Latest AACS revision defeated a week before release

The latest AACS revision has already been cracked a week before its official release. The AACS LA's key revocation system does not appear to be working as well as it hoped it would.<BR><BR>Read More

 

[IdeaHamster]

Hmm...all of the sudden, Steve Jobs' comments about the inherent insecurity of a interoperable DRM scheme don't seem so invalid. How else could the key have been compromised a week before release than by someone on the inside, or at the very least with inside connections?

 

[J. May]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">AACS LA's attempts to stifle dissemination of AACS keys and prevent hackers from compromising new keys are obviously meeting with extremely limited success. The hacker collective continues to adapt to AACS revisions and is demonstrating a capacity to assimilate new volume keys at a rate which truly reveals the futility of resistance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>That is a truly beautiful statement just for the Borg reference.

 

[JediFonger]

resistance is futile &gt-- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif --<br><br>afaik, there is only 24 or somn X number of keys aacs can change before they run out and aacs is completely compromised forever, correct? so whatever the # of times it is, it's X-2 already. we're that much closer to aacs being permanently gone.

 

[Dunlavy]

God bless the Borg hackers. I will submit to them mounds of donuts and Starbucks coffee.

 

[MaxJenius]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The hacker collective continues to adapt to AACS revisions and is demonstrating a capacity to assimilate new volume keys at a rate which truly reveals the futility of resistance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>You've been watching way too much Star Trek: Voyager.<BR><BR>And can you stop using the inaccurate and inflammatory term "pirate" in this context? It is offensive to those of us who make a living hijacking watercraft.

 

[MaxJenius]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Instead, the MPAA wants to have the best of both worlds </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>They already have it... parts I and II.

 

[Semi On]

/me steeples.<BR><BR>Excellent. All is happening exactly as I hoped.<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">afaik, there is only 24 or somn X number of keys aacs can change before they run out and aacs is completely compromised forever, correct? so whatever the # of times it is, it's X-2 already. we're that much closer to aacs being permanently gone. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Can anyone confirm this? I don't know all that much about the inner workings of AACS, but I was under the impression that this was one way in which the AACS was way more secure than its predescesor.<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And can you stop using the inaccurate and inflammatory term "pirate" in this context? It is offensive to those of us who make a living hijacking watercraft. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I laughed.

 

[squeezee]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by IdeaHamster:<BR>How else could the key have been compromised a week before release than by someone on the inside, or at the very least with inside connections? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Its not uncommon for movies to be shipped out to retailers well in advance of their release date. The extent of the 'inside connection' in this case could be some kid working at walmart.

 

[bicarb]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">afaik, there is only 24 or somn X number of keys aacs can change before they run out and aacs is completely compromised forever, correct? so whatever the # of times it is, it's X-2 already. we're that much closer to aacs being permanently gone. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Can anyone confirm this? I don't know all that much about the inner workings of AACS, but I was under the impression that this was one way in which the AACS was way more secure than its predescesor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I'm pretty sure I remember that the number of keys was limited, I thought it was a 5-6+ digit number but I didn't go looking for information and am just going from memory.

 

[uviathon]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And can you stop using the inaccurate and inflammatory term "pirate" in this context? It is offensive to those of us who make a living hijacking watercraft. </div>
</blockquote>
<br>A ha ha ha ha ha ha. -- View image here: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin.gif --

 

[elvisizer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by IdeaHamster:<BR>Hmm...all of the sudden, Steve Jobs' comments about the inherent insecurity of a interoperable DRM scheme don't seem so invalid. How else could the key have been compromised a week before release than by someone on the inside, or at the very least with inside connections? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>either that, or pacific digital breaks street dates for EVERY NEW MOVIE! seriously, there's no need for conspiracy. regular people who ordered from them have had the matrix set for about a week now.

