With all the talk about rootkits, Sony will stop making its CDs with XCP (Extended Copy Protection). What is a rootkit? Rootkit.com

"Beleaguered Sony BMG will temporarily suspend the manufacture of CDs protected with technology from First 4 Internet and re-examine its copy-protection strategy, the media giant said on Friday."

We are aware that a computer virus is circulating that may affect computers with XCP content protection software. The XCP software is included on a limited number of SONY BMG content protected titles. This potential problem has no effect on the use of these discs in conventional, non-computer-based, CD and DVD players.

Read the entire story here.

So what will they come up with for copy-protection?

Dave

Yes, this has exploded in the news lately! Very very interesting, and quite disturbing. There is already a trojan virus that exploits the behavior of Sony's rootkit (that is, any file that starts with $sys$ will be completely hidden from the operating system). The trojan lets users gain access to your PC via IRC.

I'm not sure if I'm the only person that listens to the Security Now podcast, but check it out if you don't. They've got a more in depth discussion on rootkits (episode #9), and then another that talks exclusively about Sony's Rootkit DRM (episode #12).

Episode 12 really tells some crazy, hmm, scarey stuff! This rootkit on the Sony CDs is supposed to be the best one for allowing even amateurs to get into another's computer.

I highly recommend listening!

BTW, there are over 24,000 CDs out in the public with this rootkit!

Dave