Backstory on the SONY Rootkit Fiasco of 2005

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Dave's Garage gets into the infamous SONY Rootkit fiasco of 2005 where SONY tried to stem music piracy by installing rootkits on all windows machines who played SONY music disks exposing those machones to other vulnerabilities due to mistakes in the code:



and from wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal
 
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I think Sony still owes me a free CD. I did get the $7.50 I think.
 
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What do you think of Mark Russinovich's Rootkit Revealer? Do you think Norton's basic would provide similar ? I searched on YouTube only to get a suspicious link asking me to click.
 
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WWGD said:
What do you think of Mark Russinovich's Rootkit Revealer?
I think it worked fine 15 years ago, but it dosn't work on any current version of Windows.

WWGD said:
Do you think Norton's basic would provide similar ?
I think Norton, McAfee and other commercial protection software have become as obnoxious as some of the malware they are supposed to protect against. You don't need them...

WWGD said:
I searched on YouTube only to get a suspicious link asking me to click.
...unless you are the kind of person who clicks on suspicious links.

Windows Defender and the knowledge of how to change permissions for pop-ups in whatever browser(s) you use are all you should need. If you don't trust yourself when browsing then install VirtualBox or VMWare and browse in a virtual machine.
 
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pbuk said:
I think it worked fine 15 years ago, but it dosn't work on any current version of Windows.


I think Norton, McAfee and other commercial protection software have become as obnoxious as some of the malware they are supposed to protect against. You don't need them...


...unless you are the kind of person who clicks on suspicious links.

Windows Defender and the knowledge of how to change permissions for pop-ups in whatever browser(s) you use are all you should need. If you don't trust yourself when browsing then install VirtualBox or VMWare and browse in a virtual machine.
I obviously didn't click on the link. Not quite that gullible.
Edit: I bet security patches and periodic updates to Windows help too.
 
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1. What is the SONY Rootkit Fiasco of 2005?

The SONY Rootkit Fiasco of 2005 refers to a scandal that occurred when it was discovered that SONY BMG, a music company, had been using a rootkit on their CDs to prevent unauthorized copying. A rootkit is a type of software that can hide itself on a computer and allow remote access to the system. This caused widespread concern for the privacy and security of consumers.

2. How did SONY implement the rootkit on their CDs?

SONY used a digital rights management (DRM) software called XCP, developed by First 4 Internet, to install the rootkit on their CDs. This was done without the knowledge or consent of the consumers who purchased the CDs. The rootkit was hidden in the DRM software and would automatically install itself when the CD was played on a computer.

3. What were the consequences of the SONY Rootkit Fiasco?

The consequences of the SONY Rootkit Fiasco were significant. SONY faced legal action from consumers and government agencies for violating privacy laws. They also faced backlash from the public, as well as boycotts and damage to their reputation. Additionally, the incident highlighted the issues with DRM and raised concerns about the security of personal computers.

4. How did SONY respond to the backlash?

Initially, SONY downplayed the severity of the rootkit and claimed it was a necessary measure to protect their intellectual property. However, as the backlash grew, they issued a recall of the affected CDs and offered a software update to remove the rootkit. They also faced multiple lawsuits and eventually settled for over $5 million.

5. What lessons can be learned from the SONY Rootkit Fiasco?

The SONY Rootkit Fiasco serves as a cautionary tale for companies to be transparent and ethical in their business practices. It also highlights the importance of considering the potential consequences and backlash before implementing new technologies. Additionally, it sparked important discussions about the balance between protecting intellectual property and respecting consumer rights.

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