AfterDawn: News

Cracked WinDVD 8 HD-DVD and Blu-Ray keys removed

Users of WinDVD 8 now need to update their software because an HD-DVD and Blu-Ray disc security group has begun pulling the encryption keys of PC software that have been hacked to allow unrestricted access to next gen discs.

The update for WinDVD will close the security hole and in the process, obtain new encrytion keys for the software.



Manufacturers have been working on removing the keys with some help from the AACS Licensing Administrator.

Hackers recently discovered how to sniff out protection keys by using an approach based on "figuring out memory changes made after playing high-def discs on their PCs."

The unlimited access to the keys allowed hackers to unscramble the content that was ripped from the discs and allowed them to make copies of the movie at their discretion.

With this newest update by the industry, the ball is back in the hacker's court.

Source:
TheRegister

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 10 Apr 2007 20:08

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• 12 comments

• webe123

  The industry is gonna learn the hard way that there IS no stopping these hackers!
  
  And if they insist on protected content, they will go broke trying to "protect" it.
  
  Finally, normal people are not buying these high definition formats anyway, because of the price and DRM. So it is the industry that stands to lose.

  10.4.2007 20:16 #1

• ZippyDSM

  so liek updated new keys fixed the newer movies not playing because the old keys where baned...ummm....and how dose this solve anything?

  11.4.2007 00:05 #2

• SamNz

  as webe123 said (for example i new format is created a company uses 100 "professionals" to create copy protection and as soon as it is released there are 1000's of hackers trying to crack it its a uphill battle that they wil never win (not many things are free these days and hackers are fighting the good fight and not letting huge companies control how we live, i dont even see why they try if sombody really wants a ripped moive/cd/(w/e) they can get it and if they want to buy it they will

  11.4.2007 00:55 #3

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by SamNz:as webe123 said (for example i new format is created a company uses 100 "professionals" to create copy protection and as soon as it is released there are 1000's of hackers trying to crack it its a uphill battle that they wil never win (not many things are free these days and hackers are fighting the good fight and not letting huge companies control how we live, i dont even see why they try if sombody really wants a ripped moive/cd/(w/e) they can get it and if they want to buy it they will
  point is why are they wasting moeny on failed protection schemes when they can make more money offering their products in better ways.

  11.4.2007 01:03 #4

• hughjars

  You've got to laugh.
  
  How many high def movies are now out 350-400 or so of both flavours?
  
  That's a very nice little collection
  (cos - and believe it or not this is no dig - they aren't all aimed at 'the PS3 demographic'.

  11.4.2007 07:17 #5

• Unfocused

  These companies need to focus on releasing more titles on either format instead of worrying about copy protection. Hell, I'm still waiting on a few titles to be released on DVD.

  11.4.2007 11:25 #6

• PRCOQUI

  This new is from http://www.betanews.com
  AACS LA Pulls the Trigger; Revocation System Under Way
  
  Last Friday, the Advanced Access Content System Licensing Administrator (AACS LA), which is responsible for providing the encrypted copy protection scheme for both HD DVD and Blu-ray high-definition disc players, exercised the option their system was designed to enable:
  
  Through the distribution of new movie discs with embedded revoked keys, AACS LA will trigger a self-destruct system for PC-based high-def player software whose integrity from unauthorized copying is found to be compromised. And based on its last statement, the revocation could extend beyond Corel InterVideo, which warned its users last Friday.
  
  Under the system which will get its first trials in the coming days, consumers will be prompted to upgrade their software in order to avoid the self-destruct sequence. The upgrade process will replace users' device-assigned decryption keys with new keys that would not be revoked, and whose identity has yet to be discovered.
  
  But while multiple press sources over the past few days followed up on our story from last Friday by saying AACS LA announced it had fixed the problem, or patched the crack, that's not what the licensing authority actually announced. Rather, it said it had "taken action, in cooperation with relevant manufacturers, to expire the encryption keys associated with the specific implementations of AACS-enabled software."
  
  What this means is that individuals -- including those who claim they're simply working to devise a way to back up their purchased discs, using a method that Congress could very well legalize this year -- may conceivably use exactly the same methods they used to detect the first set of critical AACS encryption keys, to detect the replacement set. Now that they know how, the detection process could actually be faster this time around.
  
  As a result, the stage appears set for a kind of cryptographic volleyball between encoder developers and decoder programmers, with consumers finding themselves not feeling less like the passive observer and more like the ball.

  11.4.2007 14:18 #7

• georgeluv

  ....all this is useless, what about the keys recovered from stand alones?

  11.4.2007 19:49 #8

• Steve83

  Call me crazy - I'll stick with DVD.

  13.4.2007 14:56 #9

• avoidz

  DVD for me, too :)

  15.4.2007 03:47 #10

• Mr-Movies

  OK, I'll byte, your CRAZY... :D
  
  You may not want that nice HD content now but there will be a day when you see the light. I have a friend that finally got rid of his VHS tapes, which was a big step for him, I did it a long time ago. I suppose it will be ten years before he wakes up and goes to HD disc's, even though in a couple of years TV's will be forced to that.
  
  HD Movies are too expensive right now but it won't be long and they will be affordable. Besides you can rent them from places like Netflix which is what I'll do until they drop in price.
  
  As to protection schemes DVD's still suffer changing protection methods and the DVD lovers aren't complaining about that. I have an expensive Pioneer SACD/DVD SD player that is about useless because new movies with Sony's protection scheme won't play the verbal audio tracks but will play the back ground music. So basically I use it for SACD's on my HiFi Dolby Digital Surround Sound system. Mean while I have a $30 Samsung player that will play almost anything I throw at it with exception to SACD.

  16.4.2007 09:57 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Mr-Movies
  thats why you first copy said and lock away the original :X
  or get a cheapo player if you think they wont start reinventing Hdef moive protections every year then you have another thing coming,since both BR and Hdvd are being broken left and right in 2 or 3 years the newer protections will probably not work on first and 2nd gen Hdef players at least if the indutry decides pointless protection systems are the way to go.
  
  In any case if the newer protections are locking you out on your legit player boycott them or copy them or buy a cheap player you have little choice because they have made the desisstions for you.

  16.4.2007 10:20 #12