full-disclosure - the "Sony/BMG" virus

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date: Fri Nov 11 17:20:41 2005
From: toddtowles at brookshires.com (Todd Towles)
Subject: the "Sony/BMG" virus

 Marvin wrote:
> Does anybody besides me believe that this may very well be an attempt 
> by the misguided management of Sony / BMG to make all music buyers 
> paranoid of ever inserting a music CD into a computer for any reason. 
> Think about it, if they instill a fear of the possible presence of 
> hidden "RootKits"
> or other malicious files on music CD's, it may just have the desired 
> effect of keeping people through the use of fear tactics from ever 
> again inserting a music CD in a computer CD drive ever again. Maybe 
> they are not as stupid as they look at first glance. Very misguided, 
> but not stupid. Sony / BMG will more than likely fire some mid level 
> management employee for including the software without management 
> approval and offer a free CD or two to appease those who may have been

> harmed by the installation of the software. That way they get to save 
> face and some poor schmuck loses his job so the moron's at the top 
> look like innocent bystanders. I hope that the security community at 
> large does not let this thing go away for a very long time to come, 
> and even more so takes action to prevent this type of blantant abuse 
> from ever happening again.

If Sony believes that doing this will stop user from inserting a CD into
their computer...they have never worked in IT. While I think your point
is valid and possible...people like you and me would (and should) never
let a company scare the general public to that extend. It would be our
collective job to stop this from happening. Security advocates battle
large companies all the time on issues and in the end...we are just
trying to protect us and the rest of the "cattle" world from pyscho CEOs
with $ signs in their eyes.

We should be able to listen to music on PCs...to not be able to do
so..is crazy. People will find a way...

Thank god..the music I like doesn't do things like this. My music taste
can be described in the following quote.

"Music Created with Machines for a Society that communicates with
Machines.
-Nube

-Todd