Sponsor's Message

In essence, a rootkit is a bit of software that modifies they way the operating system works and, in this case, allows Sony to hide files on your hard drive so that they can't be detected or erased.

The worrying thing about this form of DRM is that it ends up making unauthorised changes to your computer and the way it operates -- not a good thing.

Even worse, it effectively creates a window through which the writers of viruses, trojans, worms and other malware can also hide files on your system.

Now have your say Got something to say about today's column, or want to see what others think?  Visit The Forums While you're here, why not visit the Aardvark Hall of Shame and perhaps make your own nomination. 7

Already there's at least one class action lawsuit being taken against Sony for this intrusion and alleged breach of PC-users' rights but the worst could be yet to come.

And, to make things worse, The Register today reports (headlines below) that a variant of the Breplibot trojan has already appeared which takes advantage of the file-masking function of the Sony rootkit.

It's only a matter of time before more malware writers cotton onto the fact that Sony has made it much easier to conceal covert bits of code on any PC that has had the rootkit silently installed.

The big risk for Sony is that anyone who finds their computer compromised by such a piece of malware and thereby incurs any significant loss will come after the company to claim those losses and a significant amount of punitive damages as well.

Could it be that Sony's greed and fear that it might lose a few pennies to those regular folks who just want to back up their CDs might ultimately be their downfall?

Well, given the power that the recording industry seems to carry within political circles (in the USA anyway), I'm wagering that it's far more likely we'll see a law past that protects Sony (and others) from such law suits.

Politicians (especially US ones) know which side their bread is buttered on and we've already seen how good lobbying can result in the passing of laws as draconian as the DMCA.

Quite frankly, Sony need a huge kick up the backside for this fiasco. What right do they have to install software on anyone's PC without fully disclosing the potential risks of that software and what it does?

Come to think of it -- aren't there some harsh new laws here in NZ that prohibit the unauthorised fiddling with other people's computers?

Could Sony have fallen foul of those laws by installing software that effectively makes it easier for malware developers to hide away the files containing their evil bits of code?

And what about all those Moms and Pops who have unknowingly ended up with Sony's malware-friendly code on their computers? Aren't Sony now under an obligation to apologise and organise to have those computers disinfected -- at Sony's expense?

If Sony are trying to convince the market that they ought to buy their music legitimately then why are they actually proving that it's *more* dangerous to put a store-bought CD into your PC's drive than it is to download a pirated MP3 file from a P2P network.

Sorry Sony, this is a huge own-goal!

Tell us all and see what others have to say in The Aardvark Forums

If you feel that this is a good thing and/or you hold a "geniune affection" for yours truly -- then you are welcome to gift me some money using the buttons provided. In gifting this money you accept that no goods, service or other consideration is offered, provided, accepted or anticipated in return. Just click on the button to gift whatever you can afford. NOTE: PayPal bills in US dollars so don't accidentally gift more than what you were intending :-)

Contacting Aardvark
I'm always happy to hear from readers, whether they're delivering brickbats, bouquets or news tip-offs. If you'd like to contact me directly, please this form. If you're happy for me to republish your comments then please be sure and select For Publication.

Other media organisations seeking more information or republication rights are also invited to contact me.

Just add a couple of lines of JavaScript to your pages and you can get a free summary of Aardvark's daily commentary -- automatically updated each and every week-day.

Aardvark also makes a summary of this daily column available via XML using the RSS format. More details can be found here.

Contact me if you decide to use either of these feeds and have any problems.

Linking Policy
Want to link to this site? Check out Aardvark's Linking Policy.

Did you tell someone else about Aardvark today? If not then do it now!