“Darren Dittrich followed up on the discovery that Sony was playing a dirty trick on its customers, secretly installing a malware-style ‘root kit’ on their [Windows] computers via audio CDs,” MacInTouch reports.
I recently purchased Imogen Heap’s new CD (Speak for Yourself), an RCA Victor release, but with distribution credited to Sony/BMG. Reading recent reports of a Sony rootkit, I decided to poke around. In addition to the standard volume for AIFF files, there’s a smaller extra partition for “enhanced” content. I was surprised to find a “Start.app” Mac application in addition to the expected Windows-related files. Running this app brings up a long legal agreement, clicking Continue prompts you for your username/password (uh-oh!), and then promptly exits. Digging around a bit, I find that Start.app actually installs 2 files: PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of anyone installing kernel extensions on my Mac. In Sony’s defense, upon closer reading of the EULA, they essentially tell you that they will be installing software. Also, this is apparently not the same technology used in the recent Windows rootkits (made by XCP), but rather a DRM codebase developed by SunnComm, who promotes their Mac-aware DRM technology on their site.
Links included in the MacInTouch article here.
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Okay, we’re fed up. We are boycotting all Sony products until this and other “copy-protected CD” issues are addressed appropriately by Sony and recommend that our 2.2+ million unique visitors per month from 136 countries worldwide do the same. How’d ya like them Apples, Sony?
A “Boycott Sony” petition, written by Jeremy Johnson, can be read and signed at Petition Online here.
Related articles:
Computer security firm: ‘Stinx’ virus hides within Sony’s copy protection scheme – November 10, 2005
Sony sued over copy-protected CDs – November 10, 2005
SonyBMG antics may well cause public to turn on them and turn many people onto Apple Macs – November 06, 2005
Report: Sony copy-protected CDs may hide Windows rootkit vulnerability – November 01, 2005
Analyst: Sony BMG’s boycott of Apple’s iTunes Music Store Australia won’t last long – October 24, 2005
Apple launches iTunes Music Store Australia – October 24, 2005
How to beat Apple iPod-incompatible Sony BMG and EMI copy-protected CDs – October 04, 2005
Japan music labels look to impose ‘iPod Tax’ while Sony, Warner still not signing with Apple iTunes – October 10, 2005
Why aren’t Sony, BMG, Warner, Victor making their artists’ music available on Apple’s iTunes Japan? – October 06, 2005
Sony and Warner holding out on Apple iTunes Music Store Australia – September 08, 2005
Musicians stage mutiny against Sony, defiantly offer music via Apple’s iTunes Music Store – August 10, 2005
Sony BMG and EMI try to force Apple to ‘open’ iPod with iPod-incompatible CDs – June 20, 2005
New Sony BMG copy-protected CDs lock out Apple iPod owners – June 01, 2005
Record company causes Apple to hit ‘pause’ on Australian iTunes Music Store – May 05, 2005
Nick, good idea. Maybe we Macheads could go into the piracy business ripping for our windows friend. We’re so small a piece of the market, who’s gonna bother chasing us.
aussibob, i agree their stuff dosn’t seem to work as well as it used to, well not when it come to Mac compatability. My work bought me a Sony Dual RW drive and guess what I found out. It is not compatable with my Mac. Now I can use Toast to trick the drive into working but it won’t work in the finder. This is OK until I have to upgrade or want to reinstall OSX because the Mac won’t boot from the Sony drive. So I have to bring to work my own personal Lacie drive so I can boot from the OSX instal DVDs.
SONY, get your act together. When OSX first came out I remember how they were promoting the fact that you could play PStation games on the Mac. So you guys must have been i bed together at one point. What happened?
Lacie, God bless you.
boycotter wrote: “We can still download Sony music off of Limewire though, right?”
Hahaha…that is hilarious.
Anybody seen those bean things that Sony calls an mp3 player? They’re soooo out of touch – you gotta love it!
Let’s make it “Woodland Critter Christmas” for Sony!
Blood ORGY! – Screw Sony!
Why waste time with online petitions.
Use P2P for the music you want until they get with the program.
I am not a college kid.
I have over 1,000 CD’s.
I have bought over 7,500 songs through iTunes. (Seriously)
But if my choice is installing rootkits to listen to Sony music or download from P2P, I am going to download the songs for free via P2P.
If being honest is more of a hassle, I will take the alternative path. P2P for me is not about free, it’s about freedom.
Give me the option to enjoy music in any way, format, bit rate, I want, and I will pay for it. Take it away, and Sony won’t see a cent of my money.
Since I updated to 10.4.3 all popup on Safari have stopped.
At work popups still appear on Win2000 using Firefox
My advice with Sony CDs. Burn copies of the disks without the nefarious files and give them to you friends.
Do they really lose THAT much money to illegal downloads that they need to take such extreme measures? Is this what we are to expect from everyone soon? Because if so, they are not drawing anyone away from P2P at all. They’re simply fueling the fire. And they thought they’re losing money now…..haha if this keeps up, well……
I hear Blu-Ray is gonna have something designed to fry your BIOS or firmware. But that might be bullshite.
I too have now joined and signed the petition and yes Sony gear has declined badly.
I used to have a Sony AV amp, now I have a much better one in Pioneer along with the DVD player.
Yes JVC make excellent video cameras and in fact I plan to buy a JVC GY-HD101E a professional HDV camcorder in January. The Quad Mac as well if I get the financing or that’ll be in April – assuming that the Intels have not quite yet made it into the G5 line.
If like me you want a Quad and you have to save for it, keep your old kit is best in my opinion should Intel Macs appear before you’re ready.
