Beastie Boys - Sabotage (2004)

Discussion in 'other security issues & news' started by Technodrome, Jun 23, 2004.

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  1. Technodrome

    Technodrome Security Expert

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    Beastie Boys CD installs virus

    A new Beastie Boys' CD called "To the Five Boroughs" (Capitol Records), is raising hackles around the Web for reputedly infecting computers with a virus.

    According to a recent thread at BugTraq, an executable file is automatically and silently installed on the user's machine when the CD is loaded. The file is said to be a driver that prevents users from ripping the CD (and perhaps others), and attacks both Windows boxen and Macs.

    The infected CD is being distributed worldwide except in the USA and UK, which prevents us from giving a firsthand report. However, according to hearsay, we gather that the Windows version exploits the 'autorun' option, and that the Mac version affects the auto play option.

    On Windows, when a CD is loaded, a text file called autorun.inf is read, and any instructions within it are executed. In this case, the machine is instructed to install some manner of DRM driver that prevents copying. We haven't seen either the .inf file or any of the executables, so we can't say how or at what level it accomplishes this - or if indeed it actually does accomplish this.

    But assuming that the unconfirmed reports are accurate, we have here a media company infecting users' machines silently with a file that affects a computer's functionality, without first obtaining informed consent: a likely violation of pretty much every jurisdiction's anti-hacking laws. It's possible to foresee criminal charges being brought at some point: after all, having a good reason for spreading malware has never been much of a defence in court. And a file that alters a computer's functioning without the owner's informed consent is the very definition of malware. Because this malware can be transferred from machine to machine on a removable disk, and requires user interaction to spread, it is, quite simply, a computer virus. (A worm, on the other hand, is distinguished by its ability to spread without user interaction.)

    Full Story here


    tECHNODROME
     
  2. Mr.Blaze

    Mr.Blaze The Newbie Welcome Wagon

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    lol lmao lol you know i hate the Riaa but this was the actual way to go plus its funny lol

    :D i think they should do here in usa

    but with a disclaimer on the cd with a waver on it

    then they can get rid of riaa

    inless for adtion 2 dollers you can get a licenced cd with no protection charge do what you wish with it

    just pay a littile extra i think that fair
     
  3. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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    I'm dusting off my turntable as I read this. :D
     
  4. blabhead

    blabhead Registered Member

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    from what i read at the beastie boys website EMI/Capitol does this on all cd's except in U.S.A. & U.K.

    EMI/Capitol also claims the other record companies do this also, is this true?
     
  5. optigrab

    optigrab Registered Member

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but is't this easy to defeat? Seems pretty lame to me - and it ain't cool to be lame.
     
  6. dog

    dog Guest

    Hi All, ;)

    Lovely ... just Lovely (note the sarcasim) ... they (the industry) don't want you using P2P, so, now I guess they figure that everyone that actually purchases a CD ... is automatically gonna do some kind of piracy with!!! Talk about shooting yourself in the foot ... give the masses ONE more reason not to purchase music ... shame on you :mad:

    Fitting title Technodrome "Sabotage" ... hmmm. didn't the Beastie's have single titled the same ... was there a hidden message in it? Hmmmm ....

    dog - *puppy*
     
  7. Technodrome

    Technodrome Security Expert

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