HD DVD DRM Cracked

December 29th, 2006: In a development that could see a significant swing in format support for next generation DVD technology, the AACS protection system used by Sony and Toshiba has been cracked, and done so in only eight days.

The Advanced Access Content System (AACS) is a digital rights management standard that is being used in Sony’s Blu Ray and Toshinba’s HD DVD to stamp out copying of discs.

While it hasn’t been formally proven, a hacker with the handle “Muslix64” claims to have subverted the copy protection in eight days and has even posted video evidence detailing how he accomplished the feat on YouTube.com.

“I just bought a HD-DVD drive to plug on my PC, and a HD movie, cool! But when I realized the 2 software players on windows don't allowed me to play the movie at all, because my video card is not HDCP compliant and because I have a HD monitor plugged with DVI interface, I started to get mad,” wrote Muslix64 in the revelatory post on the Doom9forum. “This is not what we can call "fair use"! So I decide to decrypt that movie. I start reading the AACS specification I have found on the net. I estimate it will take me about 4 weeks of full time job to decrypt that. I was wrong, it was in fact, easy...

“After only 8 days of work, I was able to decrypt an HD-DVD movie! What's the problem? There is a major security problem somewhere.”

Because the two formats are still finding their feet, the release of the crack and source code could have a profound effect on the industry. For example, with HD DVD content now vulnerable, Hollywood studies could abandon it and line up behind Sony. Blu Ray offers an extra level of protection, however, as it also uses AACS it could also be theoretically vulnerable.

While it was expected to be inevitable, Mulix64’s crack has sparked the interest of many and Blu Ray is being touted as the next target. The ball is now up in the air, whether it lands in Sony or Toshiba’s court remains to be seen. Whatever happens though, the next generation DVD format is certainly going to be in for some interesting times in the near future.

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