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Windows Tracks CDs & DVDs You Watch

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the you-just-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.

lcypher writes "The AP is reporting that there is spyware within Windows Media Player 8(which ships with XP), which records the song titles and DVD titles that a user listens to or views in WMP8. Microsoft execs claim no marketing use right now, but they won't rule it out. " This looks like less of a big deal than the article makes it out to be, but it definitely could be used for evil.

6 of 418 comments (clear)

  1. Re:eak... by phyta · · Score: 5, Informative

    Or .. get a firewall that detects and controls net-bound data.

    www.zonealarm.com has a great free firewall program that prevents mplayer (and others) from misbehaving.

  2. Re:This is just a local CDDB mirror by BrookHarty · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yup, logs into a database, gives them an ID based on your computer, your IP, and the multimedia your viewing, also leaves a nice log file on your PC of your activity.

    So no, its a little more than just a mirror of a CDDB database. The traffic is bi-directional, and leaves a log trail.
    -
    I was so naive as a kid I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing. - Johnny Carson

  3. Re:I can't even play music on my computer any more by Chops · · Score: 5, Informative
    ... WinAmp is bloated spyware, RealPlayer is the same ...

    ... the damn thing crashes!

    ... My perfectly usable computer has been handicapped by its software.

    May I make a few small suggestions?
  4. Re:Playing right now: by sql*kitten · · Score: 5, Informative
    What I'd like to know is how easy it is to insert my own random data into that playlist before it goes off to Microsoft?

    It doesn't go to Microsoft, it's just a cache of CDDB lookups you've done. AudioCatalyst does the same thing - but it's tracking not only what you play, but also what you rip to MP3. Surely, if you are looking for a conspiracy, that is where to look?

    This cache is just a performance enhancement, like your web browser maintaining a cache of pages you've visited. If anything, it improves your privacy: it makes it much more difficult for CDDB to track how often you play a particular CD.

    From the article:
    When a CD is played, the player downloads the disc name and titles for each song from a Web site licensed by Microsoft. That information is stored on a small file on each computer in the latest version of the software.
  5. Re:Playing right now: by o0_kave_0o · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry but it isn't just a CDDB cache at all if you bothered to scan through the database you will find every mp3 you have ever played in Media Player listed.

    Check it out for yourself the log can be located here:

    C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Media Index\wmplibrary_v_0_12.db

    the "_v_0_12" part may vary on your PC but this is the file mentioned in the article.

  6. How to defeat it by sllort · · Score: 5, Informative

    How to disable this feature:

    The file, wmplibrary_v_0_12.db, contains in cleartext the name of every movie you've ever watched with media player. The names are in cleartext but each byte is spaced out with a pad byte, so you can't just grep for the names you're looking for.

    If you delete the file, WMP regenerates it on use.

    But, if you create the file as a zero-byte file, WMP does not fix it and does not store any information about what WMP is playing, ripping, burning, etc.

    Tested Today, 2/21/02, with Windows 2000 and WMP 7.1. Oh, they didn't mention it's not just XP? It's not just XP.

    --
    You're Reading Managed Agreement