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Sony's Copy Protection Uninstaller Opens Up A NEW Security Hole

Computers

from the way-to-go,-guys dept

Mon, Nov 14th 2005 4:00pm — Mike Masnick
Could this story get any more ridiculous? On top of all the other problems caused by Sony BMG's rootkit trick, Ed Felten and Alex Halderman have looked carefully at the uninstall utility the company offers for those who want to remove the copy protection software from their machine and discovered that it can open up a "serious" security hole on your computer. They recommend that you do not use the uninstaller until further notice. They're going to publish more details later, but given the history of this fiasco so far with Sony BMG pretty much screwing things up worse at every opportunity, this isn't particularly surprising, is it?
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20 Comments

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  1. identicon
    Stoned4Life, 14 Nov 2005 @ 5:28pm

    Copy Protection

    Copy protection is so overrated. Come on? So Sony is going to launch this massive copyright protection initiative. Well, guess what? We'll just buy our music from someone else... or, do what we've already been doing and continue to download it online!!!

    Holy crap? Who has been buying these CD's? Not the people who download music! No, the Software is only hurting the already good-samaritan market while the people who have been illegally downloading music are ACTUALLY better off right now.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    zazie, 14 Nov 2005 @ 5:43pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    I think my brain is going to explode. I didn't think this SonyBMG Situation could get any dumber... apparantly I stand corrected. It's like watching someone voluntarily throw themselves down a flight of stairs over and over and over!

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Mike, 14 Nov 2005 @ 5:57pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    P2P and Torrents all they way. You get it when you want it and at your own price. If all else fails, its not worth it, as you can see with the situation unfolding. My fired is one of these, "I love my bands so much I HAVE to own the ORIGINAL CD's, then rip them to an MP3 Cd or to a flah drive player." Well look at him now, the "true" fans are getting it good now aren't they, good job Sony BMG!

    -Mike

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Mike, 14 Nov 2005 @ 5:59pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    friend instead of fired

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    jdw242, 14 Nov 2005 @ 6:59pm

    options

    isn't there a thing called a live cd?
    don't the live cds let one play and or rip a music cd?

    If not, why not?

    If so, what's the deal? Many people have external USB drives; the live cds surely support such devices as storage... right?

    Throw me a bone here; I'm the 'buy to own' type of music buyer, and I'll keep copies of my discs on my laptop, thank you very much.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    jdw242, 14 Nov 2005 @ 7:02pm

    Re: options

    yes, this does assume one has TWO cd-drives...

    thanks JS

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Shades of Steve, 14 Nov 2005 @ 7:10pm

    Live CD

    Try slax. As long as you have a decent about of RAM you can boot to ram and free your optical drive if you only have one

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    shadesofsteve, 14 Nov 2005 @ 7:12pm

    Re: options

    Should give Slax a try. Live CD of slackware, can boot to RAM if you have at least 512megs i believe. frees up the optical drive. one of the versions is already set with win32codecs and good to go.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    macbeach, 14 Nov 2005 @ 8:18pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    " 'Friend' instead of 'fired' "

    I totally missread this, leading to insite. I thought you were suggesting what should be done to the Sony exec who came up with this boneheaded idea. Only I thought you said:

    "Fried instead of fired."

    Yeah, I think that would make perfect sense. (I bet his bosses at Sony will soon think so too.)

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2005 @ 8:58pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    People seem to be talking about Sony going to court over this...but when has any company gone to court for security buggy software? MS anyone?

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    xan_user, 14 Nov 2005 @ 10:36pm

    Re: Copy Protection

    Sony is a drunk guy falling down the up escalator.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Murphy, 15 Nov 2005 @ 1:49am

    No Subject Given

    I love google: How to Protect Yourself from Sony's Rootkit.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Bob3000, 15 Nov 2005 @ 4:29am

    Re: No Subject Given

    Nice find!

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    thecaptain, 15 Nov 2005 @ 5:29am

    To Sony

    This is the way I see it, and I hope some Sony PR droids are surfing the net "gauging" public response and option:

    I haven't downloaded songs in years, although I remember Napster vividly in its heighday. I did download tho, I don't feel guilty because I still bought CDs. Lately, I've just bought CDs.

    Well guess what Sony, screw buying CDs now, I'm going back to downloading...I'm not taking the chance that you'll screw my machine over again.

    You wanted to control piracy? Well guess what, you controlled me right back into P2P and I'll enjoy doing it, the freedome of it, the lack of worries that you'll screw up my system and the total JOY that morons like yourselves WON'T get my money!

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    nonya bidness, 15 Nov 2005 @ 6:42am

    MP3's Suck

    All this lame crap to play compressed shitty versions of music, on a crappy little computer sound system. CD audio on PC sound systems suck, period.
    Mp3's on PC sound system suck more...
    My CD player cost more than my PC and nothing can be installed into it, and I can record from that if I need to. If I can not play a cd in my player, I don't want it. Low end music appreciation is causing more low end troubles for low end music systems.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  16. identicon
    crystal_tech, 15 Nov 2005 @ 7:32am

    Re: options

    not true look at your cheat codes for slax.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Riv, 15 Nov 2005 @ 7:42am

    Re: MP3's Suck

    Nonya, let me guess: you hate it when music you like goes mainstream and you touch yourself when listening to your cd player. For the 99% of the population that aren't music snobs, mp3s usually do the job just fine, so get off your high horse and STFU.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    nonya bidness, 15 Nov 2005 @ 8:02am

    Re: MP3's Suck

    Hey Riv
    I like the music I like, mainstream or not. It's none of your bidness if I touch myself, keep me out of your fantasies. I am not a music snob, I just have higher standards than YOU, and don't mind paying for quality. Besides, it's more like 60% mp3 vs 40% high quality, dont make it seem like you are such a majority with your LOW standards. Get off your high horse,you don't know me, you MP3 lovin,low quality,not paying for music,tone deaf snob.

    love
    nunya

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Happy user, 15 Nov 2005 @ 10:11am

    Re: MP3's Suck

    It seems to me that many many many people enjoy the mp3 format -- this very well explains why Sony would create such a horrible tool that attempts to make it difficult for the music listener to place their purchased (or "leased") music to any STANDARD PORTABLE device other than their outdated cd-player.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    adnanaliyi10, 31 Aug 2013 @ 3:32pm

    english

    afanormo

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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