Remind me never to buy a Sony Audio CD

Basically a rootkit is a program that makes the operating system not see it. Worms or viruses can be installed with a rootkit and it makes it easier to compromise a computer with a rootkit. If you had a rootkit installed on your machine, the author could be using your computer to send out spam, or a just about anything he wants to, without you knowing it. Even if you knew what to look for, you may not notice the service because the rootkit is hiding it from the operating system.

I recently read an article about a guy that ran a “rootkit revealer” on his computer. He was surprised to find out that he had a rootkit installed. After much investigation, he concluded that a Sony Audio CD that he purchased had installed the rootkit as part of its digital rights managment service. The rootkit kept the DRM services hidden from the operating system and made it next to impossible for someone without training to remove them.

He also found out that the rootkit was poorly programmed and could be used for more nefarious purposes, such as sending out spam or hiding data.

So, like I said; remind me never to buy a Sony Audio CD. I don’t appreciate nefarious applications being installed without my knowledge.

If you want to read the article, it is [url=http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html]here[/url]. Be aware though, that it can be very technical. There were parts that even my eyes got glazed over.

🙂