# Sony DRM malware **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162 "2005-11-02T20:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/101 "2005-11-12T21:55:05Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Yes but the copyright does not allow (I really hope) the holder to damage the property of the consumer. IIRC, there’s some verbage in the Patriot Act which if parsed correctly that would make the use of the software by Sony a terrorist act. Now all we need is a prosecutor willing to take on a multi-billion dollar international corp. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/102 "2005-11-12T22:04:22Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Not really, I’d just decline the prompt. Might as well go ahead and disable the autorun anyway though. PCs are easy to secure if you’re not a moron, that’s all. [That won’t help you.](http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=925) ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/103 "2005-11-12T23:31:54Z")
**Der Trihs** , I wasn’t clear. My outrage wasn’t directed at you, but at the idea expressed in your post. (I included your name so others reading this thread would know my comment was in referance to you post.) I realise you were just reporting, and didn’t mean to seem to be “shooting the messanger”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/104 "2005-11-12T23:39:01Z")
The latest wrinkle: it seems that Sony stole one of the software components used to build the rootkit… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/105 "2005-11-12T23:48:04Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > **Der Trihs** , I wasn’t clear. My outrage wasn’t directed at you, but at the idea expressed in your post. (I included your name so others reading this thread would know my comment was in referance to you post.) I realise you were just reporting, and didn’t mean to seem to be “shooting the messanger”. 😉 No, _I_ wasn’t clear; I was agreeing with you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/106 "2005-11-13T00:42:23Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > [That won’t help you.](http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=925) Maybe I missed it, but I don’t see anything in that link that indicates the DRM can install itself even when autorun is turned off. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/107 "2005-11-13T00:58:13Z")
> [@Steve MB](#): > > The latest wrinkle: it seems that Sony stole one of the software components used to build the rootkit… Christ, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? The whole stated purpose of their rootkit was to protect copyrights. And yet they violate copyrights. If Sony were a dude standing in front of me right now, I’d kick him in the balls. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/108 "2005-11-13T01:29:08Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Maybe I missed it, but I don’t see anything in that link that indicates the DRM can install itself even when autorun is turned off. Read the paragraph below the first image. It’s not the root kit, but it’s another, slightly less heinous spyware program that installs itself even if you tell it specifically not to. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/109 "2005-11-13T01:46:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (What happens for students using a computer lab who want to play their cds?) Apparently, [that’s against the terms of the EULA](http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php) > [@Linked Site](#): > > The EULA only gives you the right to put copies on a “personal home computer system owned by you.” Some of the conditions there suck but are somewhat understandable (the one about having no right to the music if the CD has been stolen from you), but the one about agreeing that you will delete the music from your computer if you’re bankrupt makes **no** sense to me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/110 "2005-11-13T01:51:23Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > but the one about _ **agreeing that you will delete the music from your computer if you’re bankrupt** _ makes **no** sense to me at all. WTF?!! :eek: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/111 "2005-11-13T01:51:32Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Christ, this just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? The whole stated purpose of their rootkit was to protect copyrights. And yet they violate copyrights. > > If Sony were a dude standing in front of me right now, I’d kick him in the balls. Was it Sony who ‘stole’ the LAME code, or was it First 4 Internet, the company which wrote the DRM malware? My impression is that First 4 Internet may have sold the malware to other companies. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/112 "2005-11-13T01:56:23Z")
There aren’t words vehement enough to describe that entire list of terms, particularily numbers one, four, five, six, and seven. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/113 "2005-11-13T02:01:56Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Read the paragraph below the first image. It’s not the root kit, but it’s another, slightly less heinous spyware program that installs itself even if you tell it specifically not to. Unless I misread the article, it says that even if you answer no to its prompt it installs software. That’s different from not allowing autorun in the first place (i.e. holding down shift as you insert the disk). Does it get around that too? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/114 "2005-11-13T02:15:10Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Read the paragraph below the first image. It’s not the root kit, but it’s another, slightly less heinous spyware program that installs itself even if you tell it specifically not to. It won’t even get to that point if you have autorun turned off. The whole thing is still triggered by autorun, so if that’s off you are safe. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/115 "2005-11-13T03:27:44Z")
Like I said in the GD thread: The 800 pound gorilla has spoken: [http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1886122,00.asp](http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1886122,00.asp) > [@](#): > > Microsoft Corp. will start deleting the rootkit component of the controversial DRM scheme used by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. > > The software giant’s Windows AntiSpyware application will be updated to add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit features used in the XCP digital rights management technology. > > … > > Garms said an analysis of the XCP software that ships on about 20 Sony BMG Music CDs led to the determination that zapping rootkit would protect Windows users. > > “We are concerned about any malware and its impact on our customers’ machines. Rootkits have a clearly negative impact on not only the security, but also the reliability and performance of their systems,” Garms added. > > He said an “a set of objective criteria” was used to make the decision to classify the XCP software for detection and removal by the anti-malware technology. > [@](#): > > The use of the technology blew up in Sony’s face Just think on the millions Sony already has lost in this fiasco (wasted programming time). Heads need to roll. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/116 "2005-11-13T04:26:41Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > Apparently, [that’s against the terms of the EULA](http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php) > Some of the conditions there suck but are somewhat understandable (the one about having no right to the music if the CD has been stolen from you), but the one about agreeing that you will delete the music from your computer if you’re bankrupt makes **no** sense to me at all. Except I wasn’t even talking about copies-I’m talking about the actual CD I bought. Let’s say I take it home, and then the next day, I’m at work, and I want to listen to my CD on the computer at work. I pop it in, and now, not only has Sony vandalized MY computer with their malaware, but they’ve done so to my computer at work, which I don’t own. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/117 "2005-11-13T08:31:19Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Just think on the millions Sony already has lost in this fiasco (wasted programming time). Heads need to roll. Actually, I’d WAG that the cost was higher. A **lot** higher. The last time Sony tried a “cpoyright protection” scheme this big, it set them back an estimated $1 \*\*b\*illion dollars, only to have it defeated by a Sharpie! 😃 Any intelligent company would have learned from their mistake, but not Sony. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/118 "2005-11-13T08:37:29Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > Apparently, [that’s against the terms of the EULA](http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php) The good news there is that EULA’s are completely unenforceable in a court. Because it’s a contract that occurs after the point of sale they’re considered null and void and you can click “yes” to as many as you want without fear of reprisal when you fail to do stuff like fail to delete all your music when you go bankrupt. Does that count as legal advice? It’s a pretty open secret anyway. They’re as useful as those things you sign going into surgery that state that if the doctor screws up (s)he’s not liable for damages. Those haven’t exactly stopped successful malpractice suits. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/119 "2005-11-13T09:26:38Z")
> [@cazzle](#): > > the one about agreeing that you will delete the music from your computer if you’re bankrupt makes **no** sense to me at all. This only makes sense if one assumes that Sony is planning to introduce some scheme that requires you to keep paying for the privilege of continued access to your copy. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2005, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162/120 "2005-11-13T09:28:27Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Heads need to roll. Heads need to go to jail – that’s what would happen if some teenaged l33t haquer d00d pulled a stunt like this, and it’s what needs to happen if we are to maintain any pretense that there a uniform rule of law. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-drm-malware/329162.md?page=7)