“Microsoft said it would remove controversial copy-protection software that CDs from music publisher Sony BMG install on personal computers, deeming it a security risk to PCs running on Windows,” Lucas van Grinsven reports for Reuters. “The XCP program, developed by First4Internet in Britain and used on music CDs by Sony BMG to restrict copying and sharing, has generated concern amongst computer users, because it acts like virus software and hides deep inside a computer where it leaves the backdoor open for other viruses.”
“‘We have analyzed this software and have determined that in order to help protect our customers, we will add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit component of the XCP software to the Windows AntiSpyware beta, which is currently used by millions of users,’ Jason Garms, group program manager of the Anti-Malware Technology Team, said on Microsoft’s Technet blog. (http://blogs.technet.com/antimalware/archive/2005/11/12/414299. aspx) ‘Detection and removal of this rootkit component will also appear in Windows Defender when its first public beta is available. We also plan to include this signature in the December monthly update to the Malicious Software Removal Tool,’ Garms added,” van Grinsven reports.
Full article here.
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Windows Defender. That one still cracks us up. 
Related articles:
Sony BMG infected music CDs could lead Sony into ‘big-league legal trouble’ – November 15, 2005
EFF publishes open letter to Sony-BMG calling for recall of all infected Sony-BMG CDs – November 15, 2005
Boycott Sony – November 14, 2005
Sony BMG ‘temporarily suspends’ production of music CDs with copy-protection scheme – November 11, 2005
Boycott Sony products: Sony music CDs can install kernel extensions on Mac OS X – November 10, 2005
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
All the while Apple is gaining momentum, its competitors are still treating their customers like sh*t. I love it.
How high can one stack improbable BS before it falls over and buries you?
It just keeps getting worse and worse (better and better?).
“‘We have analyzed this software and have determined that in order to help protect our customers . . . “
– Jason Garms, Microsoft
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“‘We have analyzed this software and have determined that in order to help protect our customers . . .
. . . we should probably just shut down Windows and give up. I mean, if something like this can cause so many %#$*(#@! problems, what the hell’s the point? Really. Let’s just take a break. Screw it. We admit it. Windows sucks. Sony’s a distant second.”
Like Windows isn’t a security risk?
“ Windows Defender ”
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That name always cracks me up!
“Microsoft to remove Sony BMG malware.”
Now wait just a doggone minute! Microsoft, remove, and malware in the same sentence? I don’t believe it.
If you want to be rid of malware on a PC . . .
Someone needs to make an anti-virus package that removes Windows entirely.
why is microsoft covering sony’s a$$ like this? shouldn’t sony be charged for this in some major way? this is crap, but then again we all know that.
How about removing IE and Media Player at the same time?
Lest we forget, if it weren’t for the swiss cheese known Windows, Sony’s malware would never have been possible in the first place.
Wow. Good call Microsoft! Sony must be somewhat humiliated by this…
“we will add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit component of the XCP software to the Windows AntiSpyware beta, which is currently used by millions of users,”
I love the gloating over how many users they have of their AntiSpyware beta. I’ll bet it set records in how quickly it gathered a user base. But is that something to be proud of?
I can’t wait to see what goes down when it comes out of the “beta” stage and requires a subscription to keep current.
Windows Defender: defending the indefensible. Now there’s truly an exercise in futility for you.
Wow – Microsoft is addressing the problem, and all the Mac zealots respond by flaming Microsoft. How mature.
I thought Windows Defender was the name of their legal department.
How can malware remove malware?
Oooooooooooooooooh! Smackdown by Ballmer on Sony.
Hmmmm….Microsoft makes Xbox wonder what Sony makes that is in the same market?????
Gee….Playstation anyone?
The Monopoly raises its big ugly head to point the blame on a competitor….
Hmmmm…..Could Sony be the first to license OSX from Apple for Sony computers???
Lots of behind the scenes schemes being played out.
The walls are starting to crumble.
Balm the Impaler will get you, unless you pay for the Defender package. Protection money or is Defender free?
Wow – Microsoft created the problem, and all the M$ zealots respond by praising Microsoft. How infantile.
In case you forgot – M$ left the door open, Sony barged thru. Two mistakes, get it?
And while we’re analyzing M$’s motives… Could it be they are trying to take advantage of Sony’s ‘faux pas’, by ‘playing’ hero just as the xBrik3000 is about to be released?
“We have analyzed this software and have determined that in order to help protect our customers, we will add a detection and removal signature for the rootkit component of the XCP software…”
Read instead:
“We have analyzed this software and determined it would make a great marketing agenda for our own paid anti-malware service because we never plan on offering a safe and secure operating system.”
Two ageing behemoths, losing market share and screwing their customers. Now I can understand why their respective share prices are crap.
Likewise I can also appreciate why c.1,000,000 users have switched to macs and p2p is so popular. Meanwhile one company tries to protect it’s profits by releasing xware whilst the other ships a crappy operating system that attracts xware. Seems like a pretty good fit in a perverted kind of way.
What are Apple’s plans on protecting their customers from this?
Oh wait…
MW: Having–I’m having too much fun at the expense of Microsoft and Sony.
LOL!
The biggest malware company removing Sony’s malware!
Now all we need is someone to remove the windows OS malware from pcs.
I wonder if Apple will remove the (less damaging and less insidious) kernel extensions that the player app for the “extras” on these Sony CDs install?
It’s easy enough for the user to do this, sure… but it’d be trivial for Apple to add that functionality to any security update coming down the pike.
I seem to recall that Apple discourages the use of KEXTs as a potential source of instability; perhaps with Sony withdrawing the CDs from market Apple will decide that such software is obsolete and a potential risk, so delete it… and modify a boot script to delete it each startup. It’s not as if that’d screw users; they’d just run the player on the CD and it’d be reinstalled at that time. Prompting for an admin password *each time* such content is played would have mixed results, however – accommodating people to entering admin password vs. “why does this Sony stuff need such access?”