A few days ago, Sony released a CDs with a DRM protection that installs a rootkit on your system. This “protection” hides all files with names starting with “$sys$” from the operating system. Of course a massive boycott was launched and Sony released a patch that allows the user to disable this spyware.
Now in an ironic turn of events, the rootkit is being exploited by cheaters to hide their cheating tools from detection by renaming the exe files to contain “$sys$”.
Pick up a Sony BMG copy protected CD. The software on the compact disc protects it from being copied, but according to Security Focus, the hiding capabilities of the BMG protection software allows hackers to make cheat tools that are impossible to detect in the online universe. The software is known as a “rootkit,†which hides its presence on a computer, while controlling the system. Blizzard’s Entertainment’s controversial anti-cheat program isn’t able to detect any files that are hidden with Sony’s BMG content protection, which require hackers to add “$sys$†to file names. Blizzard can make anti-cheat software until they’re blue in the face. There’s always going to be hacks that are smarter, better and faster.
This means that the rootkit used by Sony’s DRM protection is able to defeat the WoW Warden client which scans the player’s active processes every fifteen seconds for any signs of abuse.
Countering poison with poison?
Nope, playing fire upon fire.
Sony just screwed up someone’s elses security. Irony indeed.
heh, nice post.