 

[electronicpakrat]

Assumming that the pirates had prior knowledge of the new release...<BR><BR>Wouldn't this hack have had more impact if they waited to reveal to the world AACS was still broken until after the new release (i.e. further lulling the enemy into a false sense of security) ?

 

[oblib__]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by electronicpakrat:<BR>Assumming that the pirates had prior knowledge of the new release...<BR><BR>Wouldn't this hack have had more impact if they waited to reveal to the world AACS was still broken until after the new release (i.e. further lulling the enemy into a false sense of security) ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm afraid I don't follow. Are you assuming they are going to pull this pressing of discs and start over?<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">And can you stop using the inaccurate and inflammatory term "pirate" in this context? It is offensive to those of us who make a living hijacking watercraft. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>++ Arrrr, we be scuppers-awash in landlubber infringers, matey.

 

[foxyshadis]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bicarb:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">afaik, there is only 24 or somn X number of keys aacs can change before they run out and aacs is completely compromised forever, correct? so whatever the # of times it is, it's X-2 already. we're that much closer to aacs being permanently gone. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Can anyone confirm this? I don't know all that much about the inner workings of AACS, but I was under the impression that this was one way in which the AACS was way more secure than its predescesor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I'm pretty sure I remember that the number of keys was limited, I thought it was a 5-6+ digit number but I didn't go looking for information and am just going from memory. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Once the keys of a device are exhausted, you'd have to perform a firmware update to load it up with new keys. I assume this is an ongoing process, where devices have thousands of keys registered but only so many on the device at any given time. There are also methods to load new keys on devices as part of the AACS exchange, but I don't know if that's ever been tested.<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Instead, the MPAA wants to have the best of both worlds by making DRM interoperable and designing it in a manner that, according to MPAA head Dan Glickman, will permit legal DVD ripping "in a protected way." </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Managed copy would be really nice, if it existed yet. It's only been about 9 months since the HD wars really began in earnest, but you'd think that would be enough time for someone to come up with a starter implementation. When studios go so far as to demand that all screenshot capability is removed from players because of a laughable potential risk of piracy, is there any chance they'll let you have hassle-free backups?

 

[whquaint]

Star Trek Voyager??? Um, there were Borgs way before that, my child. There was this dude, and his name was Picard. Of course, before that, there was this dude named Kirk. <BR><BR>Now Kirk is a cigar-smoking lawyer with mad cow disease.<BR><BR>The Borg reference was definitely well crafted.

 

[Tempus --)-------]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by electronicpakrat:<BR>Assumming that the pirates had prior knowledge of the new release...<BR><BR>Wouldn't this hack have had more impact if they waited to reveal to the world AACS was still broken until after the new release (i.e. further lulling the enemy into a false sense of security) ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I believe in a sense they may have done something like that. I'm pretty sure the release process is well past the 'point of no return' in terms of disc contents set, masters made, discs made and packaged etc.<BR><BR>So they have actually picked a time of maximum impact.. it's too late now for the studios to do anything about it unless they want to eat the cost of the entire first shipment of disks, and go back and redo the masters etc. But since the average user doesn't have their hands on the movie, the crack gets perceived as 'before release' or in other terms this is perceived by the public as a sort of "day -n" (e.g. worse than day zero) crack.<BR><BR>What will the 'cost' of this be to the legitimate user? how many will have to update players/software to account for the revoked keys?<BR><BR>If this trend does not abate it is going to point out yet again that DRM continues to be a technology that does little to combat any concerted effort at media/IP piracy and only serves to punish the actual consumer that PAYS for the product, aka 'the customer'.<BR><BR>It surely does not make me at all interested in adopting any technology that is based on what would appear to be a fundimentally broken DRM (or any manditory DRM for that matter) technology such as AACS

 

[BuckG]

Any word yet on the progress toward hacking the added layers of protection Blue Ray has? All this does is really hurt the HD-DVD market until that crack happens, correct?

