HD DVD and Blu-Ray hacked even further

Written by Jari Ketola @ 13 Feb 2007 1:16 User comments (14)

Only one and a half month after the first vulnerability in HD DVD encryption was found, hackers have discovered the processing key, which can be used to decrypt all HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs released so far. The key was discovered by arnezami, and it has been posted at Doom9 discussion forums along with a description on the process of locating the key.

Basically the key was discovered by the same means as the volume keys are extracted -- by dumping memory at key points while playing back a HD DVD movie using a software player. Arnezami didn't specify which player he used (or abused) for the hack, but there aren't too many around to choose from really. Frankly it doesn't matter which player is to "blame", because all software players need to store the decryption keys in memory at some point of the execution.

With the processing key out in the open, it shouldn't take too long before tools taking advantage of it become available. One can only hope that the move to High Definition formats isn't hindered too much by this latest vulnerability in the "unbreakable" AACS DRM. AACS-LA can always implement a new processing key, as well as revoke the device keys for current software based HD players (ie. WinDVD and PowerDVD), and have the software manufacturers do a better job at implementing AACS securely. But that will always take time, and there will always be hackers that outwit the software engineers.

Thanks to Pop_Smith and Gidgid for the news submission!

Sources:
Doom9 forums
Engadget HD

<Two million messages in AfterDawn forums >Mexican drug war finds battle ground on YouTube

14 user comments

113.2.2007 13:26

halfhere

Send private message to this user

Member

absolutely fantastic, good job, now I just need to wait for the proper tools to come out.

213.2.2007 13:53

pollution

Send private message to this user

Member

So someone had the idea of news submission before I submitted the idea in the contest?

313.2.2007 14:53

Pop_Smith

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

Originally posted by pollution:
So someone had the idea of news submission before I submitted the idea in the contest?

I thought the ability to submit news has been around for a long time, since even before the contest.

If you mean the line that is thanking Gidgid and I for the news submission (you're welcome by the way) I thought that aD always tried to thank whomever submitted the news to the site using the Submit News forum as you have to be logged in to submit news so the crew knows who to thank for the submission.

413.2.2007 18:17

pollution

Send private message to this user

Member

I didn't know you could submit news before, sorry.

513.2.2007 18:30

PeaInAPod

Send private message to this user

AfterDawn Addict

- Double Post -

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 13 Feb 2007 @ 6:31

613.2.2007 18:30

PeaInAPod

Send private message to this user

AfterDawn Addict

In somewhat related news:

Quote:

AnyDVD HD 6.1.2.0

This version fixes a bug which prevents OpenSeason R2 (UK & Netherlands) to rip correctly. As always, there are many other small fixes and improvements. Additionally, it supports decrypting and "on the fly remastering" of HD DVD discs:

Its beta only and only certain people have been chosen to participate in the beta test. But I had my hands on a setup file and it is the real deal. :)

713.2.2007 21:35

Dunker

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

Arnezami is a hero along with muslix64: They have proven that the entertainment Nazis cannot continue to screw consumers. Although I still believe hi-def to be a waste of money and time - and IMO there isn't anything out there worth backing up to begin with - hopefully the pendulum will finally swing in the direction of the consumer and allow them to protect their investments.

814.2.2007 03:13

hughjars

Inactive

Excellent, both Blu-ray and HD-DVD wide open.

That's an nice little portfolio of high def movies to be had.

Instead of spending multi-millions on DRM
(which not one retail commercial example has ever escaped being cracked or avoided)
they'd probably be much better off not bothering and turning out a cheap quality product the public will buy - in numbers.

914.2.2007 06:58

solarf

Send private message to this user

Member

yeah they are just throwing money away with DRM. Make it cheaper and everyone would buy them, leave the DRM out, it just makes things a little more annoying and stops no one.

1014.2.2007 08:39

Rikoshay

Send private message to this user

Member

Nice one. Anti-DRM FTW.

1115.2.2007 17:06

ivymike

Send private message to this user

Member

HAA HAA YOU DRM-TOTING MAFIOSOS!

1215.2.2007 17:41

garmoon

Send private message to this user

AfterDawn Addict

And someone will crack the next best thing. The never ending story!

1315.2.2007 20:53

SamNz

Inactive

half the time people must wonder wat the point of even tryin to stop copying, its just goin to get cracked anyway. there are maybe (and im geussing for agruments sake) 100 people makin the copy protection and 1000's just waitin for it too come out so they can try to crack it. they will never win

1416.2.2007 10:20

Chanta

Send private message to this user

Newbie

Ohhh come on!! Like nobody expected it to happen??? You can´t help but wonder if this was a dumb move by the developers or who "accidentally" left a "vulnerabillity" or perhaps a smart move towards something else, like hardcore regulatrions by some power driven, moneyhungry corporations that eventually, somehow, ends up in congress and "Hello! abra-kadabra-ala-ka-spam! ITS A LAW AGAINST SOMETHING, THAT ENDS UP FILLING THE POCKETS OF THESE GUYS. It just seems fishy if you asked me...

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	YouTube Premium starts showing ads to subscribers (13 Nov 2024 3:09) For years, YouTube Premium has been marketed as a way to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience. But apparently, that is no longer the case, as Premium subscribers are now starting to see ads on the platform. 2 user comments
	Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45) Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
	Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12) Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution. 2 user comments
	Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38) The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30) When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments

	Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems. 1 user comment
	What happens if you don't update Android? Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
	GUIDE: Wi-Fi speeds are slow? Here are some tips Having problems with Wi-Fi speed and stability at home? Here are some tips to follow to alleviate the issues. 1 user comment
	What IP rating for dust and water resistance means An IP classification (such as IP68) is given to mobile phones, Bluetooth speakers, and other devices, but what do these classifications mean? 1 user comment

HD DVD and Blu-Ray hacked even further

14 user comments

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
	Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product. 1 user comment
	Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.