Deja Vu: Sony Using Rootkits Again
A line of USB drives sold by Sony Electronics
installs files in a hidden folder that can be accessed and used by
hackers.
A line of USB drives sold by Sony Electronics installs
files in a hidden folder that can be accessed and used by hackers, a Finnish
security company charged Monday, raising the specter of a replay of the fiasco
that hit Sony’s music arm two years ago when researchers discovered that
its copy protection software used rootkit-like
technologies.
According to F-Secure Corp., the fingerprint-reader software included with the Sony MicroVault USM-F line of flash drives installs a driver that hides in a hidden directory under “c:\windows”. That directory, and the files within it, are not visible through Windows’ usual APIs.
“[But] if you know the name of the directory, it is possible to enter the hidden directory using [the] Command Prompt and it is possible to create new hidden files,” said Mika Tolvanen. “There are also ways to run files from this directory.”
There are few companies as consistent as Sony.
According to F-Secure Corp., the fingerprint-reader software included with the Sony MicroVault USM-F line of flash drives installs a driver that hides in a hidden directory under “c:\windows”. That directory, and the files within it, are not visible through Windows’ usual APIs.
“[But] if you know the name of the directory, it is possible to enter the hidden directory using [the] Command Prompt and it is possible to create new hidden files,” said Mika Tolvanen. “There are also ways to run files from this directory.”
There are few companies as consistent as Sony.
Posted: Tue - August 28, 2007 at 05:48 AM