JamPony9
Premium
join:2004-12-08
Austin, TX
| reply to peggypwr1
Re: Can't Copy Protected CDs still be cracked?
Original poster seems to be referring to the new tech BMG is using, as reported here, for example : »www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm···=8814566
It seems to be another variation of the trick where you're supposed to get the CD-audio on a standalone player, but only the Microsoft-format tracks on a computer-type drive.
In the past this type of scheme has relied on two things: the Windows autorun feature, and some sort of monkeying with the data structures on the disk to confuse the ripping software so it sees the compressed tracks and misses the CD-audio.
Auto-run is worse than a design defect; it is an anti-feature that constitutes a gaping security hole. At least one previous scheme of this kind actually installed a driver, without warning the user, and even if the user opted out of a subsequent prompt. The driver then would always ran silently in the background and disabled ripping if it detected a disk with a certain digital marker.
That's a perfect illustration of malware installation by the autorun exploit. Every Windows user should turn off autorun and be careful never to execute any software from what purports to be an audio CD. This is the only reason this thread qualifies for the security forum.
The other trick usually involves a falsified table of contents or some other violation of the CD specifications to make the CD-audio harder for the user to access. It can be overcome by ripping with suitable software (also optical drives differ in their behavior). Try Nero or EAC on Windows; isobuster on Windows; Grip on Linux. Reportedly the BMG tricks don't work on Mac. |
|
hobie1027
join:2002-05-05
Chickasha, OK
| From the reuters article:
The copy-protection technology is also far from ironclad. Apple Macintosh users currently face no restrictions at all. What's more, if users go to a Web site to complain about the lack of iPod compatibility, Sony BMG will send them an email with a "back door" measure on how to work around the copy protection.
Sounds like the crack is built in. |
|
