p2pnet - rss feed: StarForce saga continues
p2p news / p2pnet: A rose is still a rose by any other name, and DRM is still CRAP, whichever way you look at it.
Using DRM, StarFarce, “attempts to stop game customers from copying their property, but it has the side-effects of destabilizing and crashing the computers on which it is installed,” said Cory Doctorow recently.
In another report, CDFreaks quotes Futuremark as saying with StarFarce, a driver is installed on your computer, “that gains RING0 access (the highest level of access to your computer).”
“The installation requires Administrator level access to install the driver, which runs all of the time regardless of whether or not you’re playing a game with Starforce DRM,” says the story.
“With such a high level of processor access (sharing the same levels the operating system enjoys), the Starforce driver can do anything to your computer at any time. This very ability is demonstrated, since the Starforce driver will force a reboot (not a shutdown) when it thinks it has discovered suspicious activity related to copying. The reboot occurs instantly, and any and all unsaved data could be lost.”
(Thanks, Spike)
Also See:
CRAP - Apple and its C.R.A.P., March 4, 2006
destabilizing and crashing - StarFarce threatens Doctorow, February 1, 2006
CDFreaks - Starforce enforces DRM by instant reboot (without warning), March 21, 2006
March 21st, 2006 at 6:01 pm
Its amazing how they continue to get away with it. Look at what happened to Sony with their rootkit scandal. Starforce seems far worse as it breaks some device drivers and can drop your optical drive into PIO mode as well.
March 21st, 2006 at 8:15 pm
What do you expect from a bunch of former KGB whose Computer Science education centered around developing viruses and other Malware? Starforce is a Russian company HQed in Moscow. Anyone who dares criticize them on-line gets treated to a lovely e-mail full of arrogant bluster promising draconian legal action and being reported to the FBI for making ‘threats’. Ask Cory Doctorow.
The real issue is why would any US or European game publisher decide to use this CRAP in the first place?
–TG