Sony fix for glitch has glitch

[MindPilot]

Security problem could take turn for the worse

Sony BMG Music Entertainment has acknowledged a new security problem affecting nearly 6 million of its CDs, and a Princeton University computer expert said Wednesday that a patch the company designed to fix the problem may only make things worse.

(snip)

Computer security experts say Sony's problems show the near-impossibility of writing software that will prevent people from making illicit copies of recorded music and sharing them over the Internet without posing risks to their computer security.

"I think there are problems with compact disc copy protection that can't be resolved," said Edward Felten, professor of computer science and public affairs at Princeton. One security expert, Alex Stamos of Information Security Partners LLC in San Francisco, recommended that people not play Sony music CDs in their computers until further notice.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/08/BUGVVG4E5C1.DTL

[DS1]

1. Their music division should be sued out of existence for this

:eyes:

[On the Road]

3. No Kidding!

The Computer Guys discussed the "root kit" on Tuesday night. It not only prevents multiple copying of CDs, but changes the operating system to create an category of invisible files beginning with "$SYS$". These files are not only undetectable when searching or browsing for files, but cannot even be recognized by antivirus software. Within two weeks, all the new computer viruses were using $SYS$ filenames to make themselves invisible.

They SHOULD be sued out of existence, regardless of what the stupid "user agreements" say.

[flying_wahini]

2. Sony has more money than God

it would have to be VERY painful for them to feel any kind
of monetary fine - hmmmmmmmmmm
I know,,,,,,,,Let's Boycott Sony!

[MindPilot]

5. Yes, bad press will hurt them way more than anything monetary. n/t

n/t

[twenty4blackbirds]

4. FYI: MediaMax Version 5 content protection software

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/07/sony_cd_security/

The consumer electronics and media giant, together with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said today that SunnComm had released a security update for its MediaMax Version 5 content protection software, which ships on “certain Sony BMG CDs”.
...
After the beating it took following last month’s DRM rootkit debacle, Sony has wasted no time coughing to the latest problem and wrapping itself up in the EFF flag. No doubt it has also ordered extra sackcloth and ashes to show just how sorry it really is.
...
Sony is not alone in shipping the MediaMax software. Around 30 other labels use it, according to the EFF, which is checking to see if the same vulnerability exists on those labels' titles.