Sony decides to screw PC users

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:56 pm

http://www.sectorgame.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1949

Quoted from the link:

Well here's proof of how RIAAs measures can cause harm to others. Sony came up with the idea of making their CDs carry a Windows rootkit which installs itself to your PC without permission and makes the CD uncopyable.

Unfortunately not only does the rootkit F**k up your PC requiring a reinstall it also allows other processes to get onto your PC and hide themselves from anything else.

The first example of this is a WoW cheat that is completely undetectable by Blizzard's Warden program but how long is it going to be before virus makers figure out that they can exploit this to make bot nets that are completely undetectable to anti-virus and anti-spyware programs?

To be honest I think this sort of thing has a potential class action lawsuit stamped all over it. If Sony have made it easier to compromise a machine without even bothering to warn the user first I see no reason why they can't be prosecuted under anti virus laws.

I'll tell you one thing for certain. I'm not letting a single Sony CD touch my PC from now on. I'm gonna download everything I want by any band they publish

This really, REALLY ticks me off. If this stuff is true, Sony can never expect me, for one, to buy a CD from them again.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:02 pm

Where were you all last week?

Yeah this stuff is bad.

Thank Goodness I'm already boycotting the music industry.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:18 pm

Wanna make a difference? Quit downloading music, quit buying music, tell your friends to do the same. If someone asks what your position is, say "I'm against theft from both sides of the fence.".

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:20 pm

I can't remember when I bought a CD last.

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 2:20 pm

With the tools available out there, it's just as fun to make your own music as it is to try and jump through hoops to buy or download music.

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:35 pm

Wow.. I see hardware escillation in the future. Creation of devices that rip the cd and transfer data that via usb or dock.

Well.. doesn't look like I'll be buying a cd again. :\

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:36 pm

I gave up buying CD's years ago. In fact, the only CD's I buy are Jamiroquai albums/singles, which are released few and far between and I only play them in my CD player anyway.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:53 pm

So turn off auto-run.

BUBBALOU · Post by **BUBBALOU** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:00 pm

or hold down the shift key when inserting the CD (temporary disable autorun)

Canuck · Post by **Canuck** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:58 am

My American friends, please visit here;
http://www.eff.org/

Register and raise carp!

They make filling out the forms easy and actually petition the congressmen... yours... unfortunately not mine.

So at least fight back.

Edit;
Start with this one;

https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?cm ... ion&id=181

Behemoth · Post by **Behemoth** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 1:50 am

Stop downloading porn.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:06 am

Last time I checked there was no porn on audio CDs.

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:59 am

canuck, sent my protest to my rep for whatever good it will do. it is poss. can. = only rep. democracy that actually reps. it's people. us senate = imperial council. us rep's = pigs at trough. pres = front.

for your convenience:
here is site for mark russinovich. guy who revealed sony's virusware. http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/r ... ealer.html

explains on this page what, why, how etc.

bot. of page is download of his rootkit revealer system scanner. only runs on win nt +

i have always HATED!!! autorun and always disable it.

Nosferatu · Post by **Nosferatu** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:07 am

I'm LMAO at First 4 Internet's incompetence. I've had autorun dissabled for years, and according to /. stories CDex rips it, no problem.

Further, if you do happen to install thier crapware, all you have to do is rename CDex to $sys$CDex and bingo, it still rips thier CDs.

COTFLGOHAHA!

(crawling on the floor, laughing guts out and having a heart attack)

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:05 am

More 'fallout'...

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/1 ... ernet.html

Again, the fact is that most users of Sonyâ??s DRM wonâ??t realize that they even have software that can be uninstalled. Also, the comment does not explain why Sony wonâ??t simply make the uninstaller available as a freely accessible download like they do the patch, nor why users have to submit two requests for the uninstaller and then wait for further instructions to be emailed (I still have not received the uninstaller). The only motivation I can see for this is that Sony hopes youâ??ll give up somewhere in the process and leave their DRM software on your system. Iâ??ve seen similar strategies used by adware programs that make it difficult, but not impossible, for you to remove them.

