November 10th, 2005
First Sony “Rootkit” Bots Show Up
By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
If people can use the Sony rootkit to hide their World of Warcraft hacking tools, why not real malware? It was only a matter of time, and here it is.
Sony’s software, installed when playing one of the record label’s recent copy-protected CDs in a computer, hides itself on hard drives using a powerful programming tool called a “rootkit.” But the tool leaves the door open behind it, allowing other software–including viruses–to be deeply hidden behind the rootkit cloak.
The first version of a Trojan horse spotted early Thursday, which aims to give an attacker complete remote control over an infected computer, didn’t work well. But over the course of the day, several others emerged that apparently fixed early flaws.
“This is no longer a theoretical vulnerability, it is a real vulnerability,” said Sam Curry, vice president of Computer Associates’ eTrust Security Management division. “This is no longer about digital rights management or content protection, this is about people having their PCs taken over.” Source: News.com
We Say: Interesting that this seems to be the first major corporation to offer tools to Script Kiddies. Seriously, although only Computer Associates has so far announced intentions to release an anti-Sony DRM tool, I would be surprised if other anti-spyware / anti-malware vendors don’t jump on this quickly. Sony, wake up!
Technorati Tags: bots. rootkits, Sony, Sony rootkits, DRM, RealTechNews, Michael Santo
Peter says:
Reason Sony was dragging its feet was simply because they fear that, if the DRM uninstaller is used, people would then be able to reinstall/uninstall an infinite number of times and get the “enhanced” contents on the CD over and over and over again… This overrides all security concerns unless and until major newspapers and TV systems all proclaim “Don’t play Sony CDs! They let hackers steal all your information from your CD player!” and scare all customers away.
November 10th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
David Johnston says:
I hope that this does enough damage to Sony to make it (and the industry?) seriously rethink its DRM strategy.
November 10th, 2005 at 3:22 pm
Mike says:
Until people wake up and quit buying music cds for a while, this wont do a damn thing.
Nobody cares, unless it hits the pocketbooks!
Mike
Probably sell 50,000 more cds today - even with this on it..lol..THATS why they arent concerned..you will still buy it no matter what.
November 11th, 2005 at 4:30 am
Ted Bruner says:
Although I have never participated in music ftp in the past, I must admit that I will be looking for “cleaned” versions of music and movies I which to have. If, as I now know, I cannot trust SONY or any other ASCAP/SESAC/blah-blah big name, then the only viable source for my growing library will - of necessity - rely on third party providers of “safe” media.
The furor created when third parties began “cleaning up” otherwise unacceptable movies for use with families, has - in one week - exploded into people realizing they cannot trust the “big” production corporations; that they will need to get “acceptably clean copies” from sources who guard their right to preferrences in their entertainment and their right to use their purchases as they wish without fear of problems, either in visual/audio or digital content.
Regardless of whether people feel that the big producers charge too much for their products, they (and I) will be able to spend more for the security and privacy of the products we do buy. The only outcome I can see of this outrageous move by SONY is that sites will abound where people will go to get the kind of music/movies that they want and feel comfortable with.
The problem with corporations is that they still invoke and support the “Peter Principle”; the unstoppable propensity to promote people to their highest level of incompetence. SONY will pay the price, and so will the public at large - but the public at large have more options, and the more SONY and others like them declares war on the customer, the options will grow exponentially. Those options will only diminish when we can be comfortable with their products, but they started this war and it will long be remembered and the scars and distrust will last longer than what SONY will want or expect once they finally admit their mistake; they longer they take, the more protracted the reaction and return.
When most of us regarded the ftp growth as improper, and in some cases, criminal; the real criminals are now in the other. Most of those who love music and movies will seek to find a balance between the two criminal elements and choose something which offers us the most use of that which we select.
As I say, I have not ever participated in improper ftp downloads, and had never intented to, but now that I must be suspicious of everything on the current and future shelves, since I’m sure that other companies have scrambled to get their securities in line with SONY’s lead.
Ain’t it a shame that we must give up picking up music and movies for people for the holidays, but - I’m old enough to remember a year with dangerous cranberries; we made it, but the cranberry industry had a very bad year.
Perhaps a “concerted” effort to forego the purchase of all new music and movies this year will send a strong message. I can’t think of a better action/reaction, can you?
November 11th, 2005 at 12:11 pm
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November 22nd, 2005 at 4:49 pm
Tony Sony says:
These Jap bastards damaged MY computer with their little unauthorized, hidden install and i want them to either fix MY PROPERTY or replace MY PROPERTY. Who gave these shiteaters the authority to install damaging software on people’s computers? I will never buy another Sony or BMG product as long as i live and the Playstation 3 can kiss my ass!!
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