I’ll be using my current G4 Dual 450 for my iTunes music in any case minus the software that’ll be moving over to the Quad.
You all are going to find out that not only does Sony do it, but everybody else does something similar to it.
Download that 15 day only demo software or some other program or music companies CD or movie DVD…
sony are caught in the 80’s. everything about them. the industrial design is lacking majorly, they look out of touch and the stuff doesnt have any wow factor. the only thing wow about it is the price, as in “wow that alot of money for a plastic representation of a dog turd.”
bot buying any more sony. i mean im not missing anything anyway. who cares, theyre shite.
if i want a sony artist ill get it by other means.
are you listening artists? get outta sony. (and hopefully soon diretly with apple).
Fsck Sony CDs… Long Live Torrent Files.
I have not bought Sony products/CD’s for a while now. It used to be the measure of consumer electronics but for the last 5 years all Sony products I have purchased have failed within the year. I will definitly be signing the petition.
I’m sure Sony is shaking now that MDN has boycotted them. Get Real.
i cant do without macdailynew, but i sure to hell can without PHony.
MDN: “Boycott Sony!”
Hmmmmm…..why when MDN thought this Sony bug only happened on Windows PCs their tone was – “You suckers that own windows computers you deserve it! What Idiots!”
But now that they find out the Sony CD does basically the same thing to a Mac, it is boycott Sony! Before it was Sony was cool, Windows Suck. Now that Sony can put their little bug on a Mac it is Sony Sucks!
The MDN Hypocrites at work again….oh yeah and guess what – if you click on some of MDN´s ad links I am sure they are selling Sony products…
Even APPLE sells Sony products on its website.
“Hello, I am an advertiser that sells Sony products, since you are calling for a boycott I have to remove my ad from MDN. Thank you and have a nice day.”
MDN like little immature school boys that should not be allowed to own a website.
I was fed up a long time ago. That’s why I use iTunes only.
Yeahhhh! Boycott Apple for Selling Sony Products!!!!
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/72903/wo/PV7btVaAQENF2ax6QvL1AZn8k3n/12.SLID?find=sony&btn;.x=0&btn;.y=0
well at least due to being a more secure OS it asks you to authorise the executable at least.
no such chance on windows.
and its no new thing to think sony are a pack of wankers btw either. their products have said that for the last 10 years. they have no imagination in there products and to boot they look like crap.
and hey if windows users want to boycott, then great too.
all MDN are saying is if you want to screw with our OS then go f*ck yourselves. We’ll boycott youre products. and basically sony boycott apple anyway, theres hardly any effort to make sony mac freindly. but really its no big loss. sony havnt got a single product that i want. music? ill get that elsewhere.
First- don’t give Sony ANY of your money. That would include Sony/BMG Music, Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures, Sony Consumer Electronics, etc. Why feed the bast*rd that’s trying to steal from you.
Second, contact your Senators and House member and ask them to support The Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act. Next year is an election year for ALL house members and 1/3rd of the Senate. Tell them no support is a deal breaker on your vote come election day.
(Wikipedia)
The Digital Media Consumers’ Rights Act (DMCRA) is a direct challenge to portions of the DMCA, and would intensify FTC efforts to mandate proper labeling for copy-protected CDs to ensure consumer protection from deceptive labeling practices. It would also allow manufacturers to innovate in hardware designs and allow consumers to treat CDs as they have historically been able to treat them.
Third-Join & work with those fighting the good fight.
http://www.chillingeffects.org/index.cgi
http://www.fepproject.org/issues/internet.html
http://www.eff.org/
Fourth- tell the managers & owners of stores that sell Sony products that you will not be buying ANYTHING made/marketed/branded Sony or ANY of it’s brands until it relents on it’s draconian DRM technologies. BE POLITE and do it in person, if possible.
Personal rights & liberties do not come easily, but can be easily stolen a little at a time. The DMCA and the ‘Patriot Act’ have done more harm to your rights in the last couple of years than all the bad guys in the world.
GET TO WORK
I was going to buy a new Sony DVD player to replace my old one – Now? Forget it! Sony/BMG distributed music? You can forget that too. After Sony/BMG kisses Apple’s back side, and mine too, many many times, I might think about maybe starting to buy music and videos distributed on those lables again. And needless to say, along with the *ss kissing they’re are going to have to get onboard with AAC and all compatible security and software technologies. Chau babe…
And I have no doubt in my mind that MS is definitely instep with Sony on this one. Of course, being the godfather of dirty software dealing they can never be linked to Sony’s attempt at strong-arming non-windoze platforms into using MS backed technology.
Count me in on the Boycott.
Boycott Intel for putting bad capacitors in computers.
http://news.com.com/PCs+plagued+by+bad+capacitors/2100-1041_3-5942647.html?tag=nefd.lede
Read article to see how Apple iMacs effected…
MDN: Windows Evil.
MDN: Sony Evil.
Who next MDN??? I do everything MDN says because I am a blathering idiot.
Arrrrggggh! Ohmygosh! I just checked the cookies list on my computer.
MDN puts 5! Yes, five(!!!) cookies on my computer without my persmission!!!!
Boycott MDN!!!!!
cookies eh? …well that could be a problem if youre on a windows machine
Let’s SUE the Bastards.
Any attorneys out there looking to make “buckets” of cash?
Donald Frempt,
MDN has been consistently harshly critical of Sony for quite a long time. From Sony holding up iTunes store launches to the CD DRM issues.
The Sony CD does not do “basically the same thing to a Mac.”
Can you read? Can you comprehend what you read?