Heads up, everybody: Sony Music installing Trojan Horses on PCs

[Raskolnikov]

Source (http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6376177.html?tag=nl.e501)


"On Monday, October 31, alert users discovered that Sony BMG is using copy-protected CDs to surreptitiously install its digital rights management technology onto PCs. You don't have to be ripping the CD, either--just playing it from your CD-ROM drive triggers the installation. The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive."

[elklandercc]

This is rediculous. If sony plans to do this, it will make things worse than ever. People will be downloading 10x more to avoid it. I plan boycotting if they follow through, I rip all my cd's to my comp and put them on my Ipod. I only download a little bit, but now.......

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

Its crazy to think people will put up with this.There will always be an ignorant consumer,but sony's going to see massive cuts in profit(as they have in recent years).

[Dr_simon]

Sony have said sorry and issued a fix as they are in breach of the "reasonable use" copyright clause !


oooops !

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

Kinda like HP making it so their ink cartriges can't be refilled(not sure if they stopped that yet).

[Akira]

That is just rediculous, I hope they really have fixed it instead of just saying they have.

[Kevin Taylor]

jeez... somebody really screwed up.
... this is kinda like New Coke and Rogers negative billing wrapped into one.

[PonyOne]

That is just rediculous, I hope they really have fixed it instead of just saying they have.
I went and bought the CD by Kasabian, which is released by Sony/BMG, and put it into my computer to listen to one night, to discover it was copyright protected.

Those bastards. Now I'm worried. I bought the damned thing, too... it's messed up to punish the people who are buying the CD's, and sending them money... I guess they consider it "collateral." :rolleyes:

[Danny C.]

I just bought the new Santana cd the other day, I read the back and it is indeed a Sony BMG. So it prolly has that crap on it. It says copyright protected too. So is it not safe to play on my computer then?

[Akira]

I take it this affects only new releases from Sony?

FFS, that is really screwed up, it's got me so mad.

[Andrew Sa]

I dunno what that means...but it scares me too, as I also put all my cds onto my pc and then onto my ipod (well, onto my creative Zen)

[Fretfire]

If thats true, I wont buy any Sony/BMG release, Im a law abbiding citizen, but if they continue to do those stupid acts (installing Trojan Horses on PC) :mad: , even to the people that support them, ill boycott them for sure. I might as well download their release thru the good old Morpheus and Kazaa.

[Hammurabi]

I might as well download their release thru the good old Morpheus and Kazaa.

Nonsense. Bittorrent pwns all for p2p file sharing.

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

I'm glad I don't like any bands on sony records.

[Akira]

So they've issued an apology, but what have they done apart from that?

[Pantallica1]

That's like walking up to some stranger and kicking him in the nuts.


"Oh man, I knew I was going to do it, but I'm sorry, please forgive me."

[Akira]

Ok guys, I'm about to top it off for all of you. It's to do with the PS3.

Read this, and feel enraged: >click me< (http://www.gy-rock.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1254)

It's utterly disgusting.

[Akira]

I deem this thread bumped.

[CW14]

Ok guys, I'm about to top it off for all of you. It's to do with the PS3.

Read this, and feel enraged: >click me< (http://www.gy-rock.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1254)

It's utterly disgusting.
Alright... we all have to boycott the PS3 if they go through with that. Not that I'd buy one anyway... but still.

[Akira]

Alright... we all have to boycott the PS3 if they go through with that. Not that I'd buy one anyway... but still.

I think Sony will lose a lot of support over this, I mean, how dumb can a company be?

[Cryptic Excretions]

Myself being a big playstation fan, I'd find it painful to do, but seriously in call for to boycott them if that's the case. Renting is done, Electronic Boutique and Gamestop lose their primary business, no selling them on Ebay, nothing. That's really lame and I hope that's just an absurd rumour that further than expected.

[Leedogg]

There's ways around everything and if that patent nonsense rumor is true, there'll be a way around that too.

[SPL]

I think Sony will lose a lot of support over this, I mean, how dumb can a company be?

Especially since Nintendo is doing pretty much the opposite by allowing people with DS's to play in a network where only one person has to actually have the game.

Very bad move on Sony's part indeed. By punishing their loyal customers like this, they are bound to get their asses kicked.

[Kevin Taylor]

Yet another reason to never listen to Celine Dion or use Windows computers.

Friday, November 11, 2005 - FreeMarketNews.com

The computer-virus front has another battleground. According to several news sources, the folks at Sophos, a noted British security software firm, have discovered the first virus to use a hole in the controversial CD copy-protection software from music publisher Sony BMG to enter personal computers and do its damage.
Under a subject line with the words "Photo approval," a hacker has mass-mailed the Stinx-E trojan virus to e-mail addresses all over Britain. If a recipient clicks on the attached file they install malware which can destroy firewalls and open access to hackers. The malware uses existing Sony BMG software that installs on any computer playing one of its copy-protected CDs to do its dirty work.
Security software firm Symantec Corp. also discovered these first trojans to abuse this Sony BMG flaw. The music publishing unit of the Japanese electronics conglomerate has distributed the copy-protection software on a range of recent music compact discs from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan. When the CD is played on a Windows personal computer, the software first installs itself and then limits the usage rights of a consumer. It only allows playback with Sony software. - ST

[Akira]

Yet another reason to never listen to Celine Dion or use Windows computers.

Friday, November 11, 2005 - FreeMarketNews.com

The computer-virus front has another battleground. According to several news sources, the folks at Sophos, a noted British security software firm, have discovered the first virus to use a hole in the controversial CD copy-protection software from music publisher Sony BMG to enter personal computers and do its damage.
Under a subject line with the words "Photo approval," a hacker has mass-mailed the Stinx-E trojan virus to e-mail addresses all over Britain. If a recipient clicks on the attached file they install malware which can destroy firewalls and open access to hackers. The malware uses existing Sony BMG software that installs on any computer playing one of its copy-protected CDs to do its dirty work.
Security software firm Symantec Corp. also discovered these first trojans to abuse this Sony BMG flaw. The music publishing unit of the Japanese electronics conglomerate has distributed the copy-protection software on a range of recent music compact discs from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan. When the CD is played on a Windows personal computer, the software first installs itself and then limits the usage rights of a consumer. It only allows playback with Sony software. - ST

I hate Sony.

[Cryptic Excretions]

Yet another reason to never listen to Celine Dion or use Windows computers.

Friday, November 11, 2005 - FreeMarketNews.com

The computer-virus front has another battleground. According to several news sources, the folks at Sophos, a noted British security software firm, have discovered the first virus to use a hole in the controversial CD copy-protection software from music publisher Sony BMG to enter personal computers and do its damage.
Under a subject line with the words "Photo approval," a hacker has mass-mailed the Stinx-E trojan virus to e-mail addresses all over Britain. If a recipient clicks on the attached file they install malware which can destroy firewalls and open access to hackers. The malware uses existing Sony BMG software that installs on any computer playing one of its copy-protected CDs to do its dirty work.
Security software firm Symantec Corp. also discovered these first trojans to abuse this Sony BMG flaw. The music publishing unit of the Japanese electronics conglomerate has distributed the copy-protection software on a range of recent music compact discs from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan. When the CD is played on a Windows personal computer, the software first installs itself and then limits the usage rights of a consumer. It only allows playback with Sony software. - ST
That is low.

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

I'm gonna be ripsh*t if this effects the PS3 in anyway.

Just look at this killzone trailer HERE! (http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/748/748475/vids_1.html)