Sony discs to be recalled
It looks as though the uninstaller as claimed last night, does have more serious implications than the original rootkit, in Sony’s continuing DRM nightmare. Basically, the uninstaller will allow any web page to run arbitrary code and or remotely control your pc. Which is sort of the holy grail of remote exploits. The ActiveX control called CodeSupport that is required to get the uninstaller is the culprit here. It remains on system after uninstall and is marked safe for scripting.
Further, it doesn’t verify that downloads are coming from it’s writer, First4Internet, or Sony. Basically a malware writer could craft malicious software, then design a webpage that claims to require the ActiveX component and use it’s download feature, then visitors would automatically be infected with the malware. A demonstration “proof of concept” page has been designed that does just that. The following link, IF you have the uninstaller and therefore are vulnerable WILL REBOOT YOUR PC proof of concept link, outside of the reboot nothing else will be done.
There is a command to delete the CodeSupport component, given as …
cmd /k del “%windir%\downloaded program files\codesupport.*
(From the cmd shell in WinXP/2000) – Start, run, cmd, ok…
This wouldn’t prevent it from installing again, and may just be a temporary fix…
It seem also that It’s being reported that Sony will recall the affected discs, current discs in the supply chain will not be sold. Exchanges will be available for affected customers. More recall details to follow.
Most of the above from freedom-to-tinker.com
–update 11-15 at 11:47am EST
Coverage at the securityfix. Also, Sunbeltblog.
–update 11-14 at 6PM EST–
The securityfix has news of YET another vulnerability in Sony’s software….. The details, such as they are… are here. Basically it’s a privilige escalation vulnerability – full control over the PC… blah blah blah… (How many flaws are there now in this product???)
But wait… there’s more…
So, you wonder how many pc’s may have this DRM Rootkit??? According to this post, it’s on over half a million networks. This was figured up by Dan Kaminsky Apparently the rootkit phone’s home as was reported earlier. In the process, of course, it has to do a DNS lookup for the site, DNS servers cache lookups to speed finding a site a second time. In a four day oddysey… he found 568,200 DNS servers with cached lookups for the rootkit’ed machines. Now, think about it – that’s just the DNS servers, let’s say each DNS server handles a network of 10,000 machines – then how many might we estimate has the rootkit??? I would say millions of “infected” PC’s is a safe guess.
On his site (linked above) he has images of different regions with red indicating areas with DNS cache information on the rootkit “phone home” number… USA image.. .USA image link provided here, Japan seemed more heavily hit from the writeup. In the Security Fix article he’s quoted as saying it’s hard to find a country where it ISN’T installed.
What’s truly frustrating and ironic is Sony’s fix leaves the machine in AS vulnerable (or even moreso) a state than it is to start with.