Kazaa Conundrum -- The Plot Thickens

Robotech_Master writes "The ever continuing Kazaa controversy just keeps getting better. This article on Wired highlights Brilliant Digital Entertainment, the company that brokered Kazaa's sale to the Australian firm, and indicates that the RIAA is investigating them."

Comments

Kazaa/Morpheus feud

[grinwell]

Surprisingly, the article doesn't touch upon the implication on the www.musiccity.com (Morpheus) website that the Kazaa folks had something to do with the DOS attack.

I guess Kazaa is too busy with other lawsuits to worry about a slander case.

(BTW, the previously posted spyware remedies for Grokster work with Kazaa as well).

Kazaa v. RIAA

[crc32]

With the current legal landscape, the RIAA will probably win if they choose to sue any of the companies involved (assuming, of course, if they can exercise jurisdiction!). The long and short of it is that Kazaa will be viewed similarly to Naster, and so Brilliant Digital will probably be seen as contributing to that "problem".

SpyWare

[The Bungi]

Well, maybe not, but it's still annoying. In Windows, when you download the latest version of the client from kazaa.com you'll be forced to install the bde 'stream' thing, which gives you, wait for it, a talking woman on the front page of the application. Yipeee.

You can go to Add/Remove programs and kill it, but in true crapware tradition it doesn't actually delete the files. Go into the system folder and you'll find a bunch of DLLs prefixed with 'bde', both DLLs and EXEs. Delete them. (make sure you don't kill anything that belongs to the Borland Database Engine if you have it installed - check the DLL versions). There are two EXEs with fuzzy green icons.

Next, under the windows folder there will be a directory called 'BDE', IIRC. Delete that too.

Finally, go into the registry and look for the 'bde' and 'brilliant' strings. After verifying that they're not something else, delete those too.

The removal doesn't seem to affect the kazaa client at all.

Re:SpyWare

[Anonymous Coward]

Moderators: before you moderate, make sure you aren't mod'ing up FUD.
This made my windows box stop working altogether.

Next time link to a commercial page that explains this!

Re:SpyWare

[The Bungi]

Look AC - when I say 'Go into the registry and delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. Then sit back and enjoy the show', then you can flame me. When I post a link to a dubious EXE and giggle while I tell you to download and run it, then you can flame me. When I tell you to look under a few folders, find a few files, check them, delete them and do the same for a few strings in the registry, you are free to follow the instructions - or not. But you can bite me real hard if you're suggesting I'm trying to damage anyone's machine. Now be a good AC and definitly fuck off.

Re:SpyWare

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, maybe not, but it's still annoying. In Windows, when you download the latest version of the client from kazaa.com you'll be forced to install the bde 'stream' thing, which gives you, wait for it, a talking woman on the front page of the application. Yipeee.

This isn't spyware unless they've added something new. Its just a browser plugin that streams live 3d and audio, like a 3d flash player.

BDE3d started as a way to play multipath movies (like choose your own adventure) from cd-rom, but then they changed it into a web based movie thing, and now it's for banner ads. The site mentioned in the article, brilliantdigital.com explains it all.

Re:What does this mean?

[petard]

From m-w.com:

Main Entry: [2] ape
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): aped; aping
Date: 1632
: to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly
synonym see COPY

Kazaa and Spyware

[BrianGa]

Download the acclaimed Ad Aware program here. It searches your registry and all your drives for running and installed spyware programs. It works great.

Re:Kazaa and Spyware

[TheChimp]

Kazaa actually refuses to run if you remove the Spyware using Adaware.

Re:Kazaa and Spyware

[DmitriA]

Don't remove it. Replace cd_clint.dll (Cydoor's spyware) that's in your Windows system directory with your own DLL that exports the same functions but does not do anything when they are called.

