Originally Posted by J4CKO

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27568

Surely they cant pull this off, I would buy one based on it !

Originally Posted by The Register

Sony's software installs itself by stealth, conceals itself, then intercepts low level Windows systems calls. Removing it causes the CD drive to be rendered inoperable. The only cure is to reformat the disk and reinstall Windows.http://red.as-eu.falkag.net/dat/bgf/...794&bid=744747
http://sel.as-eu.falkag.net/sel?cmd=...opt=0&rdm=1034
What responsibility did Hesse feel for the havoc his CDs had caused?

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" he huffed.

I think we can take that as: "No responsibility at all."

Originally Posted by drumsterphil

such a restriction would kill demand dead I would have thought..........(but what do I know?!)

Originally Posted by drumsterphil

Can't see Sony being stoopid enough to do this,

Originally Posted by MacUser News

News
[Security]
Tuesday 15th November 2005
Digital rights body calls for Sony to recall XCP CDs 11:31AM
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has published an open letter, urging Sony to consider a product recall of CDs shipped with the controversial XCP copyright protection software which secretly installs a cloaking utility on computers.
Since the revelation that any file using a filename including '$sys$' would be hidden from view both from within Windows and from programs using Windows - including security software - a string of Trojan viruses have been launched across the Net with the goal of infecting computers with the Sony software installed.

Sony has since stalled production of CDS using the softwarwe, but stands by its right to use Digital Rights Management (DRM) software to protect its property.

Although the CDs using the software are few - around 20 titles - the EFF says that 2.1m of them have already been sold and that 2.6m remain in the inventory of retailers.

It says a temporary halt in production is not enough, and wants a recall of all XCP and SunnComm MediaMax-infected CDs, from both consumers and store shelves; a guarantee to repair, replace, or refund the purchase price of the CDs to anyone who bought the merchandise; and a major publicity campaign warning about the security risks of XCP and SunnComm MediaMax. It also wants Sony to reimburse consumers for the money and time spent on verifying the presence of the technology and any problems caused by it.

'Sony BMG must have spent a great deal of money advertising these infected CDs to an unsuspecting public,' said EFF Staff Attorney


Jason Schultz. 'We think that it's only fair that an equal amount of money is spent educating the public on the damage that the product could cause to consumers around the world.'

Sony is unlikely to meet many of these demands - its decision to halt production marks the only capitulation of the company to massive pressure from consumers, the media and the security industry. Even Microsoft has said it categorises the software and spyware.

EFF Staff Attorney Corynne McSherry, said: 'Halting production is not enough. Sony needs to take steps to fix that damage it has already caused and ensure that nothing like this happens again in the future.'

Damage from the viruses being spammed out hoping to take advantage of the issue is as yet unclear. Finnish security experts F-Secure, one of two to discover the issue, has since run analysis on the virus variants they have found and discovered that the patch issued to update the XCP software is the only version that successfully hides these viruses.

Researchers wrote in the company blog: 'One of the variants we have so far analyzed are successful in installing on a machine that has an unpatched Sony DRM running... at the moment the malware is not really successful in exploiting the presence of the Sony DRM. Obviously this situation might change very soon.'

The aspect to the potential damage of this DRM episode is to the artists themselves. User reviews of CDs using the software are tainting the rating of the music itself with the negative reaction to the DRM protection. Van Zant's 'Get Right with the Man' had a one and a half star rating because of the reaction to the copy-protection technology. We have yet to see the reaction of the artists themselves, and whether they will add to the pressure on Sony to act.

Matt Whipp

Originally Posted by MacUser News

News
Friday 11th November 2005
Sony suspends controversial CD production 6:05PM
Sony is to suspend production of CDs using its controversial content protection technology, currently being exploited by a Trojan virus.
The technology employed by Sony to protect its music from illegitimate use was picked up by security software as a rootkit which hid files from Windows and made them impossible to detect. But simply using letters '$sys$' in a filename means that any such file will be hidden, even malicious files. And this is exactly what has happened with the latest virus.

Sony says it has 'swiftly provided a patch to all major anti-virus companies and to the general public that guards against precisely the type of virus now said to exist' and that the virus poses no threat when these CDs are played on conventional CD and DVD players. The patch can be downloaded from the Sony website. The effectiveness of this patch has been called into question by the researcher who first discovered the 'rootkit' problem.

'Nonetheless, as a precautionary measure, Sony BMG is temporarily suspending the manufacture of CDs containing First4Internet XCP technology. We also intend to re-examine all aspects of our content protection initiative to be sure that it continues to meet our goals of security and ease of consumer use,' the company said in a statement.

Suspension of production will do little to assuage the outcry provoked by the 'rootkit' storm. 'Fixed' versions of the XCP technology, developed by UK company first4internet, will take some time to reach the commercial CDs on shop shelves, and Sony is now facing lawsuits for its use of the software.

However, it insists it will continue to take steps to protect its property. 'We stand by content protection technology as an important tool to protect our intellectual property rights and those of our artists,' it said.

Matt Whipp