“A computer security firm said Thursday it had discovered the first virus that uses music publisher Sony BMG’s controversial CD copy-protection software to hide on PCs and wreak havoc,” Reuters reports. “Under a subject line containing the words ‘Photo approval,’ a hacker has mass-mailed the so-called Stinx-E trojan virus to British e-mail addresses, said British anti-virus firm Sophos. 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.”
Reuters reports, “‘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. Sony BMG’s spokesman John McKay, in New York, was not immediately available to comment.”
Full article here.
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Karma’s a bitch, huh, Sony?
Related articles:
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
Beauty, eh?
EMI, are you watching?
Sony has nothing to worry about. Microsoft hasn’t ever gotten into trouble, so why should they? : )
somebody will be committing hari-kari soon…
Best MDN take I have read!
MDN word: again
Sony has nothing to worry about. Microsoft hasn’t ever gotten into trouble, so why should they? : )
“Why worry?” – Alfred E. Neuman (MAD Magazine)
Why should they worry? That’s simple…they’re not Microsoft.
Sorry, I just realized the Alfred E Neuman quote is actually “What, me worry?”
Magic Word is “trial”…how ironic.
Bawhhahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Seriously, who is to blame on this one? Microsoft? Sony? I’d blame Microsoft for creating such a security mess with Windows…..
that’s freakin funny…bunch o morons
This made my whole week!
Celine Dion .. Sarah McLachlan .. who’s next?
Which unfortunate Canadians will be the next to taste the bitter poison of Sony’s evil virus cloak? The Prime Minister? The Quebeqois? Tim Horton?
Sony must be made to regret these horrible anti-Canadian insults!
DOWN WITH SONY!
What the fsk was $ony thinking? Dumb asses!
The lawyers are salivating over this thing. I bet their all breaking red lights to the court house and fighting in the parking lots. Kind of like someone was selling iBooks for $50.
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I predict a major reaming with out lubricants for $ony over this.
The $ony corp image is going into the toilet with consumers on this one. They just can’t seem to get their heads out of their asses (no pun intended®)
Yikes!
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Delicious.
Let’s build an OS so full of holes that a music CD can install deadly malware without needing the user’s permission first!
— Bill Gates
schadenfreude! heh heh heh
Defined as
Main Entry: scha·den·freu·de
Pronunciation: ‘shä-d&n-“froi-d&
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy
: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others
Let’s not get too cocky. As I am now reading reports that the Sony CD’s spyware is also affecting Macs!
This is from BoingBoing.com
Sony Music CDs infect Macs, too!
Simon sez, “On Macintouch today, Darren Dittrich reports that Sony’s DRM software targets Macs too. Digging into the “enhanced” content on the disk, he found a Start.app that, when run, shows a license agreement, then asks you for an admin password. On entering this, it installs two kernel extensions, PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.”
Note that these aren’t the rootkits that infect Windows PCs — Sony’s Mac crippleware comes from a different vendor called Suncomm
Apple will prolly copy it just like they do everything else … only they’ll get it right. I just know it.
If you give your admin password to play a CD then you deserve to get all the nasties from the windows world! This won’t happen if you download the songs from the net for free
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I would be quite concerned if iTunes suddenly wanted my admin pass to play an mp3 file!
DON’T BUY SONY CD’S
“Sony Music CDs infect Macs, too!”
well then the solution is simple… DONT BUY SONY MUSIC CD’S!!!
bah, Sony… the bastids……
CRIPES!
Easy Fix beat me to the punch by one entry!!
nonetheless the message is clear and the same.
I blame Microsoft. But Sony should stop making Data Discs that look like CD’s. Maybe the Data Discs could have their own (very) small section in the corner of the record shop, right next to the Mini-Discs
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MW:decided
Digging into the “enhanced” content on the disk, he found a Start.app that, when run, shows a license agreement, then asks you for an admin password. On entering this, it installs two kernel extensions, PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.” – uh, oh…
WTF!
That does it! No more buying CD’s. Now where did I put that Limewire disk?
i’m still waiting to find out what apple got from sony…. I mean, the man was on stage with jobs and they hugged and everything… the year of HD is almost over… What did the deal do? Was iMovie HD really all?
Advice to Sony:
Get out of the music business. Sell the label, ditch the MP3 player and concentrate on the Betamax and the transistor radio. You’ll be top of the world in no time.
Bring on HD-DVD and get rid of the Blu-Ray crap.
MW: Closed. The chapter has closed on Sony.
Don’t support BD-DVD and that is include PS3. Don’t buy Sony product.
I am piss after all the CD player and Walkman Cassette player I have bought.
The unfortunate hting here is that Sony’s protection scheme opens a door into the Mac OS kernel too…
kinda sucks – except that I don’t have to buy $ONY….
no more $ONY music for me…
MW: both – as in, $ONY is out to phuque both M$ and Apple
Advice to Sony:
Quit taking plays from the Microsoft playbook. Bad Karma, man.
It may be true that Sony/Suncomm can attempt to install the kernel extensiions, BUT it can never be done without you first entering your username and password.
Thus, you have to give your explicit authorization before it can happen.
MDN Word: consent as in “The windows version of the Sony CD does not ask for your explicit consent before installing rootkit apps.
The funniest thing is that in the latest Vista build Microsoft has eliminated the need to enter a username and password when you install applications. Instead replacing it with a “Yes I want to do this” button…guess what will the majority of Windows users do with that button? click. automatically click. not think about it click. why bother reading what the dialog box says click. get this thing out of my way click.
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/winvista_5231.asp
“Also, though User Account Protection (UAP) is still in there, it appears that Microsoft is going a less-aggressive route with requiring admin access. Instead of having to logon all the time now, you see a dialog that essentially asks you if you’re sure you want to perform that potentially horrible action (Figure). I need to speak with Microsoft before I can say what’s changed exactly. But I’d be shocked to discover that they’re backing down from UAP.”
Many have said it before and they will all be right…within hours of its release Vista will be plagued with viruses.
Could FairPlay be used in this way?
no more sony for me. if i want a sony artist ill get it by other means. you made me do it sony you stupid fkers.
“Sony BMG’s spokesman John McKay, in New York, was not immediately available to comment.”
No ****… he’s on a job interview.
What a lifethreatening, self-inflicted wound…why did you do it Sony?
MW: Press, as in press the eject button on Sony music CDs for good.
late post but…. Windows OS, installs without user knowledge Mac OS, needs explicit user permission to run and install. So what was that about security through obscurity? Sounds like its just built better to begin with