Here is the source for a replacement DLL (shamelessly stolen from someone who didn't bother to leave his name in the source):

#include <windows.h>

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) int ServiceShow(int,int,int,HWND,int,int,int,int, int,void*,void*);
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) int ServiceClose(int,HWND,void*);
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void ChannelRead(int AdwrCode, char* ChannelIn, int Resv1,int Resv2);
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void ChannelWrite(int AdwrCode, char* ChannelOut, int Resv1, int Resv2);
extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) void DescWrite(int BitStart, int BitLen, int Val, int Resv1, int Resv2);

void ChannelWrite(int AdwrCode, char* ChannelOut, int Resv1, int Resv2)
{
// Nothing to do here.
}

void ChannelRead(int AdwrCode, char* ChannelIn, int Resv1,int Resv2)
{
// Nothing to do here.
}

int ServiceShow(int AdwrCode, int LoctNum, int LoctIndx, HWND hWnd, int X, int Y, int LenX, int LenY, int Mode, void *General1, void *General2)
{
// Return true to tell the host application the call succeeded.
return 1;
}

int ServiceClose(int LoctIndx, HWND hWnd, void* General2)
{
// Return true to tell the host application the call succeeded.
return 1;
}

void DescWrite(int BitStart, int BitLen, int Val, int Resv1, int Resv2)
{
// Nichts zu tun
}

int WINAPI DllEntryPoint(HINSTANCE hinst, unsigned long reason, void*)
{
return 1;
}

Re:Kazaa and Spyware

[DmitriA]

Here you go. It's zipped and then encoded with base64.
After replacing the cd_clint.dll in your Windows System directory with this one, you can safely delete the following Cydoor-installed files from there:
CD_GIF.DLL
CD_HTM.DLL
CD_HTML.DLL
CD_SW F.DLL

begin-base64 644 cd_clint.zip
UEsDBBQAAgAIAAeiZCzJyqhlhgEAAAAKAAAM AAAAY2RfY2xpbn QuZGxs842a
wMDMwMDAAsT//zMw7GCAAAcGwmADEPPJ7+Jj2M J5VnEHo89ZxZ CMzGKFgqL8
9KLEXIXkxLy8/BKFpFSFotI8hcw8BRf/YIXc/J RUPV5eLhWoGf l3mW9r78nt
gGHd+WkdWkD6ypxMMB2UmZwBEofZGeDKwODDyM wQI9NiAxN7wM CnyM3IxsDA
BPUIEGgJAAkQVgBzBcBsJrg0nAZ7FMphgioFq4 XTUApozmIiwo TBgIGBg4H6
QK8ktaIESJvBHMSE7AkIADoxQa8oJbEkEepWBa g6NlR1QC876B Wl5uQnMzDw
QN0MVseBoc6JYRQMaxDa/Sb2kAASZXwg9pAOiL GDESgde4gHIi eCIjQKhhOA
laVRwPICFMOsUKwB5NsAcQAQs0PLU2UgFgdiPi BOB4pPA+JiIK 4F4i5wWcsI
LEqYgUWTs0u8c05mXoleSk4Og3MGsDJIzQlKTU xhcEktTg4vyi xJZQhOLSrL
TE51zskvhnOCM/LLYcohqkYBjQHHaBCMWAAAUE sBAhQAFAACAA gAB6JkLMnK
qGWGAQAAAAoAAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAgALaBAAAAAG NkX2NsaW50Lm RsbFBLBQYA
AAAAAQABADoAAACwAQAAAAA=
====

Spyware Removal

[EschewObfuscation]

Fast Track associated spyware can still be removed by several utilities. Rather than hunting down each .DLL, you should simply download and run one of the utilities (which will clean out your system registry as well as .DLL and executables).

One good place for information is here, and a good utility by Lavasoft is available here.

I have not yet installed the new Morpheus client, but a report I read said that at least the latest Kazaa client is still installing these, even with the checkboxes for installing Gator, etc., left empty.

KaZaA Owners Respond to Morpheus Attack

[Jagasian]

Sharman Network/Brilliant Digital/KaZaA have finally responded to accusations that they were behind the attack on Morpheus. In an interview with the LA Times a spokeswomen for KaZaA, Kelly Larabee, said the company had nothing to do with Morpheus' network problems adding that we have no reason to have them go away. We'd rather them stay on FastTrack.

Re:Oh no...

[JMZero]

E-music has such great talent. Here's their top sellers:

1 Creedence Clearwater Revival
2 Carlin, George
3 Evans, Bill
4 Reinhardt, Django
5 Academy Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields Under Neville Marriner
6 Monk, Thelonious
7 Armstrong, Louis
8 Acosta, George
9 Bad Religion
10 They Might Be Giants (TMBG)

I'm not saying these aren't great, but you get the feeling that not everything is available on their service.

On the other hand, Stacey Kent is free on MP3.com, and is perhaps the best singer in the world - try "You are There".

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