Viruses exploit Sony CD anti-piracy scheme
Well, it was bound to happen: the copy-protection software found in several of their CD titles is being exploited by malicious software (read viruses, worms, trojans, etc.). Though Sony is working with Symantec to get this under control, one could place that as evidence in the current lawsuits against Sony.
A controversial copy-protection program that automatically installs when some Sony BMG audio CDs are played on personal computers is now being targeted by malicious software that exploits the antipiracy technology?s ability to hide files. The Trojan horse programs ? three have so far been identified by anti-virus companies ? are named so as to trigger the cloaking feature of Sony?s XCP2 antipiracy technology, security experts said Thursday. ?This could be the advanced guard,? said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at the security firm Sophos. ?We wouldn?t be surprised at all if we saw more malware that exploits what Sony has introduced.? The copy protection program is included on about 20 popular music titles, including releases by Van Zant and The Bad Plus, and disclosure of its existence has raised the ire of many in the computing community, who consider it to constitute spyware. Sony BMG Music Entertainment and the company that developed the software, First 4 Internet, have claimed that the technology poses no security threat. Still, Sony posted a patch last week that uncloaks files hidden by the software.
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