is played. Called the Warden, the anti-cheating program cannot detect any files that are hidden with Sony BMG's content protection, which only requires that the hacker add the prefix "$sys$" to file names.<
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Despite making a patch available on Wednesday to consumers to amend its copy protection software's behavior, Sony BMG and First 4 Internet, the maker of the content protection technology, have both disputed claims that their system could harm the security of a Windows system. Yet, other software makers that rely on the integrity of the operating system are finding that hidden code makes security impossible. <
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You can hide from The Warden in many other ways without resorting to a kernel-mode driver <i></i>

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Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.

The biggest enemy of freedom is a happy slave.

First virus using Sony BMG confirmed<
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Keep my head from exploding?... You can help!
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The grapevine is whispering about recalls of titles with this copy protection on it to be replaced with copies without it.<
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It would seem my end of the grapevine is a little withered. news.com.com/Sony+recalls...54154.html "I am not a ranger, but I have played <
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one on the internet."<i></i>

Sony’s Web-Based Uninstaller Opens a Big Security Hole; Sony to Recall Discs<
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Quote:The root of the problem is a serious design flaw in Sony’s web-based uninstaller. When you first fill out Sony’s form to request a copy of the uninstaller, the request form downloads and installs a program – an ActiveX control created by the DRM vendor, First4Internet – called CodeSupport. CodeSupport remains on your system after you leave Sony’s site, and it is marked as safe for scripting, so any web page can ask CodeSupport to do things. One thing CodeSupport can be told to do is download and install code from an Internet site. Unfortunately, CodeSupport doesn’t verify that the downloaded code actually came from Sony or First4Internet. This means any web page can make CodeSupport download and install code from any URL without asking the user’s permission.<
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Not Again! Uninstaller for Other Sony DRM Also Opens Huge Security Hole<
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Quote:Now the bad news: It turns out that the web-based uninstaller SunnComm provides opens up a major security hole very similar to the one created by the web-based uninstaller for Sony’s other DRM, XCP, that we announced a few days ago. I have verified that it is possible for a malicious web site to use the SunnComm hole to take control of PCs where the uninstaller has been used. In fact, the the SunnComm problem is easier to exploit than the XCP uninstaller flaw.<
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Open source code found in Sony's CD rootkit<
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Quote:It should also be noted that they have also found stuff from DVD John's (of DeCSS fame) iTunes DRM stripping program - the irony gets even better: they are using code from a program that removes DRM in a DRM program all the while violating copyright to enforce copyright.<
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_________________

Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.

The biggest enemy of freedom is a happy slave.

Sure glad I pirate all my music! Arrrrr! <i></i>

"Analog hole" legislation introduced<
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Quote:Calling the ability to convert analog video content to a digital format a "significant technical weakness in content protection," H.R. 4569 would require all consumer electronics video devices manufactured more than 12 months after the DTCSA is passed to be able to detect and obey a "rights signaling system" that would be used to limit how content is viewed and used. That rights signaling system would consist of two DRM technologies, Video Encoded Invisible Light (VEIL) and Content Generation Management System—Analog (CGMS-A), which would be embedded in
oadcasts and other analog video content.<
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If you have a representative on this list it would be good to let them know just how bad this bill is for consumers.<
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And everyone else should contact their reps to let them know your opinion as well. <i></i>

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Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.

The biggest enemy of freedom is a happy slave.

Quote:Sure glad I pirate all my music! Arrrrr! <
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Be careful about posting stuff like this, people might think you're trying to
ag or show off or impress people.<
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Neesha, where are you? Jump on this guy!!! <i></i>

Quote:If you have a representative on this list it would be good to let them know just how bad this bill is for consumers.<
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And everyone else should contact their reps to let them know your opinion as well.<
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Not that most of them really care, unless it affects them personally. <
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NEESHA WHAT THE FUCK MAN YOU'RE LETTING ME DOWN. =( <i></i>

Quote:shut the fuck up <i></i>