Sony Music Now Comes With Malware Bundled!

[linuxguy 0]

Have a look at this guys. This is so stupid!

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/s...tal-rights.html

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27426

[Sadikk 301]

Its not a malware actually, Its companies new software bundled with, If u gotta use these CD on PC u have to install tht software first.

Well yes it contains some malware type apps in it, Which is claimed can make a PC vulnerable to the hackers and viruses.

[anujit 0]

It is malware if it tries to remain hidden. It is malware if you cannot uninstal it without crashing your computer.

[ashoksoft 83]

hmm well a nice cloak at that .... but sony could have implemented the DRM in a trillion other decent ways, I do not think that aries.sys is something that is new... for fans of Enrique, who purchased his tracks during his tour of india (at venue).... even those CD's were protected by the same system

Cheers

Ashok

[anujit 0]

Of course to overcome such grand (grandly stupid) copy protection schemes all you need to do is take your cd player. Connect it to your computer. Play the cd on the cd player and record it on your comp.

[linuxguy 0]

haha true. I mean how can they keep music from being copied? If I have an extremely protected DRM enabled CD. I just play it on my DRM enabled PC with all the Sony crap and instead of playing from my speakers use a digital recorder to record it in mp3 format!

What they can do is uniquely finger print every copy they ever sell. They can then analyze each pirated mp3 to determine the source of the pirated mp3. They have started using this technique in laser printers to determine the source of fake notes...

[abhay 0]

Sony Sued Over Copy-Protection

According to the latest reports, consumers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Sony BMG, on charges that their computers have been harmed by the anti-piracy software used in Sony's music CDs.

The lawsuit was filed on November 1st in the Los Angeles Superior Court; it demands that the court stop Sony BMG from selling additional CDs protected by the anti-piracy software, and also seeks monetary compensation for California-based consumers who have purchased Sony's CDs.

The suit alleges that thousands of users have unknowingly infected their computers, thanks to Sony BMG's failure to disclose the true nature of the DRM (digital rights management) system used on its music CDs.

The complaint claims that around June 2005 Sony BMG started issuing CDs installing DRM software; this software actually depletes a computer's available resources, with no possibility of the technology being removed without damage to the system. Sony BMG has declined to comment.

In a related development, antivirus companies are releasing tools this week, to identify and in some cases remove, the copy protection software contained in Sony BMG's music CDs.

The software is triggered, by playing Sony's music CDs on a PC. From the CD drive, the software installs itself deeply inside the hard drive, and hides itself from view. Security experts say that this cloaking technique could well be used by virus writers, to hide their malicious software.

Security major - Symantec, has said that it will release antivirus software to simply identify Sony's software; while the security division of Computer Associates has said it will release a tool to un-install Sony's software.

The initial debate over Sony BMG's DRM system was sparked off last week by computer developer and author - Mark Russinovich, who said in his blog that the software uses a tool called "rootkit" to hide its presence, a technique typically used by virus writers to hide traces of their work.

Thereafter Sony quickly released a patch on its Web site, meant to un-cloak the copy protection software. However as it turns out, consumers are required to go through quite a tedious procedure to be actually able to do this.

http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/artic...9090&cat_id=582

[linuxguy 0]

haha. thats great news. I read it already though, lets see if they can make sony pay through its nose!