AACS sez: Blu-ray and HD DVD titles compromised, loosed into the wilds

It's official, AACS protection on Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD has indeed been compromised. The AACS Licensing Authority was quick to assure the industry that their AACS encryption was still intact. Rather, the keys used to unlock commercial films had been stolen by exploiting "flaws" in "one or more" of the hi-def players. The AACS LA also confirmed that the breach affects both Blu-ray and HD DVD. So it's true, muslix64 and Co are snagging the "title keys" as they are exchanged between the player and optical media. Of course, anyone trolling the usenet and torrents already knows this full well. But isn't it nice to see the rubber stamp of disapproval from an industry on its heels?

[Via Yahoo! News, thanks Philip S.]

[CowboyGA @ Jan 26th 2007 8:46AM]

This just in: I heart Muslix64

[Brian @ Jan 26th 2007 8:56AM]

Agreed. Down with an overbearing, overpriced media industry.

[DudeinAmerica @ Jan 26th 2007 8:59AM]

nice.

[Castle @ Jan 26th 2007 9:13AM]

We knew this already. Volume keys were compromised not all of AACS itself, even Muslix64 said that on his post on Doom9.

[heddy @ Jan 26th 2007 9:18AM]

This is one of the crappiest industry responses to a problem I've ever read. Oh, it's *their* fault, those people who didn't follow the "Compliance and Robustness Rules". Given how absolutely downright bloody essential this protection scheme is for all the AACS members, you'd think they'd have been checking on that from the get-go instead of just relying on WinDVD to believe they're okay.....

[Jeff @ Jan 26th 2007 9:30AM]

"Volume keys were compromised not all of AACS itself, even Muslix64 said that on his post on Doom9."

Who cares? The result is the same. *How* you break DRM doesn't matter; the fact is it was broken.

The bottom line is AACS was designed to stop people from copying HD-DVD and BD movies. They are now copying HD-DVD and BD movies. So there's little point in trying to argue that AACS itself was not compromised, because it is no longer doing what it was designed to do.

[Jeff @ Jan 26th 2007 9:32AM]

Oh, by the way, this was how the whole region coding mess collapsed too - all it takes is one player manufacturer to screw up the whole works. (Or if you're a consumer, to liberate the world.) In DVD's case, it was Apex. That opened the flood gates and there was no turning back. This is just one of the inherent flaws in any sort of DRM - you can't expect the manufacturers to always follow the rules. (Especially when it's in their financial interests not to.)

[Andrew Jones @ Jan 26th 2007 10:07AM]

One would think they might take the hint here. They spent years trolling around looking for a 'better' solution so that they could securely lock up their content to prevent users from doing what they really want with it. Namely - setting up streaming media servers rather than having to swap discs.
Their solution has been broken (yes - hit me on the details, but as pointed out above, it's no longer doing what's intended. In every other industry, this is called 'being broken'). Now, it seems to me that unless this was a feature that SOMEBODY was craving, the protection wouldn't have been cracked. People WANT to play 720p content over a component RGB cable. People WANT to store media on their hard drives. Peole DONT WANT to have to upgrade every aspect of their computer just to comply with some DRM crap.
In focusing on the media they were going to use to distribute movies, they seemed to lose sight of the fact that they are still distributing media. Now that the protection has been broken (on a few movies - fine), I should point out that I would be willing to pay FULL PRICE to download these non-crippled movies and store them on my hard drive - a tried and true method of mass storage, re-write capable, and easily upgradable.
Why isn't this an acceptable solution to the MPAA? Because they 'lose control' over these files then. There is no guarantee that I won't burn a copy for a friend. Then again, given the already established fact that these titles are compromised, that's an issue even if I purchase the physical disc, isn't it?

[Ben Heckendorn Actual @ Jan 26th 2007 10:16AM]

I wonder how much cheaper (and faster) this stuff would get to market if they didn't spend so much time with their ultimately useless anti-piracy measures.

Recall how back in the day DVD was delayed a few years for this same reason? (wasn't secure enough for Hollywood)

[R-R @ Jan 26th 2007 10:34AM]

This is funny, they just don't get it... unless they force the use of TPM for software player, no mather how well coded/secured PowerDVD is (or whichever other crappy windows player) they will keep on giving away the key and the lock to the users.