 

[oblib__]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BuckG:<BR>Any word yet on the progress toward hacking the added layers of protection Blue Ray has? All this does is really hurt the HD-DVD market until that crack happens, correct? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>My understanding is that no one has used it (BD+ I believe is what you're referring to), and thus no one has tried cracking it yet. So for now it hurts both markets equally.<BR><BR>I believe that BD+ will be just as actively pursued as AACS by itself is being pursued. Bottom line is that you can't give a customer the lock and key and not expect him to be able to unlock the lock on his own terms.

 

[Smack]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by electronicpakrat:<BR>Wouldn't this hack have had more impact if they waited to reveal to the world AACS was still broken until after the new release (i.e. further lulling the enemy into a false sense of security) ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>They aren't hacking on principle. They're hacking so they can make copies of discs and distribute them to the scene first. Usually they get discs a week in advance of street date. If they waited, they'd "lose".

 

[BuckG]

Well I vaguely remember reading a few news articles on the web explaining that Blue Ray uses AACS as well as two other added layers of security. <br><br>So you are saying that those added layers of security are option and just have been pressed into the discs available in the market yet?<br><br><br>Anyone got a link explaining this a little? I think I am a bit confused...<br><br><br>Edit - nevermind, my google-fu although weak on this subject managed to rack up enough infor to make sense of it all.<br><br><br>Blue Ray has AACS, BD+ and the third form of DRM is the BR 'Mark'. The latter two haven't been widely used yet as the poster above alluded. Good things to know next time a ps3 fanboy I know picks a fight with me. -- View image here: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/forum/smilies/biggrin.gif --

 

[recharged95]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">dissemination of AACS keys </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>This is all about dissemination. Therefore the hackers are getting help by those in the system. Only way to break a key is by brute force (easy, by not this quick) or by <B>help</B>. <BR><BR>The system is corrupt in nature (trusted on paper, untrusted in reality), hence a bad situation for AACS.<BR><BR>Now if keys are being acquired by hardware hacking/stream intercept, then there's a bigger problem in the AACS/DRM scheme.

 

[oblib__]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by recharged95:<BR>Now if keys are being acquired by hardware hacking/stream intercept, then there's a bigger problem in the AACS/DRM scheme. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes they are. The bigger problem is that they are putting the key on the media that the key is encrypting.

 

[Decoherent]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by recharged95:<BR>Now if keys are being acquired by hardware hacking/stream intercept, then there's a bigger problem in the AACS/DRM scheme. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm pretty sure they are. IIRC, it's possible to soft-flash the Xbox360 external HD-DVD drive (which is USB) and directly extract the keys from the data stream. From what I understand, the existence of a single such device is sufficient to completely invalidate key revocation, as a single "pirate" can extract & distribute keys as fast as they can revoke them.

 

[Xavin]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Oblib__:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by recharged95:<BR>Now if keys are being acquired by hardware hacking/stream intercept, then there's a bigger problem in the AACS/DRM scheme. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes they are. The bigger problem is that they are putting the key on the media that the key is encrypting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>And it's only a matter of time before they reverse engineer it far enough that there is nothing they can revoke that will stop the cracking programs. AACS might have stood a chance of being secure for a while, it really is a pretty ingeniously complicated system, except for the fact that the specs and instructions for implementation are freely available. So the crackers basically know the layout of the house, the brands and models of the locks and safes, and the only recourse the AACS has is changing a few of the locks. That's not going to be enough, especially since they can bypass a lot of the doors by knocking down a few walls. Also, the fact that they have certain keys that can't be changed makes it easier to find the holes in the program once it is updated. It's a lot easier to break encryption if you already know that certain input is going to give certain output.

 

[nbanman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by recharged95:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">dissemination of AACS keys </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Only way to break a key is by brute force (easy, by not this quick) or by <B>help</B>. <BR><BR> </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Easy, if you have a thousand years and a planetful of computers. <BR><BR>128-bit numbers are pretty big.

