Sony Still Sinking into the Malware Pit

By Mark Woodward, GN Writer Monday, November 21, 2005 Sony BMG’s woes continue to grow as more holes are found in it’s XCP (Extended Copy Protection) and MediaMax spyware controversy. After recalling hundreds of thousands of CDs loaded with the XCP and MediaMax software, both officially classed as spyware, and adding further insult to injury by having a second anti-piracy program also found to contain spyware properties, Sony BMG is already in legal turmoil. Sony has posted a list of the CDs that contain the malware and are offering an exchange program for those lines which are now deemed “faulty”. They also posted an uninstaller on the web to remove the unwanted MediaMax program from infected computers, only to have a third party agent find that once uninstalled, the malware left large security holes for trojan malware to take advantage. SunnComm International, the software vendor for Sony’s MediaMax anti-piracy software, removed the uninstaller as soon as the security holes were addressed. Only a small number of downloads were completed at the time of removal, limiting the number of computers to the critical security breach. So what lies in store for Sony BMG now? Their attempt at anti-piracy software has blown back in their face, causing more grief than good and the good Sony name shaded by legal proceedings and disgruntled customers. Does the media giant try again with more software protection that may cause them to stray into the prying eyes of anti-spyware corporations worldwide or wait until they can perfect the programs that were in place? Only the future will tell.