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I wouldn't go so far as to call it a rootkit (at the moment). It just has functionality that many rootkits employ. As to my knowledge, it doesn't actually give administrative rights to a user, it only allows for files/folders to be hidden from the normal mechanisms people use to view them, plus a nifty call home feature which hasn't been fully probed yet. This doesn't mean in the future that someone couldn't find a way to misuse this functionality, and I'm not saying that this is a "good" thing, I'm just pointing out that it is incorrectly labeled as a rootkit (at the moment). What people should actually be worried about is the possibility of this program to break currently existing software. It will currently hose a Windows Vista system, and should throw off alarms from antivirus software that detects rootkits. Since the software hasn't been fully tested on machines in the real world, there is not a full understanding of what it could break. -Jeff > -----Original Message----- > From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On > Behalf Of John Resotko > Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 9:54 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [MSUNAG] Fwd: Security Watch: Sony CDs Make Your PC Play the > Blues > > This was news on a lot of the online tech sites for the last week or so, > but in case anyone didn't see it, there's a link to one of the articles > about the Sony DRM software which installs a rootkit on WindowXP machines. > At least one article I've read indicates that there is an effort to see if > Sony violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse act with this software... > Since most people don't read the fine print of end user licenes > agreements, I don't expect it to get very far. FYI, especially if you > have users in your environment who frequently bring music CDs from home to > play on their office PCs and laptops. > > > > John A. Resotko > Head of Systems Administration > Michigan State University College of Law > 208 Law College Building > East Lansing, MI 48824-1300 > email: [log in to unmask] > Phone: 517-432-6836 > Fax: 517-432-6861 > > Current Chairperson of the > MSU Network Communications Committee