 

[break99]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by whquaint:<BR>Star Trek Voyager??? Um, there were Borgs way before that, my child. There was this dude, and his name was Picard. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I know this is another anachronism of the series but in Star Trek: Enterprise, they actually found borgs in antarctica.<BR><BR>As for the AACS, what a better thing to say than: Ha! Ha! /Nelson

 

[Mister Morden]

Here's my guess for the next generation of DRM: <BR><BR>They'll store the decryption keys on a remote server and the algorithm will be proprietary and secret. Each disk will contain some sort of serial number in a physical location readable only by stand-alone players. When your player phones home, it will upload the serial number and download the key, which will only be good for your particular disk. The decryption key will be stored on your player locally, and the server won't honor further requests from that serial number.<BR><BR>The scheme would of course prevent people from watching movies on their computers, selling their movies, or doing any number of things that are supposed to be allowed by law, sometimes explicitly.<BR><BR>One might be tempted to think that people would refuse to buy entertainment on those terms, but seriously, what are they going to do? Read a book?

 

[zathras2]

In other news, AACS LA will make water no longer wet.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Break99:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by whquaint:<BR>Star Trek Voyager??? Um, there were Borgs way before that, my child. There was this dude, and his name was Picard. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I know this is another anachronism of the series but in Star Trek: Enterprise, they actually found borgs in antarctica. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Yes but those were the remnants of the Borgs that traveled back in time in First Contact, so really they didn't exist that far back in the past before that movie.

 

[random_name]

Does the ability of AnyDVD to remove AACS have anything to do with the compromised volume key/ volume keys in general? I was under the assumption that they had somehow obtained/found/cracked some set of device keys (from software players), all of which have apparently not been revoked (or they have cracked newer versions of the software players).<BR><BR>So (if my guess is right) this can not be called a new crack, and it doesn't involve the new volume key.<BR><BR>"afaik, there is only 24 or somn X number of keys aacs can change before they run out and aacs is completely compromised forever, correct? so whatever the # of times it is, it's X-2 already. we're that much closer to aacs being permanently gone."<BR><BR>I think you're thinking about HDCP, where the space is forty dimensional, so forty linearly independent keys will crack it completely (which means around 70 random keys). AACS is far more complex, as far as I know.<BR><BR>What comes to BD+, each disk can have its own encryption algorithm, so their keys/algorithms can not be exhausted. (But there might be some systematic ways to attack it.)

 

[break99]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by zathras2:<br><blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Break99:<br><blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by whquaint:<br>Star Trek Voyager??? Um, there were Borgs way before that, my child. There was this dude, and his name was Picard. </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>I know this is another anachronism of the series but in Star Trek: Enterprise, they actually found borgs in antarctica. </div>
</blockquote>
<br>Yes but those were the remnants of the Borgs that traveled back in time in First Contact, so really they didn't exist that far back in the past before that movie. </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>I accept your explanation sir. I stand corrected. For a guy who saw all of TOS,TNG,Voyager and Enterprise, I'm pretty ashamed of myself right now. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif --

 

[Sulla]

LOL, Trekker hubris.

 

[electronicpakrat]

<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Smack:<br>They aren't hacking on principle. </div>
</blockquote>
<br><br>Ah, yes. I agree. That makes sense. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif --

 

[russ-iha]

BD+ is just a Java decryption routine so they can change the encryption without rolling out new firmware/players.<BR><BR>In reality, BD+ is even easier to crack because you've got java byte code at your finger tips that do the decryption; all you need is the keys, in which case you're subject to the exact same issue AACS, CSS, and all the others run into: The keys must be present on the media that also hosts the encrypted content. <BR><BR>No matter how complicated you make it everyone is still just playing hide and go seek with the keys.

 

[blasikov]

I have such a personal distain for DRM in general that I find myself smiling at the fact that it is being circumvented so easily.<BR><BR>One more nail in the coffin for such draconian measures.