Sony Blows It. Again!

12-09-2005

When I first saw information in my inbox saying that Sony can't shoot straight, I thought it was a duplicate from a problem that happened several weeks ago.

I was wrong.

That was another event. Now it seems they have really messed things up again.

Overview:

Sony, in an effort to copy-protect the music CDs it sells to people, decided to put a rootkit on the stuff people bought and paid for.

If you bought one of those CDs and used it on your computer, the rootkit was installed on your computer automatically and without a notice that it was being installed.

Want to know if a Sony-labeled CD you bought is infected with the rootkit? Visit:
Sony BMG Music Entertainment Website

So what's a rootkit?

1. Bad news.
2. Stealth software that runs your computer as the administrator user (can do anything it wants).
3. It runs in the background so you can't see it.
4. Very hard to detect. Antivirus, firewall and spyware software can NOT detect it (12/05).

What happened after Sony violated its customers?

1. Sony completely denied the rootkit
2. Sony finally admitted it and make a fix for it.
3. The fix contained a flaw.
4. The flaw enables criminal hackers to use the rookit for their purposes (Great)
5. Texas and others have filed lawsuits
6. Now it seems Sony has done it again.

Want to know more?

• Article at InformationWeek
• Sony Suspends Rootkit
• Microsoft Anti-Spyware to Delete Rootkit
• Report About Flaw in Patch
• Another Report About Flaw in Patch
• Report About Sony's Second Try