Hacked?

[pcostanza]

http://www.foxnews.c...hd-tv-set-free/

Much to the chagrin of the entertainment industry, the encryption that protects most high-definition video content may have just been cracked.

Intel Corp. officials confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com an investigation into a security breach, possibly a fundamental compromise of High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) -- the digital rights management software that governs every device that plays high-def content.

HDCP is the main means of encoding and protecting HDTV broadcasts, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and more, and reports Tuesday suggested that a hole in the security scheme had been uncovered. Representatives from Intel, which invented the specification, acknowledged that they were investigating the security breach.

"We're familiar with the rumors that are out there on the alleged HDCP compromise and are currently investigating it," Intel officials told Fox News. "We have so far been unable to verify. So at this point, any alleged hack is speculative and rumor."

Stephen Balogh, a business development manager at Intel and president of Digital Content Protection LLC -- the group that oversees licensing of the HDCP specification -- confirmed that the group is investigating the breach. Were the hack eventually verified, "it would represent a free-for-all on a ton of content currently protected by HDCP," wrote one technology enthusiast website.


Most commonly found in Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and many high-definition displays, HDCP prevents the copying of audio and video content as it travels across the cables that connect HD devices. It's required to send a video across the thin, flat HDMI cables that link most new flat-panel TV to gaming systems, Blu-ray players, or whatever.

According to computing experts, the hack unlocks protected content by providing a "master key," which could be used to strip that encryption from, say, the link between your cable box and your DVR. Without those restrictions, a nefarious user could make unlimited copies -- rendering the copy-protection software useless.

The potential for such a hack has been theorized for years; in 2001, researchers warned of a possible loophole in HDCP, possibly similar to what was used in this hack.

HDCP has been used by Apple's iTunes for nearly two years, said tech-news site Betanews. Since some purchased movies will not playback on incompatible displays, however, the protection software has proved frustrating for some law-abiding consumers.

But even if the HDCP crack were authenticated, it would hardly signal the end of digital rights management or the philosophy behind it. After all, HDCP is just one of many such solutions -- albeit the most popular one. That didn't stop content pirates and others who share media illegally from thrilling at the news on message boards and forums. If the security were broken, the quality of illegal movie and TV downloads might have just gotten a whole lot better, they reasoned.

Not all technology enthusiasts were giddy about the news, however. One comment on the popular blog Engadget summed up the other side of the story.

"Stupid pirates celebrate when something like this happens, and then whine when the effects of this involve stronger DRM protection, and higher DVD and movie ticket prices. How about instead of breaking the law, you go buy and support the millions of employeesPosted Image who work hard to create this stuff?"

[johnsonx42]

This has always been the problem with copy protection schemes: they rarely deter the real pirates for long, and usually serve only to frustrate legitimate users who actually did pay for the content. Alternately legitimate users simply do without premium content, as it's so encumbered with DRM they're unable to use it in the manner they wish.

[pBS]

and what about AnyDVDHD? it's been removing hdcp on blurays for years...
tho i suppose this is more versatile..

and they keep calling it a breech?
like someone stole the master key from Intel...

[soccerdad]

Assuming they understand they will eventually be hacked anyway, then they should make it easier for legetimate users to do the basic things like we want to do. If they put in systems that allow the consumers to do what they want in a cost effective manner, then less consumers will be forced outside of the law. In concept, that's what cable card should do. The hackers will always be there, but at least the companies can make money off of the people that want to do the right thing.

If I understand it correctly, you can use an HD PVR today to make darn good copies of any movie you want (playing off PPV or a blue ray). You can capture any music track in the world off of net radio. Finding ways to get and copy stuff is easy, even without the breech. The only people this "protection" is foiling is us, since they won't allow us to use what we already pay for.The "bad guys" already can get it easily. True, the quality might be a little better, but most people that are buying or using the bootlegs don't know the difference, or don't care.

[martint123]

Intel has confirmed Blu-ray HDCP encryption is cracked after admitting a leaked master key is the real deal.