The Sony BMG CD copy protection rootkit scandal of 2005–2007 concerns copy protection measures implemented by Sony BMG on about 22 million CDs. When inserted into a computer, the CDs installed one of two pieces of software which provided a form of digital rights management by modifying the operating system to interfere with CD copying. Both programs could not be easily uninstalled, and they unintentionally created vulnerabilities that were exploited by unrelated malware. One of the programs installed even if the user refused its EULA, and it "phoned home" with reports on the user's private listening habits; the other was not mentioned in the EULA at all, contained code from several pieces of open-source software in an apparent infringement of copyright, and configured the operating system to hide the software's existence, leading to both programs being characterized as rootkits.
Sony BMG initially denied that the rootkits were harmful. It then released, for one of the programs, an "uninstaller" that only un-hid the program, installed additional software which could not be easily removed, collected an email address from the user, and introduced further security vulnerabilities.
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The Sony BMG CD copy protection rootkit scandal of 2005–2007 concerns copy protection measures...
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The Sony BMG CD copy protection rootkit scandal of 2005–2007 concerns copy protection measures implemented by Sony BMG on about 22 million CDs. When inserted into a computer, the CDs installed one of two pieces of software which provided a form of digital rights management by modifying the operating system to interfere with CD copying. Both programs could not be easily uninstalled, and they unintentionally created vulnerabilities that were exploited by unrelated malware. One of the programs installed even if the user refused its EULA, and it "phoned home" with reports on the user's private listening habits; the other was not mentioned in the EULA at all, contained code from several pieces of open-source software in an apparent infringement of copyright, and configured the operating system to hide the software's existence, leading to both programs being characterized as rootkits.
Sony BMG initially denied that the rootkits were harmful. It then released, for one of the programs, an "uninstaller" that only un-hid the program, installed additional software which could not be easily removed, collected an email address from the user, and introduced further security vulnerabilities.
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