Screw'em! Now I hafta make sure that nobody brings a Sony-made CD to werk and run it.... great, like I have nothing better to do!

I'm not the only one, read the readre's comments down further on the page.

And WTF *is* M$ doing about this? Sitting on their hands as usual? Are they even aware of what Sony is doing or have they already approved and signed off on it?

This kinda crap really pisses me off!

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:05 am

Ferno wrote:I can't remember when I bought a CD last.

Or downloaded for that matter.

jakee308 · Post by **jakee308** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 10:26 am

MS attitude is "what? someone else wants to screw our customers by using the holes we've left in the system? Oh. Ok.

dissent · Post by **dissent** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:50 pm

Or ya could just buy a cheap stereo for playin' yer cd's.

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 2:19 pm

Here, this'll fix it all!

http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/07/windows_defender/

Microsoft is to re-christen its anti-spyware software, currently a beta product still in development, as Windows Defender. On debut the product will protect against a range of threats including rootkits and keystroke loggers as well as spyware applications.... blah blah blah...

I'm feel confident that M$ will protect us... oh yea, how did Sony figure this out again?

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 6:22 pm

MD-2389 wrote:So turn off auto-run.

Ahem....

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:07 pm

Sarge wrote:Here, this'll fix it all!

http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/07/windows_defender/

Microsoft is to re-christen its anti-spyware software, currently a beta product still in development, as Windows Defender. On debut the product will protect against a range of threats including rootkits and keystroke loggers as well as spyware applications.... blah blah blah...
I'm feel confident that M$ will protect us... oh yea, how did Sony figure this out again?

uh.. isn't this like giving money to the tobaco companies so they can fund an "anti-smokeing" campaine? ..er.. and believing they'll DO it??

just asking.

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Mon Nov 07, 2005 8:14 pm

That's what I meant..... that post was sarcasm.

roid · Post by **roid** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:24 am

just turned off autorun. thx for the headsup

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 4:29 pm

The continuing saga....

"Sony: You donâ??t reeeeaaaally want to uninstall, do you?"

First you have to go to Sonyâ??s support site, guess that the uninstall information is in the FAQ, click on the uninstall link and then fill out a form with your email address and purchasing information, possibly adding yourself to Sonyâ??s marketing lists in the process.

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/1 ... to_09.html

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:40 pm

Spybot, Search & Destroy, has a feature (setting) that prevents any program or application from changing any registry entry without your permission. Whenever I'm installing anything new, it will interrupt that install program to ask me if its ok to change that registry entry.

I have a feeling that it would also stop any cd from doing the same.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:46 pm

Here are a couple more things:

Recent class-action lawsuit against Sony for PlayStation 2's that inaccurately report disk read failures and can damage DVD disks:
http://www.ps2settlement.com/

Sony patents a disk technology that is able to detect whether or not a game is a used copy. Kutaragi claims it's necessary to prevent piracy. No one knows if the intent is to use this in the PS3, but if so, it could be used to permanently tie certain games to certain systems:
http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=70417

It's pretty amazing how in the course of a week, Sony managed to permanently destroy any reputation it had in my mind. Legitimate companies do not run around installing trojan horse malware on user machines. That is criminal behavior and they should be tried for that.

Oh wait, they are...

Pumo · Post by **Pumo** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 11:43 pm

As i said on a related topic:

Long life to Sony!

.....

What a stupid thing to do... Anti-piracy will bring more piracy. When they will get to undestand that simple thing?

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:04 am

I believe this must be that little Starforce virus I was talking about from what I understand. :\ I hope someone with some real power steps in.

One problem with this virus, from what I understand, is that you can not play the game without running it. :\ So, essentially you wasted $50 or so even if you figure it out before you install the game.

BTW: http://www.star-force.com/

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:14 am

thx []V[]essenjah for the link. It seems that StarForce is the technology's name.

i've been reading their forums (yes they actually ahve forums). The moderators there are getting angry everytime someone refers to starforce as malware or a virus

.

i'm sure virus scanners will soon start scanning for this. i know that I for one want this thing stopped before it has a chance to install on my computer, i don't want to find out later. a Virusscanner should do nicely.

