p2pnet - rss feed: Sony DRM ‘fix’ still dangerous
p2p news / p2pnet: Mark Russinovich’s revelation that Sony BMG is loading some CDs with what amounts to spyware DRM is still echoing loudly on- and offline.
“But, there’s more to the story, like how Sony’s patch can lead to a crashed system and data loss and how Sony is still making users jump through hoops to get an uninstaller,” he says in a new blog.
“At the core of this story, however, is the issue of what disclosure should be required of software End User License Agreements (EULAs) and how the requirements can be made Federal law.”
Despite heavy criticism for not delivering an uninstaller with the DRM software, “Sony refuses to admit blame and to make an uninstaller readily available.” says the blog. “The uninstall question on Sony’s FAQ page directs you to another page that asks you to fill out a form requesting for uninstall directions to be emailed to you:
“There’s no way to access the uninstaller without providing this information, and clicking on the Sony privacy policy link at the bottom of the page takes you to a notice that your email address will be added to various Sony marketing lists.
“A few minutes after submitting the form I received an email assigning me a case ID and directing me to another page on Sony’s site where I would have to submit an uninstall request a second time.”
Russinovich says Sony BMG claims the rootkit doesn’t pose any “potential security vulnerabilities”. However, he goes on, “it’s obvious that any software that cloaks files, directories and Registry keys beginning with a certain string of characters is a clear security risk. An innovating exploit of the rootkit utilizes it to compromise the World of Warcraft anti-cheat system.
“The download of what should be a small patch is around 3.5 MB because it includes updated drivers and executables for the DRM software that the patch also installs (again, no mention of this is made in the download description). Interestingly, after installing the patch a new entry showed up in the Windows Add and Remove Programs utility, but it’s only because I checked immediately after I ran the patch that I knew it was related to Sony.”
Head over to Russinovich’s site for chapter and verse and meanwhile, he compliments the media for a job well done, saying he hopes the awareness they’re creating will result in Congressional action.
Sony BMG, a member of both the major record label and movie studio cartels, has been caught red-handed, lying, cheating and bribing. But it’s still out there nakedly doing business as though nothing untoward has happened.
Moreover, many of the congresspersons he wants to rectify the situation are working hand-in-glove with the entertainment cartels.
Don’t hold your breath, Mark.
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
spyware DRM - Sony BMG admits using rat DRM, November 3, 2005
new blog - More on Sony: Dangerous Decloaking Patch, EULAs and Phoning Home, November 4, 2005
November 5th, 2005 at 11:37 pm
Well, for me, I guess it’s relatively simple. Wipe, reload - and NEVER buy Sony anything ever again. Period. But I am a tech type - it probably won’t be so easy for those who are not.
Too bad it doesn’t say whether or not the Uninstaller will actually get rid of this stuff.
November 6th, 2005 at 12:51 am
“Wipe, reload - and NEVER buy Sony anything ever again.”
But how do you know Sony is the only one you can’t trust these days? Of course, Sony is the only major player whom has other interests by being such a large corporation. Hopefully this will serve to hurt themint he long run. The last of the Sony devices I own was recently replaced since it was no longer needed. I replaced a Sony VCR with a Toshiba PVR. I too will no longer purchase a Sony product for as long as I live, nor will anyone who asks me for recommendations if I have anything to say about it. Not so much because of their DRM, but because of their typical reaction to being discovered. Clearly a very large corporation that feels it is far above everyone, especially the law, and does not care what the concequences may be.
November 6th, 2005 at 1:07 am
Sony has been unrepentant it its chase. At present it appears they are using this monster as an excuse to gather more data they would not have otherwise but they are offering to replace it with yet another hidden anticopyright in the “uninstall”.
No mention in all this have I seen other than at the website of Mark Russinovich that there is also a phone home in all this mess. Certainly there is no mention of it in Sony’s EULA. However Mark does make mention of it and of finding it. The story just seems to get deeper and deeper into the trash of just how low these cartels can go in the process of spying to protect their little goodies.
What I don’t see is Sony saying is speaking louder than what I do hear them saying. Nowhere do I see them saying we were wrong, nowhere do I see them putting up a direct link to an uninstall without a datamining angle, nowhere do I see them owning up to phone home which has also been discovered. In fact the whole issue recks of using the customer, total disregard of the customer’s property in this process, the undermining of user security with a rootkit that can’t be uninstalled; nothing in this inspires me to trust Sony or their products. If this is what they will do with a small cheap product, what will they do with more expensive equipment? Prehaps the reader would argue that Sony music and Sony electronics are two different arms of the corporationbut I would argue that the corporation had approval from the top down and the knowledge was there at the highest levels with approval. No matter if they are two different arms, they are still parts of the same corporation and as such all are controlled from the top.
