TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Hackers Use Sony BMG to Hide on PCs

Hackers Use Sony BMG to Hide on PCs

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Thu, 10 Nov 2005 15:37:10 -0600

A computer security firm said on Thursday it had discovered the first
virus that uses music publisher Sony BMG's controversial CD
copy-protection software to hide on PCs and wreak havoc.

Under a subject line containing the words "Photo approval," a hacker
has mass-mailed the so-called Stinx-E trojan virus to British email
addresses, said British anti-virus firm Sophos.

When recipients click on an attachment, they install malware, which
may tear down a computer's firewall and give hackers access to a
PC. The malware hides by using Sony BMG software that is also hidden
-- the software would have been installed on a computer when consumers
played Sony's copy-protected music CDs.

"This leaves Sony in a real tangle. It was already getting bad press
about its copy-protection software, and this new hack exploit will
make it even worse," said Sophos's Graham Cluley.

Later on Thursday, security software firm Symantec Corp. also
discovered the first trojans to abuse the security flaw in Sony BMG's
copy-protection software. A trojan is a program that appears desirable
but actually contains something harmful.

Sony BMG's spokesman John McKay in New York was not immediately
available to comment.

The music publishing venture of Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony
Corp. and Germany's Bertelsmann AG is distributing the copy-
protection software on a range of recent music compact disks (CDs)
from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan.

When the CD is played on a Windows personal computer, the software
first installs itself and then limits the usage rights of a consumer.
It only allows playback with Sony software.

The software sparked a class action lawsuit against Sony in California
last week, claiming that Sony has not informed consumers that it
installs software directly into the "roots" of their computer systems
with rootkit software, which cloaks all associated files and is
dangerous to remove.

Sophos said it would have a tool to disable the copy protection
software available later on Thursday.

Sony BMG made a patch available on its Web site on Tuesday that rids a
PC from the "cloaking" element that is part of the copy-protection
software, while claiming that "the component is not malicious and does
not compromise security."

The patch does not disable the copy protection itself.

The Sony copy-protection software does not install itself on Macintosh
computers or ordinary CD and DVD players.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

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