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Trojan Using Sony DRM Rootkit Spotted
Analise writes "The Register reports on the first trojan using Sony's DRM rootkit. A newly discovered variant of the Breplibot trojan makes use of the way Sony's rootkit masks files whose filenames begin with '$sys$'. This means that any files renamed this way by the trojan are effectively invisible to the average user. The malware is distributed via an email supposedly from a reputable business magazing requesting that the businessperson verify his/her attached 'picture' to be used for an upcoming issue. Once the payload is executed, the trojan then installs an IRC backdoor on affected Windows systems."
Irregardless of the existence of government, the natural rights of an individual cannot be given away (you can't sell yourself into slavery, you can't tell a higher power that it's ok to kill you). One such right is the right to private property, closed to others' prying eyes or presence.
One great force behind this right is that past acts bear no allowances for future acts. If I let you into my house yesterday, you have no right to be here today. I may contractually allow you to come and go as you please, but I have to willfully sign the contract with witnesses noting the act.
Sony's DRM uses government force (through copyright provisions) to settle its legality. They say that by using their property, you have to permanently give up your natural right to private property (free speech Statists wrongfully call it Right to Privacy). Sony is wrong.
By violating numerous natural rights, Sony has opened itself to a demand for restitution. I wholeheartedly believe that corporate protections are wrong, as is copyright. My solution? Go after Sony through the shareholders directly (they own the business and allowed the breach of a basic human right). Demand restitution for the trojan if you receive it.
Imagine if you buy a Saab and Saab has an agreement stating "If you turn the car on, you allow two Saab employees to ride in your trunk and search your house for proof you might install a non-Saab oil filter." You've signed nothing. The two Saab employees open your house door, take up residence and leave the door wide open. Two typical pro-copyright arguments: You're not allowed to install non-Saab oil filters or how else would Saab make money? Why would they design cars?
This is the problem with copyright. Instead of individuals protecting proprietary information of value (books, music, etc) and producing it in the best way over anyone else (live shows, subscriptions to new music, etc), they say "copy us and government will use force against you."
It's all wrong. Don't publicly say anything valuable to you. Don't think you can come in my home because you did once before. Don't think you can rape me because a note in your pocket says you're allowed to, and I let you in without checking your pockets.
It's not the enginners fault. It's the ones that decided to put it out.
"And more so, Sony should replace EVERY affected computer with a brand new Vaio"
I'd prefer the cash alternative.
My other processor is big-endian.
Remember: Sony didn't write the rootkit. They bought it from someone else.
Now, the question is, what department thought it was a good idea? Sales and Marketing? Legal? Somebody had to think it was worth the money...
'Sensible' is a curse word.
I know i should be shocked and offended by retarded attemps at DRM lock-in by Sony... but i can't.
I'm loving this. I just can't wait to see what happens when antivirus/spyware vendors decide to consider the Sony rootkit as an attack vector and remove it accordingly... will it show up as "Sony.CDcopyprotection.malware"? "F4I.XCP.Aurora"? How about the information about it? Will we see legal battles between antivirus vendors and Sony? Class action lawsuits from consumers? I'm already preparing some popcorn for the event!
That sounds like you're letting Sony off the hook, but I don't think it works like that. I mean, suppose I were to sell you a poisoned soda and that as a result you nearly die. Would it matter if I bought the poison from someone else?
Not to mention trying to conceal its presence and lying about its function.
I think Sony stand to take a hiding over this one.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Oh gimme a break. The media companies are delerious with the power granted them by their whores in Congress. The engineers, I'm sure, were given no real choice in the matter. Remember, it is RIAA, the MPAA and all those sleeze bag politicians who'd sell their own mothers for a little political cash who have produced this abomination. If you want to solve the problem, tell all the people in your district that your congressman is a hooker sucking off the teats of media giants, and tell them to make this kind of behavior an election issue.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Furthermore, in most (if not all) countries, "land ownership" does NOT include mineral rights (which are arguably a significant part of the land) and can often be overruled or dismissed by the Government should they decide they can make better use of the land (5th Amenndment in the USA includes this provision, I believe). As such, it is not really ownership and can - at best - be called borrowing from the State.
There are countries in which private ownership of any kind simply isn't recognized at all. Everything is communal. Such societies don't seem to be any less rights-respecting than any other. Indeed, the USA - which has more codified rights than almost any other country - has one of the worst records of any country for actually honoring what is codified. Indeed, not only is it not honored, even when the courts rule against it, the US Government doesn't always respect those decisions. (The Sioux won in the Supreme Court to have the Black Hills revert to them - that was something like 40 or 50 years ago and the US Government is still refusing to honor the ruling.) Even when it does respect them, it has the power to replace any judge that rules against them (as threatened by DeLay over the Terri Schaivo case) which does damage any semblance of independence or impartiality.
I do believe there are Natural Rights. I believe there is a Natural Right for any individual to be seen for oneself, that there is a Natural Right for any individual to improve their quality of life, that there is a Natural Right for any individual to hold to any beliefs they so choose, that there is a Natural Right for any individual or group to privacy and that there is a Natural Right for any individual or group to maximise potential and minimise harm.
Most of these are what Republicans and Libertarians would consider obnoxiously socialist. The only way to maximise potential is to maximise the flow of information and to guarantee the practicalities of learning that information in a manner that is useful and usable. In other words, maximal quality education and minimal restraint on learning. In practice, if you're from a poor family in a poor area in the US, the only way to learn is to be good at sports or be in the military. Oh, and be male. Poor females in the US are left to rot, regardless. The only way to be good at sports in the US seems to be to take dangerous (and eventually lethal) drugs. Brain damage and other sporting injuries are pretty common. The US military is routinely accused of fraudulant claims in recruitment efforts, violent abuse (sometimes lethal) against recruits and persecution of non-Christians. Rape of females in the US military also appears to be a common complaint - and rarely investigated.
Rights - Natural or otherwise - are only meaningful if enforcable. This is one reason the original version of the Magna Carta stipulated the right to seize (by force, if necessary) judicially-awarded compensation or enforce judicially-awarded rulings against the Government (in that case, the king). In other words, nobody - absolutely nobody - was above the law, and nobody could use executive priviledges to abuse the law or anything else. Name me one country that has such a provision today. (No, the US impeachment procedure doesn't count. The current Congress wouldn't impeach Bush if he was caught red-handed in an act of treason, and the population at large has no impeachment rights. The UK's vote of no co
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
The problem with your analogy is that the developers, in all likilihood, did not know what this is going to be used for. Sony purchased the rootkit from another company which may have some valid reason for making these. The part that is so bad is NOT the rootkit itself but that it was included in the CD.
So far, I haven't seen any mention on the mainstream news about this. Maybe because it's too technical, but I think it's because CNN is a company of Time-Warner, and Time-Warner and Sony are fellow MPAA (and/or RIAA?) members. They (CNN) are great about covering the fluff. Count on them to down-play the stuff that hurts their business sleaze.
They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
Sony purchased the rootkit from another company which may have some valid reason for making these.
First 4 Internet made the XCP DRM system, rootkit and all. Their business model is to develop and sell DRM products to the music industry. So the programmers at F4I must have been deaf and blind in order not to know that the rootkit would be distributed on 'audio' CDs.
If J.K.R wrote Windows: Puteulanus fenestra mortalis!
"Principles are greater than profits."
profits yes. floating just above the poverty line, no.
but maybe when you get a real job and have a real "im going to be out on the fucking street again if i dont suck up my ego" moment, then you will see.
but yeah, im sure crazy joe down on the corner who dances for nickles every day is sure happy that his spine is in good health.
I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...