Store Bought CDs making a computer unstable

I found this comment regarding a review of a music CD and store bought CDs.
Can any let me know if this is bogus or if there is some truth to it?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

This CD installs invasive, unremovable software on your computer, November
5, 2005
Reviewer: Clayton (Burnaby, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
I have no problem with Van Zant's music, but I believe it is important to
review a music CD as a whole, taking into account not only the music but
also such matters as sound quality and usability. So, I rate this 1-star to
reflect the actual value a consumer would get from buying this product --
which is very low due to the invasive "Digital Rights Management" software
the CD requires you to install when you play it on your Windows computer and
the other limitations imposed by the poorly-thought-out copy protection
scheme.


Here are some facts:

- The software uses "rootkit" or "cloaking" techniques to make its presence
undetectable even to antivirus programs. Only very specialized tools can
detect it. Such techniques are typically used by hackers to control a
machine without the owner's knowledge.

- The software replaces your computer's CD-ROM device drivers with its own.

- The software uses techniques that experts say are poor programming
practice and can interfere with the stability of your computer.

- The software uses up a fraction of your computer's speed (for example 1%)
all of the time, even when you are not playing a CD, by scanning all running
programs every two seconds.

- The software cannot be safely uninstalled from your computer except by
experts with advanced technical skills.

- The software communicates with Sony's computers every time you play the
CD. It tells Sony which CD you are playing and identifies you by your
computer's IP (internet protocol) address. (It is not known whether Sony
keeps or uses this information.)

- The license agreement for the software does not mention any of the above
facts, and also implies (falsely) that the software can be removed.

- The software prevents you from copying the music on the CD to your iPod.
It lets you make mp3s but only low-quality ones.

- After these facts were publicized, Sony has downplayed and also lied about
the nature and extent of these problems. Sony has not apologized or admitted
wrongdoing in any way.

- After these facts were publicized, Sony released an update for the
software. After installing the update, the software no longer "cloaks"
itself, but the other problems are still present. It is still impossible
(except for experts) to remove the software. What's more, the update adds
more files to your computer and still doesn't tell you what any of this
stuff is doing.

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 21:25:05 GMT, "As I see em!"
<custserv@endurapak.com> wrote:

>I found this comment regarding a review of a music CD and store bought CDs.
>Can any let me know if this is bogus or if there is some truth to it?
>

Yes it's true... See the following links for a comprehensive
discussion of the issue.

<http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/#00000691>
<http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/xcp_drm.shtml>
<http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html>
<http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/more-on-sony-dangerous-decloaking.html>
<http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/sonys-rootkit-first-4-internet.html>

>Thanks in advance!
>

Your welcome. HTH.

Cheers-

Jeff Setaro
jasetaro@SPAM_ME_NOT_mags.net
http://people.mags.net/jasetaro/
PGP Key IDs DH/DSS: 0x5D41429D RSA: 0x599D2A99 New RSA: 0xA19EBD34

A pox on Sony and their DRM crap. Is there any way to
1. check and see if this crap is installed on my computer
2. Remove it. Sony has said that you can send them a request and they
will give you instructions on how to remove. Sadly, I don't trust the
people who spread this malware to fix the problems they created.


Jeffrey A. Setaro <jasetaro@SPAM_ME_NOT_mags.net> wrote in
news:u9ovm15onkn10vrdnfcfs8q38a63ert3d0@4ax.com:

> On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 21:25:05 GMT, "As I see em!"
> <custserv@endurapak.com> wrote:
>
>>I found this comment regarding a review of a music CD and store bought
>>CDs. Can any let me know if this is bogus or if there is some truth to
>>it?
>>
>
> Yes it's true... See the following links for a comprehensive
> discussion of the issue.
>
> <http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/#00000691>
> <http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/xcp_drm.shtml>
> <http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/20...and-digital-rig
> hts.html>
> <http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/20...angerous-decloa
> king.html>
> <http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/20...first-4-interne
> t.html>
>
>>Thanks in advance!
>>
>
> Your welcome. HTH.
>
> Cheers-
>
> Jeff Setaro
> jasetaro@SPAM_ME_NOT_mags.net
> http://people.mags.net/jasetaro/
> PGP Key IDs DH/DSS: 0x5D41429D RSA: 0x599D2A99 New RSA: 0xA19EBD34
>

In article <Xns970F283F5F65Ckrennzianetcom@216.196.97.136>,
username@zianet.com says...
> A pox on Sony and their DRM crap. Is there any way to
> 1. check and see if this crap is installed on my computer
> 2. Remove it. Sony has said that you can send them a request and they
> will give you instructions on how to remove. Sadly, I don't trust the
> people who spread this malware to fix the problems they created.
>

Microsoft are releasing (may have already) a removal tool.

Or so I've heard - not seeing it on the popular downloads bit
of their site, but I'm not looking very hard.
> >
>
>

--
Pneumothorax is a word that is long

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 04:57:27 -0600, Kevin Renn <username@zianet.com>
wrote:

>A pox on Sony and their DRM crap. Is there any way to
>1. check and see if this crap is installed on my computer
>2. Remove it. Sony has said that you can send them a request and they
>will give you instructions on how to remove. Sadly, I don't trust the
>people who spread this malware to fix the problems they created.

Sophos offers a removal utility:

http://www.sophos.co.uk/support/disinfection/rkprf.html

Art

http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg

I ran it, and it didn't work. I still have $sys$DRMServer.exe as a running
process that I can't end. This is frustrating.


> Sophos offers a removal utility:
>
> http://www.sophos.co.uk/support/disinfection/rkprf.html
>
> Art
>
> http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
>
>

OK, Well, I think I found a way to get rid of DRMServer.exe. Check out
this link.

http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/board/message?
board.id=security&message.id=13103#M13103

The entry is hidden under the name of PLUG AND PLAY DEVICE MANAGER.

Kevin Renn <username@zianet.com> wrote in
news:Xns970F81E562CF4krennzianetcom@216.196.97.136:

> I ran it, and it didn't work. I still have $sys$DRMServer.exe as a
> running process that I can't end. This is frustrating.
>
>
>> Sophos offers a removal utility:
>>
>> http://www.sophos.co.uk/support/disinfection/rkprf.html
>>
>> Art
>>
>> http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
>>
>>
>
>

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:01:07 -0600, Kevin Renn <username@zianet.com> wrote:

>OK, Well, I think I found a way to get rid of DRMServer.exe. Check out
>this link.
>
>http://forum.zonelabs.org/zonelabs/board/message?
>board.id=security&message.id=13103#M13103
>
>The entry is hidden under the name of PLUG AND PLAY DEVICE MANAGER.
>
>Kevin Renn <username@zianet.com> wrote in
>news:Xns970F81E562CF4krennzianetcom@216.196.97.136:
>
>> I ran it, and it didn't work. I still have $sys$DRMServer.exe as a
>> running process that I can't end. This is frustrating.
>>
>>
>>> Sophos offers a removal utility:
>>>
>>> http://www.sophos.co.uk/support/disinfection/rkprf.html
>>>
>>> Art
>>>
>>> http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg

Be careful with the "removal" processes. Some "removers" may expose you to
worse problems.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/rem...rt=160#14815571

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.