Hackers discover HD DVD and Blu-ray "processing key" -- all HD titles now exposed

[Nismobeach]

Those cooky kids over at the Doom9 forums hate themselves some DRM. Not more than two months after discovering a means to extract the HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc "volume keys" to decrypt AACS DRM on individual films, we're now getting word that DRM hacker arnezami has found the "processing key" used to decrypt the DRM on all HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc films. Let's break this down for what it is: instead of needing individual keys for each and every high-definition film -- of which there are many -- the processing key can be used to unlock, decrypt, and backup every HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc film released so far. As arnezami points out, "nothing was actually hacked, cracked or even reverse engineered." All he had to do was keep an eye on his memory, watch what changed, and voila... the processing key appeared. So kick back and watch the trickle of HD titles hitting the torrents quickly turn into a flood (at ~20GB a pop, that's not an exaggeration) when the BackupHDDVD and BackupBluray utilities (or AnyDVD HD) are updated to reflect the new hack find.

engadget

I wonder what paidgeek's thoughts are about this?

[dobyblue]

This could explain the Fox titles being held back no?

[blitz6speed]

LOL, Kosty is trying to spin this as why Universal hasnt been releasing anything. Suuuuuure. They knew over a month ago this would have happened!

[dialog_gvf]

What they must have discovered is the vendor key. That is the key used to get the volume key from the media key block. Now that it is hacked, the AACS will have no choice but to revoke until the problem is solved. That means upcoming titles won't work without an update to the software.

I wonder what happens when rdjam realizes that throttling Blu-ray content releases is the only defense left?

Gary

[JTK]

Maximum PC, March 2007 issue, page 14:

An anonymous programmer going by the alias muslix 64 has created a utility called BackupHDDVD< which circumvents the AACS-encryption used in commercial HD discs. This is the first step toward decrypting high-def content for use on all devices. While AACS is used in both HD-DVD and BD, the latter contains additional forms of DRM that are unaffected by this program In addition to this backup utility, users need to obtain an HD-DVD's title key to successfully rip the content.

[jorg]

will studios know be implementing the other security features that blu-ray offers?

[dialog_gvf]

Originally Posted by dobyblue

This could explain the Fox titles being held back no?

Sure, they may be waiting for the new AACS block before they can go into production. If this is a real issue for the studios, they can revoke the player. There's no need to hurt everyone by delaying titles indefinitely.

Gary

[Blackraven]

If this is a hit on both formats, I don't see on how this would hit Blu-ray without dragging its rival along.

Anyways, it's still too early to tell anyhow.

[Nismobeach]

The only way where I would see this being even remotely feasible is by renters copying movies and backing them up and playing them from large HDDs (re: half Tera or bigger). Theoretically one could store 20 BD25s or 10 BD50s (or 33.33 HD15s or 16.67 HD30s)on a 500GB HDD. The problem then becomes is it cost effective?

According to Newegg, their cheapest 500GB drive is $139.99, so it technically would be cost effective to store them. The problem at that point is one would need a HD-DVD and/or Blu-ray drive, a computer that was powerful enough to rip and play the movies and would also need an HD monitor watch them on that would sidestep the whole HDCP thing.

Ironically I could see someone easily using the PS3 as a means to do this via Linux, a 500GB 3.5 drive in a 2.0 USB hard drive enclosure, a XBOX 360 HD-DVD add-on drive, and some reverse engineered software drivers.

These are interesting technology times we live in friends.

[JTK]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=805485

So are both formats now hacked or what?

[Iceman_II]

Both had ALREADY been hacked, think of it like they had found the individual keys to let them into an apartment or two in the HD-DVD complex, and at least one appartment in the blu-ray complex.... this new hack seems to be more far reaching. Rather than looking for individual keys, they found the master key for the whole appartment complex...

To keep with the door locking analogy, the "blu-ray" apartments at least have the capability to have a smart chip in the key (the hardware side of the blu-ray DRM) which may add a little more security for the content providers.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Iceman_II

Both had ALREADY been hacked, think of it like they had found the individual keys to let them into an apartment or two in the HD-DVD complex, and at least one appartment in the blu-ray complex.... this new hack seems to be more far reaching. Rather than looking for individual keys, they found the master key for the whole appartment complex...

To keep with the door locking analogy, the "blu-ray" apartments at least have the capability to have a smart chip in the key (the hardware side of the blu-ray DRM) which may add a little more security for the content providers.

Alright. Thanks for that distinction.