I see this as a problem Sony wide and not with just the music branch. It could well reflect on corporate leadership at the highest levels. Till I know more, I will not purchase anything with the Sony label on it.
November 6th, 2005 at 2:10 am
You’re right, there could be more like this out there. But I now know for sure that I can’t trust Sony. One at a time and keep your ear to the ground, I guess.
The most disturbing thing about it is not that the rootkit is installed. I mean, that is pretty disturbing, but from what I read I guess it was somehow mentioned in the EULA.
The most disturbing thing is that they don’t give you a clear uninstall route. For all I know the thing could be modifying itself over time with downloads, and, if I understand it right,without really advanced technical help there’s nothing I can do about it or even any way I can know about it. What if they decide they want to have it check your PC for P2P programs or private data and report back to them and so forth ? Is this possible ? Would you even know if it was happening? If I can’t even see it and can’t get rid of it that could turn into a sinister situation real quick.
Maybe i’m over-reacting but the only sure solution is no more SONY. Not ever. Not me.
November 6th, 2005 at 5:04 am
Anyone that says that this software installation is certified by a EULA is wrong. When you put a CD in the computer, does it ever give a liscense agreement that you have to hit okay to before you can listen to the music?? This is more of a case of Sony installing stuff onto people’s computer without informing them of what they would be installing and what it would do.
EULAs suck. Though some companies actually right clear ones, for example: Read the EULA to Unreal Tournament 2004. It spells out what you can and can’t do in simple terminology.
November 6th, 2005 at 5:44 am
I just bought a G3 live cd by joe satriani stevie vai and john petrucci on epic / sony bmg music with the xcp copy protection technology and the first thing i encountered was a end user agreement that stated that rootfile would be installed in my harddrive and it could be easily removed.
( which is a lie.)
after all a rootkit that can’t be removed from a computer harddrive is the technical basis or reference to determine when the number of allowable cd copies have been exceeded.
AS LONG AS THE ROOTKIT CAN’T BE REMOVED THE NUMBER OF CD COPIES WILL BE LIMITED.
I was not about to download this crap in my harddrive BECAUSE THE ONLY SAFE AND EFFICIENT WAY OF GETTING A ROOT FILE OUT OF THE HARDDRIVE WOULD ENTAIL REINSTALLING WINDOWS XP AND A HARDDRIVE DRIVE REFORMAT.
I promptly installed the newest version of SLYSOFT AnyDVD with XCP removal and the program read those cds like the friggin’ rootkit was not there at all.
Just the cd wave files thank - you.
I wonder how long this would keep up when people are not going to buy cds that are clearly marked as being copy protected just like the retarded developer said of xcp.
It’s even worse when the cds are not marked.
I just sitting here laughing my butt off because surely sony/bmg is going to backpedal on this from a lot of pissed off people and the ensuing drop in sales.
This will not last long.
dopes……………….
heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh !!!!!!!!
November 6th, 2005 at 3:30 pm
PS: And then, if there is actually a EULA for a CD, I’d be WTF. They haven’t done that to CDs for the past 7 years (or more, or however long they’ve been around). If they start now, all the more reason to go download the album and not worry about some fucking copy protection that violates my unregulated and fair uses.
November 6th, 2005 at 5:48 pm
OK, I’m confused by this remark. From what I understand, you have to have the game “Worlds of Warcraft” and install the game for the “Warden” to be installed. Presumably, that means that at some point during installation you agreed to the EULA.
Frankly, I really don’t read the EULA because in most agreements the language is difficult and longer than my “give a crap” attention. I advocate full disclosure during the installation process. I.E., “A Digital Rights Management utility is about to be installed. This utility will run as part of the operating system … Do you agree to the installation (you must agree to continue)?”
November 7th, 2005 at 2:50 am
I don’t have WOW, I was just stating that some games actually have clearly written EULAs. I don’t like how they try to hide stuff, but at least when they put it into plain, spoken language, you understand what is being done (and then they can’t hide crap in their EULA).
November 7th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
I have posted this information about Sony’s trojan program in any blog that allows for this type of posting. I even possted it on several local lamescream radio and newspaper outlets. The funny thing is that I have not heard it mentioned on the radio or in the newspapers. Now if I made a well informed post of another topic (dealing somehow with why one faction of the Democratic-Republican party was better than another), it woul be mentioned in some kind of letter to editor or on one of the morning talkshows. Even locally produced lamescream media is “edited for content.” This is one reason why people are turning off lamescream and are headed to the Internet.
November 7th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
This from Slashdot …..
You can use Sony’s rootkit against them by hiding you ripper from their detection code simply rename the executable to something that begins with %sys%
http://hack.fi/~muzzy/sony-drm-magic-list.txt