Virus Writers use the tools Sony gave them.

GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
edited November 2005 in Science & Tech
Reuters reports that Verifiable evidence of the existence of viruses that utilize Sony's rootkit copy-protection software has emerged.
When recipients click on an attachment, they install malware, which may tear down the firewall and gives hackers access to a PC. The malware hides by using Sony software that is also hidden -- the software would have been installed on a computer when consumers played Sony's copy-protected music CDs.

"This leaves Sony in a real tangle. It was already getting bad press about its copy-protection software, and this new hack exploit will make it even worse," said Sophos's Graham Cluley.
Source: Reuters

Comments

  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Kaspersky confirms this, adding that the malused\malwared Sony rootkit exploiter itself can be loaded onto remote machines.

    Kasperky's viral/trojan name is:

    Backdoor.Win32.Breplibot.b

    and this is being mass-spammed.

    More info at:

    http://www.viruslist.com/en/weblog
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Good points Straight Man.... All I can say is

    !!! GOOD ONE SONY !!!
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    This is lower than anything Microsoft has done. This is the height of callousness (or outright stupidity) by a consumer tech company. I wish this would get exposure by the mainstream media. (Unfortunately, most of the general media's reporters are too tech ignorant to understand.)

    Has anyone seen this in a major news outlet's reporting?
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    I thought Reuters was fairly major...? :scratch:

    I also heard a story on NPR on the way to work the other morning about the issue. In it, the Sony exec says "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" When I heard that comment I just about crashed my wife's car in surprise.

    Here's a link to the audio:
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4989260
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    I thought Reuters was fairly major...?
    Indeed they are. Guess I blew through the opening post too fast. :rolleyes:
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    hmm. sony went and did it this time. i think there is going to most likely be some court action because of this. if the trojan cause a big outbreak you better believe that someone will sue.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited November 2005
    Sony already has a few class action lawsuits filed on them over this rootkit business, so wait until some corporate machines get trojaned because one of their employees had unknowingly installed this rootkit to listen to a music cd and it snafu's their corporate network. I bet some more class action suits get filed on them over the next few weeks too.

    Join me in boycotting anything manufactured or sold by Sony. :thumbsup:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    In reference to my previous thread about the boneheads in the mainstream media: slowly but surely, the media is picking up on this event now.

    Sony. Good grief. That really is the height of corporate arrogance, isn't it! (and I'm not even a corporation basher)
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Count me in, mudd. We can only vote with our wallets.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    I'm in!

    I'm even going to get rid of the walkman I got in 1985!
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Dangit, I was about to buy a new Sony receiver.

    Oh well. I could probably find a better one for the same amount of money, anyway :D
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited November 2005
    But... I want to play Final fantasy XII when it comes out. Decisions, decisions...
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Sony finally decided to pull the software

    "As a precautionary measure, Sony BMG is temporarily suspending the manufacture of CDs containing XCP technology," it said in a statement.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    yeh i got that crap on my computer, and it completely messed everything up, plus it wouldnt let me rip anything. so i did the sensible thing. format and reinstall.

    and hold shift while you put the cd in to interupt the autorun. then i was in ripping heaven. (im probably gonna get some kinda lawsuit for: evading copy protection measures)
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2005
    primesuspect wrote:
    Count me in, mudd. We can only vote with our wallets.
    Another ex-customer here... :shakehead
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    For an extremely technical but very interesting read on this.. read Mark from sysinternals blog (he's the guy who originally discovered it) :)

    http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html

    http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/more-on-sony-dangerous-decloaking.html

    http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/sonys-rootkit-first-4-internet.html

    http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/sony-you-dont-reeeeaaaally-want-to_09.html
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2005
    I just read all four of those articles (and most of the accompanying comments) and have a hard time believing this stuff. One thing that stood out in my mind most of all was that after the guy removed all the hidden crap, his cdrom drive disappeared. Keep in mind that we're talking about someone who really knows what he's doing, not just some poor schmuck who started deleting stuff willy-nilly.

    I'm running his RootkitRevealer tool right now. :cool:
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited November 2005
    primesuspect wrote:
    Count me in, mudd. We can only vote with our wallets.
    I've been in for years.....

    SONY - The same features at TWICE the price! :thumbsdow :thumbsdow
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2005
    Looks like MS has gotten the news fairly quickly this time. Let's hope the follow-through on their promise to fix things is equally prompt.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2005
    Good to see Microsoft is wearing the white hat for this roundup.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2005
    Sony's "fix" has apparently made things even worse. :rolleyes:
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