RSS
Twitter
Did Someone Not Pay Attention? Rootkits Found On New DVDs
from the whoops dept
You would think, given all of the negative publicity surrounding the Sony BMG rootkit fiasco, that any company releasing content with copy protection would be careful to make sure that copy protection didn't use rootkit-like functionality. If you thought so, unfortunately, you'd be wrong. Digg points us to an F-Secure blog post claiming that the German version of the DVD Mr. & Mrs. Smith has some new copy protection that at least has "rootkit-like cloaking technology." The Digg post incorrectly blames Sony BMG, who appear to have nothing to do with this DVD (it's a 20th Century Fox offering). It's also not clear from the description how bad the rootkit is. Either way, it seems a bit shortsighted of any company to take such a risk these days.
Reader Comments
(Flattened / Threaded)
Is it worth it?
Is it even worth the time and money developing and placing such malicious content on their DVD?
Last I recall I seen thousands of copies of this movie floating around the net for a long time now.
The only benifit to copying the actual released DVD is for the extra content and surround sound. But honestly now... any damage that could have been done by allowing others to see the movie without purchasing it has already been done 10 times over. Way before their 'official' DVD version of the movie with their copy prevention technology ever came to be.
All that does is raise the cost of the DVD for sale to consumers who do not deal with Pirate movies, and in that case, once again it is only their core consumers that get hurt, not the ones stealing.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
oy
Why am I not surprised?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
farenheight 1984
Which will be our downfall, our greed, or our natural instinct for self preservation?
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
No Subject Given
It's amazing how effective the rootkit is at preventing piracy http://isohunt.com/torrents.php?ihq=Mr.+Mrs.+Smith+german&ext=&op=and
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: No Subject Given
nice.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
No Subject Given
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
whos the pirates?
okay so i think we should ask ourselfs this question...who r the pirates and criminals here??? keep in mind that the vast majority of end users do NOT engage in any illegal activities re. digital media, so why do the content providers think they need to punish us and infect our systems with this crap???
and they call us the problem...
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: whos the pirates?
It's an interesting conflict. The media
executives need a scapegoat for their bad
decisions and lack of performance. So they
blame the very people they depend on for
their success. You didn't buy their crap,
but it's not crap, it's gold! So if you're
not buying it, you must be stealing it. The
notion that it's crap never enters their
greedy little minds.
They loath the public because they are media
moguls, and elite class that rules the lives
of the mega-stars but it truth if it doesn't
play in Peoria they sunk.
This also explains the propensity for people
in the media for taking extreme stances on
issues they believe lends them some sense of
moral superiority. They're not pandering to
the public as they grub for money, no, they're
leading the great unwashed masses into the
light.
Note to the media executives; stop foisting
crap on the public and your sales will increase.
It's not pirates that are the problem, it's the
product.
Note to the performers; You're entertainers,
nothing more. Your success depends on the
public. I know, it's a bitter pill to swallow.
The fact that you're successful does not imbue
you with special insight, greater intelligence,
or a mandate to express your views on any issue.
Shut up and dance/act/sing then pick up your
money from the stage and leave.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
It isnt about crap
Once everybody realizes this, it will all make sense: the MONEY people have NOTHING to do with the quality of a movie. that is like Yelling at the Restraunt owner about a lousy meal.
If the restaunt owner has a consistently full restraunt and is making money, he isnt going to give a crap about complaints of food quality (ex. McDonalds)
So, the people that are in charge of the MONEY wouldnt care if they were given BLANK DISKS! their JOB is to make as much money with the CRAP they are given! They don't even realize WHY it is easier to sell movies like Million-Dollar-Baby and harder to sell Stealth or Riddick.
As far as they are concerned, there should be ONE sure-fire way to make 150 million dollars with EVERY DVD they sell.
Yep. Uh-huh.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Re: It isnt about crap
They are responsible. A bad investment is
a bad investment.
If the people with money decide to bankroll
a movie that is crap and it's a bomb at the
box office, then they don't make money.
It is about crap. Sure, they don't care if
it's crap or not but the consumers do.
The reason for poor sales is this, the
product stinks. Not because of pirates.
Sure pirates cut into sales but that is
a minor factor.
No one will buy a DVD for 150 million
dollars. Reduction to an absurdity is
not a compelling argument.
(reply to this comment) (link to this comment)
Add Your Comment