[D.D.]

*poof2*

 

[F-3582]

*nothing special here*

 

[D.D.]

*poof3*

 

[Hard core Rikki]

The Bluray Disc Association. I focused on Sony because they're the ones most commited to Bluray (obviously because of the Playstation 3). There's an interesting article here about the disc format and specs here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc

"Once you can play it, you can copy it."
Too bad Sony's XCP rootkit installs before it plays.

 

[Hard core Rikki]

The movie/content/gaming industry is more interested in 'protection'. NO, I'm not talking about ours as customers. :evil:

DRM'd discs with XCP from Sony are getting withdrawed from commerces (Amazon...).
This one ended a happy story. Sony is still facing lawsuits, but at least people who bought XCP DRM'd are eligible for uncrippled copies of the CDs they bought, even if these haven't been used on a computer yet.

 

[D.D.]

*poof4.0*

 

[Kraelis]

Well, the "Install before play" is a byproduct of the Autorun meddling of the OS. Without it, it's still fair game.

 

[Player-X]

Maybe we shoud all disable the autorum feature

 

[KillerShots]

Actually, I did that simply because I don't like to have things running before I get a chance to look at them. Never smart to execute unknown programs. Then again, I've also started running most of my games under linux now through a windows emulator - hard to infect that, I'd just wipe the game's partition out (each game has an isolated windows environment with its own registry - they can't see each other).

 

[Hard core Rikki]

Neat. I'll try that for my games.
Autorun is evil in Windows mostly, since it allows arbitrary code (software) to run or install with full administrator privileges and *without* user knowledge or consent. I believe this is not the default behaviour for GNU/Linux systems. Giving up a little convenience for more security is never a bad deal.

There's even more about Sony BMG. The full article can be read here http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2005/tc20051129_938966.htm

 

[F-3582]

Maybe we shoud all disable the autorum feature

How about holding SHIFT while inserting a "suspicious" CD?

 

[KillerShots]

That works as long as you remember to do so. Personally, I wouldn't trust myself well enough to remember to do that for every single new disc I put into my machine.

 

[Hard core Rikki]

How about holding SHIFT while inserting a "suspicious" CD?

Disabling Autorun for CD/DVD drives entirely would be better I believe. :innocent:

 

[Player-X]

That would work but I assume that I eventuaily will forget to press shift, besides you can still use the autorun app in the my computer if you want to

 

[Toshiro]

Well Sony seem to love making a challenge for themselve when it comes to DRM. Looks like they had a new patch, but even that had its own problems.

Oops -- New Sony DRM Patch Insecure
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
December 8, 2005, 11:40 AM

Just one day after jointly announcing a patch to correct a security flaw in the SunnComm MediaMax copy protection included on 27 CDs, Sony BMG and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are urging users not to install it. The update includes a vulnerability similar to the one it attempted to fix.

SunnComm's MediaMax version 5 software does not properly protect a directory it installs, opening the door for a privilege escalation attack. Thus, a restricted user account could replace the executables within the MediaMax directory with malicious code, which would then be executed by an administrator upon inserting a CD.

Sony said it would notify customers of the SunnComm problem through an advertising banner within the MediaMax software, and via an online ad campaign. It also began distributing an update on the Sony BMG Web site and to security vendors.

But despite claims that "independent software security firm NGS Software have determined that the security vulnerability is fully addressed by the update," Princeton researcher Alex Halderman has found otherwise.

"It turns out that there is a way an adversary can booby-trap the MediaMax files so that hostile software is run automatically when you install and run the MediaMax patch," Princeton professor Edward Felten explained. "The previously released MediaMax uninstaller is also insecure in the same way."

Halderman and Felten also discovered that even if a user declines the MediaMax license agreement, the vulnerable software is still installed on their computer. However, those users will not see the advertising banner Sony is using to notify customers.

"The consequences of this problem are just as bad as those of the XCP rootkit whose discovery by Mark Russinovich started SonyBMG's woes," added Felten. "This problem, like the rootkit, allows any program on the system to launch a serious security attack that would normally be available only to fully trusted programs."

This isn't the first time Sony's fix for vulnerable DRM has done more harm than good. Last month, Felten reported that the Web based uninstaller for the XCP copy protection contained a security flaw that could enable malicious software to be automatically installed on a PC.

Sony has recalled all CDs with XCP due to the furor surrounding the software's rootkit, but much to the chagrin of security experts, it is not following suit with SunnComm.

"Every disc sitting on somebody’s shelf, or in a record-store bin, is just waiting to install the vulnerable software on the next PC it is inserted into. The only sure way to address this risk is take the discs out of circulation," warns Felten. "The time has come for SonyBMG to recall all MediaMax CDs."

http://www.betanews.com/article/Oops_New_Sony_DRM_Patch_Insecure/1134060047

Well I wonder how long Sony will drag its name in the mud.

 

[Player-X]

And I wonder when will they realise that the real pirates can will and probaly have already cracked it making the pirated version superior

 

[Kraelis]

Huh? What's with the *poofing* of posts, D.D? Afraid of Big Brother?

 

[Cid Highwind]

And I wonder when will they realise that the real pirates can will and probaly have already cracked it making the pirated version superior

You can find facts and slam them in their face and they still do not want to see it... Just like how every downloaded album was not going to be sold in the first place.

 

[__Xzyx987X]

Huh? What's with the *poofing* of posts, D.D? Afraid of Big Brother?

It was to remove some way offtopic posts regarding the Blueray format. I just deleted mine personally...