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:23 am

holy ★■◆●, the StarForce company even has it's own virusscanner.

this is a Company that produced this virus, releasing a program to protect your system from OTHER viruses (but not their own viruses of course)

Nosferatu · Post by **Nosferatu** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:23 am

The class action lawsuits are beginning to spring up like weeds against Sony. There was one in Italy. Now there is one in California and apparently there is one going to be filed in New York.

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/05/11/10/00 ... 233&tid=17

Im lovin it, although all its probably doing is making the landsharks...er...lawyers a bit richer.

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:18 am

Lobber wrote:Spybot, Search & Destroy, has a feature (setting) that prevents any program or application from changing any registry entry without your permission. Whenever I'm installing anything new, it will interrupt that install program to ask me if its ok to change that registry entry.

I have a feeling that it would also stop any cd from doing the same.

First off, it's not spyware in the normal definition thereof. It hides itself by using the lowlevel $sys$ command so anti-virii/spyware filters won't pick it up and doesn't affect the registry at all. (if I'm reading all this corectly)

Secondly, Sony doesn't seem to care!

"Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" he (Sony BMG's Thomas Hesse) huffed.

http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/09/s ... who_cares/

Thirdly, we've now got a trojan based on it.

Virus writers have begun taking advantage of Sony-BMG's use of rootkit technology in DRM software bundled with its music CDs.

Sony-BMG's rootkit DRM technology masks files whose filenames start with "$sys$". A newly-discovered variant of of the Breplibot Trojan takes advantage of this to drop the file "$sys$drv.exe" in the Windows system directory.

http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/10/sony_drm_trojan/

Nice Job Sony! I hope they get their pants sued off and are found to be 'Malware Terrorists'!

Sarge · Post by **Sarge** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 1:54 pm

... and now!

Sophos's tool will remove this cloaking behaviour but will not remove the software components installed by Sony-BMG, the deletion of which might cause system instability. But this very cloaking means it may not be obvious to users that they need the tool. Around 20 CDs from Sony-BMG which have shipped an estimated 2m copies around the world feature the controversial DRM technology, developed by UK security developer First4Internet. Sophos obtained advice from First4Internet in developing its tool.

http://www.theregister.com/2005/11/10/s ... _unmasked/

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 9:40 pm

(thx sarge)
alright. The Sony DRM copy protection technology is now referred to as the Troj/RKProc-Fam Virus.

i am scanning my computer for it with this
http://www.sophos.com/support/disinfection/rkprf.html

and if it doesn't find it (which i hope it doesn't) it will change some stuff making my pc immune from further infections by it. basically, i'm now safe

Birdseye · Post by **Birdseye** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:04 pm

You're

De Rigueur · Post by **De Rigueur** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:12 pm

Birdseye wrote:You're

X2

Sony should stick to just making tv's

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:17 pm

Birdseye wrote:You're

huh?

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:29 pm

roid wrote:
Birdseye wrote:You're
huh?

In my skimming I must have missed a confused your/you're somewhere? Though I dont think so...

Phoenix Red · Post by **Phoenix Red** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 10:40 pm

Ok I'm quoting a quote here but it's applicable and funny. This is from the IRC room associated with a message board I visit.

(During a discussion concerning the Sony rootkit controversy.)

[21:11] <DmncAtrny> I will write on a huge cement block "BY ACCEPTING THIS BRICK THROUGH YOUR WINDOW, YOU ACCEPT IT AS IS AND AGREE TO MY DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS WELL AS DISCLAIMERS OF ALL LIABILITY, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, THAT MAY ARISE FROM THE INSTALLATION OF THIS BRICK INTO YOUR BUILDING."
[21:11] <DmncAtrny> And then hurl it through the window of a Sony officer
[21:11] <DmncAtrny> and run like hell

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:54 pm

lol PR, so true