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Sony DRM for the Mac

Sony DRM for the Mac

by , 8:10 AM EST, November 11th, 2005

In certain cases, Sony BMG distributed music CDs will install digital rights management (DRM) software on Macs, according to a MacInTouch reader. The music CDs install two kernel extensions called PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.

Some CDs distributed by Sony BMG contain an extra partition for enhanced content, along with an application named "Start.app." Running the application shows an end user license agreement (EULA), and then prompts you for your administrator user name and password. After entering your administrator information, Start.app installs the kernel extensions, then quits.

Buried in the EULA is a reference that software will be installed.

The two kernel extensions were developed by SunnComm, a DRM technology company that was recently the butt of a joke article on p2p.net. The DRM technology installed on Windows systems is made by XCP.

Unlike the Windows DRM software, the Mac OS X version is installed only when a user accesses the enhanced content on a CD. TMO previously covered Sony BMG's troubles with DRM technology on November 10.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Planeten Paultje Posts: 71 Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Subject: Well....

Let's just start with not buying anything from Sony BMG, SunnComm or XCP ever again......

Close Name:Tiger Posts: 1018 Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Subject: Sony..

because we @#$ed up and missed the boat. iTMS kicks our A$$ and we have to find a way to circumvent Apple's superiority.

This shouldn't surprise anybody.

Close Name:UpQuark Posts: 92 Joined: 26 Aug 2001
Subject: The real issue

is that we STILL don't own the music - bummer

Close Name:Tiger Posts: 1018 Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Subject: It just keeps getting better

Now there is a virus that actually takes advantage of Sony's crappy DRM and infects the computer.

I smell a biggggg lawsuit coming.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051110/tc_nm/sony_hack_dc

Close Name:fartheststar Posts: 222 Joined: 04 Jan 2004
Subject: so yeah....

Quote
Tiger wrote:
because we @#$ed up and missed the boat. iTMS kicks our A$$ and we have to find a way to circumvent Apple's superiority.

This shouldn't surprise anybody.


Sony, you just made me want to buy your songs from iTms more. And oh... if they're not there... not buying them. It's almost come to the point where I don't trust CD's any more. Yes, I know they're better quality but my ears and iPod can't tell the difference. My pocketbook can, they're half price, and I know what I'm getting on the iTms.

There's beena lot of issues between Sony / Apple (with the Australian iTms, Japan iTms, walkman vs ipod etc. Not cool

Close Name:Al Swearengen Posts: 339 Joined: 10 May 2005
Subject: The other lables will probably start doing it

Quote
Planeten Paultje wrote:
Let's just start with not buying anything from Sony BMG, SunnComm or XCP ever again......


I couldn't find out reading the articles, specifically what do the kernel extensions do, what is their purpose? What ever it is, if the industry thinks that it works, the other lables will probably start doing it.

Close Name:fultonkbd Posts: 123 Joined: 02 Mar 2004
Subject: What about an older OS?

Can you circumvent the DRM using an older OS? Maybe OS9 or even all the way back to OS 7?

Close Name:Al Swearengen Posts: 339 Joined: 10 May 2005
Subject: G3

Quote
fultonkbd wrote:
Can you circumvent the DRM using an older OS? Maybe OS9 or even all the way back to OS 7?


Maybe that old G3 of mine will come in handy.

Close Name:JimWCB Posts: 301 Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Subject:

[quote="fartheststar"]

Quote
Tiger wrote:
It's almost come to the point where I don't trust CD's any more.



Well, you can still trust "CDs", but not all these DRM discs they've been selling instead of CDs.

Everytime a company complains about CD sales going down, I have to ask "Well, how many REAL CDs are you still making?"

Concidering the PC version of this DRM that is installed secretly has allowed a virus to exploit it, Sony has basically become a hacker company that should be prosecuted as any hacker that writes viruses and trojan horses would be.

I do find it interesting that the Mac won't allow this virus to be installed without and admin password, while the Windows version was installed without any user knowledge.

Close Name:Planeten Paultje Posts: 71 Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Subject:

Quote
Al Swearengen wrote:
I couldn't find out reading the articles, specifically what do the kernel extensions do, what is their purpose? What ever it is, if the industry thinks that it works, the other lables will probably start doing it.


They will indeed, unless we make clear to them that we will not be paying them for behaving like criminals.
Unfortunately, there will always be those whose mindset is indeed criminal and I expect them to simply try to perfect their techniques and cover themselves through new laws that will put any and all responsability with the consumers.......

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

I think the web will need to do it's magic here/ Let's say something like to start 'boycotsoy.com' or sometyhing like that. At least a list of all the sony artists that we will not buy any music from, kinda black list, because Sony tries to play a dirty game here.
Any thoughts?
It worked before on other companies, it will grab attention, and Sony may listen.

Close Name:Dirt Road Posts: 1239 Joined: 24 Oct 2002
Subject: Goodbye, Sony

Sony is off my personal vendor list. In the next couple of years, we'll probably buy a new TV, camcorder, digital audio recorder, and probably the occasional portable music player. I can tell you right now, what we end up bringing home won't say "Sony" on the box. If they're going to pull crap like this with a $15 CD, what's to say they won't slip circuitry or software into more expensive products that will keep us from doing perfectly legitimate things with our new toys?

Can't trust Sony. Won't buy their stuff.

Close Name:Engine Joe Posts: 413 Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Subject: Re: Goodbye, Sony

This is just the beginning:

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27568

Close Name:JimWCB Posts: 301 Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Subject: Sony pulls DRM

Looks like Sony is pulling at least the Windows DRM spyware from their discs.

Hopefully, it'll pull the Mac version as well.

Of course, they'll find some other thing to mess up soon enough.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: did you read that linked article?

I just LOVE the last line, so much so that I have printed the article to show to my windows-seduced buddies at work, the line reads..."The sony copy-protection does not install ITSELF on Macintosh computers....." Yeah baby......yeah...

Close Name:JulesLt Posts: 136 Joined: 06 Jul 2005
Subject: Install

>I do find it interesting that the Mac won't allow this virus to be installed >without and admin password, while the Windows version was installed without >any user knowledge.

True, but is still uses a Trojan technique to install unnecessary extensions to your operating system (i.e. to access the 'enhanced content' it needs to install kernel extensions - I don't think so).

I hope the EULA documents what the extensions do, or they will be in deep legal trouble. Judging by Sony's attitude to the whole thing so far, they probably don't even know what they do - they bought in the Windows rootkit from a third party company, who obviously sold Sony on the idea without Sony understanding that it was hacking. Best quote - the Sony higher-up who said most consumers didn't know what a rootkit was so it wasn't a problem.

Yup, just like once upon a time, most consumers didn't know what a virus was, or spyware was.

Close Name:Planeten Paultje Posts: 71 Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Subject:

Quote
JimWCB wrote:
Looks like Sony is pulling at least the Windows DRM spyware from their discs.

They are just changing it a bit......

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Does it really exist?

This info is all over the net, but does the code or
software really exist? Isn't it just vapourware?

Do people really think that spreading the info will
make people think that the Mac has somehow become less
secure?

Everyone knows that Microft Viruses and Malware in general
doesn't bother Mac OS (Classic or X), not Linux!

It should surprise nobody that Microsoft's code allows
third party audio CD ROMS to overwrite kernel code,
given Microsoft's way of handling the security of its
users, but this doesn't mean that normal operating
systems do!

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