The problem is, what do we do when we get to that point? Has anyone got a motherboard analyser? :P

p·s· I already don't understand why the industry is not suffering from a massive boycott with all the crap they release and the way they act with independant movies. Take a look at "This film is not yet rated", it's an excellent documentary :-)

[GadgetGav @ Jan 26th 2007 10:41AM]

"ensure the industry"...?
Do you mean 'assure' the industry..?

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jan 26th 2007 10:53AM]

nice...

AACS = PWNED

[Evan @ Jan 26th 2007 11:50AM]

Well, that's the end of studio support of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

All this DRM was to appease the studios. It seemed like the studios were testing the waters with unimportant titles, while holding back their biggest titles (like StarWars and Lord of the Ring) until the technology proves itself. But now that the technology has proved incapable of protecting their content, the studios are going to be even more hesitant to publish their big titles!

DVD reached critical mass before DVD-ripping and bit-torrenting of ripped movies took off. Studios had no choice but to continue publishing their movies in DVD format. But Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are still at a point where the studios can pull the plug in the name of protecting their movies. And why wouldn't they?

[Sqube @ Jan 26th 2007 12:20PM]

To be honest, I kinda hope they do pull the plug and make us go back to DVDs for a while. I mean, sooner or later, they've got to realize that we don't want their DRM and will crack it no matter what it takes... right?

[blahblah @ Jan 26th 2007 12:46PM]

Evan said: "Well, that's the end of studio support of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.

All this DRM was to appease the studios. It seemed like the studios were testing the waters with unimportant titles, while holding back their biggest titles (like StarWars and Lord of the Ring) until the technology proves itself. But now that the technology has proved incapable of protecting their content, the studios are going to be even more hesitant to publish their big titles!"

Your premise is flawed. Were you aware that 1080i versions those "major titles" have been available for years for download? They're the MPEG 2 and H.264 Transport Streams that people in Asia, Europe, and North America capture, from the unencrypted broadcasts, that go out over digital cable and satellite. Television shows like 24 et al too. Basically if its aired somewhere in 1080 it's been made available online. Literally.

The entertainment industry's content cannot be protected. There's already talk of the music industry throwing-in the towel and selling their stuff online DRM-free. Apparently it's costing them more to lock0down their content than they're making in profits.

[Evan @ Jan 26th 2007 4:21PM]

blahblah, I'm not arguing whether or not DRM is feasible. Everyone except the studios knows once something is released into the wild, someone will find a way to copy it.

What I'm saying is: the studios will be hesitant to release content on Blu-Ray or HD-DVD if they know it will get copied. And you are wrong, the studios can protect their content - by not releasing it!

[Ben Hobbs @ Jan 26th 2007 2:39PM]

What annoys me is that if I purchase a HD film that I am unable to use it in a way that I would really like, however if I pirate it from the internet then I actually get better functionality and its free.

When are the media companies going to start trusting consumers, I mean every single MP3 ever is available free for download somewhere on the net, yet iTunes still seems to do OK. Generally people with the money to buy something will purchase it rather than pirate it, but not if they get a worse product when they are actually paying for it.

[blahblah @ Jan 26th 2007 4:44PM]

Evan said: "...you are wrong, the studios can protect their content - by not releasing it!"

*yawn* They don't want to make money? Noone gives a damn, or hadn't you noticed: NOONE is buying what the TV, movie, and music industries are selling. Sales are in the tank.

Their stuff is garbage. Good riddance! :)

[James @ Jan 26th 2007 5:43PM]

Ben, you've got it in a nutshell. The part that makes me unsure whether to laugh or cry is that Microsoft probably invested a few million man-hours implementing and testing a vast network of DRM-protection components, and then all the various Vista-approved hardware manufacturers spent a few million more man-hours implementing and testing drivers that are absolutely invulnerable to attack, and it turns out all you have to do is keep an old XP box kicking around and you can rip the content to your heart's content, at which point all the protection mechanisms in the world won't keep it from playing on your big, fancy Vista box. Wow, what a waste.

[Brian @ Jan 28th 2007 2:42AM]

Think of the MILLIONS of dollars wasted on these anti-piracy measures. How tragic.