Windows Media DRM under attack, Microsoft to issue fix

Stan Beer
Wednesday, 30 August 2006 12:18

Your IT - Home IT

It appears that no part of the Windows operating platform is impervious to vulnerability exploitation, including the Windows Media digital rights management. This time, however, many users are demanding Microsoft not to issue the patch it says is on its way.

The exploitation is actually a tool called FairUse4WM which provides users with a GUI to run a program to strip the DRM off music files containing the Windows Media DRM from versions 10 and 11 of the Microsoft music player software.

Apple iTunes downloads contain DRM that restricts the downloads to iPod players plus other media such as PC, Macintosh, and a certain number of copies of CDs. Similarly, downloads from competing music sites such as Napster, Yahoo and MTV's Urge, are restricted to players that license the Windows Media DRM.

There is a debate raging between DRM proponents and many music consumers over whether music which has been legitimately purchased should be restricted to ceratin media by DRM. There have been a number of tools circulated on the web that enable consumers to strip the DRM out of downloads they've paid for so that they can be played freely on different media.

However, one of the features of FairUse4WM that makes it unique is its ability to strip the DRM off music that has not been purchased but rented at a much cheaper price on a subscription basis. This feature goes beyond the debate concerning the rights of consumers because it enables users to copy and keep music that has not been permanently acquired.

With the announcement in the past day of Universal and SpiralFrog plans to offer free ad-supported music downloads, but restricted to Windows Media DRM, the debate threatens to come to a head.

In the meantime, Microsoft has issued a statement indicating that a patch for the vulnerability exploited by FairUse4WM is on the way.