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Microsoft Windows Media Player Encryption Hacked

Posted by Zonk on from the he-sure-is-a-busy-fella dept.

NubKnacker writes "Here we go again. The Register has the story about the encryption in Windows Media Player being hacked by DVD Jon. From the article: 'Jon Lech Johansen has reverse engineered a proprietary algorithm, which is used to wrap Media Player NSC files and ostensibly protect them from hackers sniffing for the media's source IP address, port or stream format. He has also made a decoder available." This has been pending for some time now. Do you see a reason to install Windows/WMP just to be able to view a webcast?"

3 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. Hire him by bahwi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think Microsoft should just hire DVD Jon and whoever else and have him write the algorithms and encryption. I know it's counterproductive, and I know he would probably oppose it, but throw enough money under there and most morals head out the door. DRM is coming, and if this guy is going to keep cracking them, you're gonna need someone better than him to write it, or get him so he'll be on their side.

    Ah well, until then, what's the next one for him to hack? Can't be too far off now.

  2. Windows Media by callipygian-showsyst · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Do you see a reason to install Windows/WMP just to be able to view a webcast?"

    No! I've installed Windows Media--including the Windows Media SDK, WMP10, and the Windows Media Encoder--because it's a great encoder and is included in the price of a windows system. I prefer the sound of WMA-encoded files to MP3s at the same bitrate. And there are at least 50 music players on the market, like my Samsung, that I can just plug in to Windows and sync with Windows Media Player! No need to install any software (unlike those stupid Creative folks with their virus!). Just plug it in and it works.

    --
    Best Buy can have you arrested
  3. They created a monster by intnsred · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Thinking back to years ago when the corporate powers-that-be had a teenager arrested for merely figuring out CSS, I wonder if those corporate bureaucrats realize that they were creating a monster?

    I mean, if they had just left the kid alone, his curiousity might have waned and today he might be a stodgy coder writing finance apps.

    Instead, they pissed him off, highlighted the system's corruption and injustice, and created a monster.