Sony CDs Loaded With Malware

[LeHah]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/01/sony_rootkit_drm/

While the Sony CDs play fine on Red Book audio devices such as standard consumer electronics CD players, when they're played on a Windows PC the software forces playback through a bundled media player, and restricts how many digital copies can be made from Windows.

What makes Sony's CD digital media software particularly nasty is that using expert tools for removing the parasite risks leaving you with a Windows PC that's useless, and that requires a full reformat and reinstall.

I mean - come on. I'm not a bootlegger but I sometimes need to rip CDs for my website. This anti-piracy nonsense is getting out of hand. Apparently, theres crackers that are already exploiting the RDM files for Trojan uses.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I know how you feel, I needed to shoot a guy for my website once.

 

[LeHah]

I perfer a good bludgeoning myself

 

[cff]

Ist much worse however. The trojan that is installed by sony on your PC (and yes it is a TROJAN by any definition) does also open up some security holes that at least one virus does exploit...

 

[Mace]

I read that sony has recalled all CD's in stock, and that you can exchange the CD's you already bought...

http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/

 

[LeHah]

There *was* a recall - but last I heard, Sony/BMG refused to say what 20 CDs they've released contains the malware.

 

[Trelane]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/01/sony_rootkit_drm/



I mean - come on. I'm not a bootlegger but I sometimes need to rip CDs for my website.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

There *was* a recall - but last I heard, Sony/BMG refused to say what 20 CDs they've released contains the malware.

No, there's a list at the link in the post you replied to.

Hehe, trojan.

 

[LeHah]

The best part about that image is the guy peeking over the fence.

 

[Dyret]

Yes it is, hehe. I'm not sure i get the joke, though.

 

[LeHah]

I had briefly tried to start up a website called MovieScoresAndMore.com

LOAF finds it in his heart of hearts to poke fun at me no matter whatever it is I do - taxis in Boston, posts in my livejournal or the very people I hang out with.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Yeah, I'm great.

 

[cff]

There *was* a recall - but last I heard, Sony/BMG refused to say what 20 CDs they've released contains the malware.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004144.php has a somewhat complete list:

Trey Anastasio, Shine (Columbia)
Celine Dion, On ne Change Pas (Epic)
Neil Diamond, 12 Songs (Columbia)
Our Lady Peace, Healthy in Paranoid Times (Columbia)
Chris Botti, To Love Again (Columbia)
Van Zant, Get Right with the Man (Columbia)
Switchfoot, Nothing is Sound (Columbia)
The Coral, The Invisible Invasion (Columbia)
Acceptance, Phantoms (Columbia)
Susie Suh, Susie Suh (Epic)
Amerie, Touch (Columbia)
Life of Agony, Broken Valley (Epic)
Horace Silver Quintet, Silver's Blue (Epic Legacy)
Gerry Mulligan, Jeru (Columbia Legacy)
Dexter Gordon, Manhattan Symphonie (Columbia Legacy)
The Bad Plus, Suspicious Activity (Columbia)
The Dead 60s, The Dead 60s (Epic)
Dion, The Essential Dion (Columbia Legacy)
Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten (Epic)
Ricky Martin, Life (Columbia) (labeled as XCP, but, oddly, our disc had no protection)

Several other Sony-BMG CDs are protected with a different copy-protection technology, sourced from SunnComm, including:

My Morning Jacket, Z
Santana, All That I Am
Sarah McLachlan, Bloom Remix Album

 

[ChrisReid]

Also, as LOAF said, Sony specifically lists more than fifty titles at their site.
http://cp.sonybmg.com/xcp/english/titles.html