Sony DRM malware

[Tuckerfan]

@Revtim

Sure, if you manually run something from the disk, that’s as bad as having autorun turned on.

I’ve never heard of viruses in image files or codecs, but one way a video file can get you malware is via the mechanism to check digitial rights. Basically it hits a URL to get the rights, but it could just as easily go to the URL of an executable somewhere.

JPG virus.

Sophos, a world leader in corporate anti-virus protection, today called for the anti-virus industry to act responsibly in light of the discovery of the first virus capable of infecting JPEG graphic files.

The virus, known as W32/Perrun-A, was sent directly to the anti-virus community by its author and is considered to be a “proof of concept”. It spreads in the form of a traditional Win32 executable virus (usually called proof.exe), making changes to the Registry to mean that JPEG (.JPG) graphic files are examined by an extractor (called EXTRK.EXE) before they can be viewed. If the extractor finds viral code inside the graphic file it is executed.

[Revtim]

Interesting, but I’m not too worried about a virus that requires both a standard executable in additional to another file. I can see no advantage to this approach over simply making the full virus in the executable which is required anyway. Whatever increased stealthiness is gained is lost over requiring the host to have both pieces to be actively infected.

I suppose it’s an interesting proof of concept, and shows that any file type can carry a viral payload if the virus writer does enough work, but I don’t see it being a real problem in the real world. Any infection with this thing would likely be much more effective if redesigned as a single executable instead of something requiring multiple pieces to come together.

[Revtim]

Lavasoft (makers of Ad-Aware spyware/adware remover) have made a beta rootkit remover.
http://www.lavasoftresearch.com/betaprogram/rootkit.php

Since it’s a beta and does such low-level stuff, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have the rootkit, I’m not going to risk running it yet. Once it’s out of beta, I’ll run it to make sure I didn’t somehow get rootkit.

If you think you have the rootkit, it might be worth taking a risk on this beta.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

Apologies for the bump but I didn’t see this in the thread and I think it should be pointed out.
Sony DRM Installed Even When EULA Declined
This really pisses me off.

[fortytwo]

Another bump because Sony looks to have come to a partial agreement on compensation for their naughty copy protection.

Compensation deal

Free music downloads and cash refunds could soon be offered to owners of Sony BMG CDs loaded with controversial anti-piracy software.

The offers are part of a proposed settlement of lawsuits against Sony BMG over the use of software aimed at thwarting illegal copying of CDs.

Some outstanding lawsuits will still be pursued however.

Although Sony have promised not to use this copy protection again I’m sure there will be other perhaps more sneaky attempts in the future.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

I wouldn’t touch their free downloads with a ten foot pole.

[Musicat]

@Diogenes the Cynic

I wouldn’t touch their free downloads with a ten foot pole.

Perhaps you could find an eleven-foot pole on ebay.

[Tuckerfan]

Album sales dropped 7% in the US. Download sales are up, however. I think that this cock up Sony’s had is only going to increase that.

[Steve_MB]

Offering free downloads in compensation for infecting people’s computers with malware is like offering a free all-you-can-eat buffet in compensation for giving people food poisoning.