Sony BMG Rootkit

[Spike]

If you don't know what it is, when you play a Sony BMG music CD on a PC it installs it's own dedicated music player hidden so deep in the Windows kernal that you can't find it, uninstall it or delete it - or copy the tracks to an iPod.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4406178.stm

To avoid the problem - don't buy anything with the word Sony written on it. They might learn to lower the price of stuff instead of paying $zillions to some digital rights management company to fuck your PC up.

Xbox 360 here I come. :D

[Valk]

I'm way to cool for corporate label stuff anyway. :D

Seriously though, a couple EMI cd's I own, have the same problem. Dont know if its the exact same thing, but it comes with a own player and you cant play it otherwise. Secondly, it doesnt play in your car.

[wern]

I don't like the way that article ends. What's next, porn protection?

[The Big Banana]

Step by step to get rid of it. It aint easy
http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html

or you could use a unix based system that wont give that kind of access to programs

// Using windows right now.

[Spike]

Or run Windows in a similar way with 2 accounts - one as admin to install stuff, but 99% of the time as yourself as a limited user - no installing of anything then.

Microsoft's fault for letting any fuckwit have total control. :lol:

[The Big Banana]

Yeah, but then you'll need one of the versions of windows that supports multiple accounts. Also windows requires admin access for so many installations and tasks, that it becomes quite difficult to run day to day. The runas command just isnt as good as su either.

[MagnumXL]

Fuck greedy people.

[Spike]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4430608.stm

We win for now. :D