SlySoft breaks BD+ DRM

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 26th March 2008
Comments (17) Stumble
The breaking of BD+ is news you're unlikely to see on the official Blu-Ray website.

The breaking of BD+ is news you're unlikely to see on the official Blu-Ray website.

SlySoft, a developer of software designed to bypass DRM on a variety of formats, has announced that they have sucessfully cracked the BD+ Blu-Ray encryption scheme.

BD+ works by launching a tamper-proof virtual machine which checks to see if the software – or hardware – the disc is being played on has been cracked. If it detects foul play, it locks the system down.

Despite offering a far higher level of protection than the default AACS encryption scheme used on both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs, the BD+ system clearly wasn't smart enough. Peter van Heuen, the head of High-Definiition Technologies at SlySoft, said in a statement that the company was “rather proud to have brought back to earth the highly-praised and previously 'unbreakable' BD+.”

The BD+ system does have the ability to adapt, however, with systems that are known to have flaws being added to an on-disc blacklist that will prevent newer releases from playing on devices known to have loopholes. SlySoft isn't worried, though: van Heuen claims the company is “well prepared for this and [awaits] the coming developments rather relaxed.”

Although SlySoft are considered to be at the forefront of DRM disabling, it's unlikely that they'll be the only game in town for breaking BD+ for long. From where I'm standing, it certainly looks like all that money the industry spent trying to keep those naughty pirates from duplicating their discs was for naught, with the software available from SlySoft making copying Blu-Ray discs as easy as it did for DVDs.

Maybe it's time to give up on technological solutions, and just trust your customers?

What do you think: is DRM a dead duck, or will the industry be able to create uncrackable protection one day? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote proxess 26th March 2008, 09:30
Unfortunately they won't give up.
Quote 1ad7 26th March 2008, 10:05
do anti theft measures prevent theft? hell no they just keep Johnny Dumbass from doing what nerdy over here can do... so put some encryption to make it somewhat of a chore to pirate and leave it at that
Quote alastor 26th March 2008, 10:13
I'm surprised SlySoft haven't been sued in to bankruptcy yet, anybody know why? Probably some American legal loopholes?
Quote cjoyce1980 26th March 2008, 10:55
BD+ was always seen weaker encrypt method
Quote iwog 26th March 2008, 12:30
Quote:
Originally Posted by alastor
I'm surprised SlySoft haven't been sued in to bankruptcy yet, anybody know why? Probably some American legal loopholes?

yeah, the "fair use" clause in the american copyright law, plus the fact they operate out of Barbados i believe.
Quote JohnMartin 26th March 2008, 12:44
Slysoft are located in Antigua where local law is not being broken. I believe that any effort to get Antigua to update their IP legislation to accord with WTO obligations is bogged down because the USA are in breach of WTO rulings concerning their own legslation on on-line gaming.
Quote Andune 26th March 2008, 12:51
Quote:
Originally Posted by iwog
plus the fact they operate out of Barbados i believe.
They are based in Antigua (quite close to Barbados) so they can avoid copyright laws like the american DMCA.
And i love how one of the BD+ developers last year said:
Quote:
BD+, unlike AACS which suffered a partial hack last year, won't likely be breached for 10 years.
Have DRM ever done something good for the companies?
Quote steveo_mcg 26th March 2008, 12:52
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnMartin
I believe that any effort to get Antigua to update their IP legislation to accord with WTO obligations is bogged down because the USA are in breach of WTO rulings concerning their own legslation on on-line gaming.

:)
Quote devdevil85 26th March 2008, 14:09
but if it's illegal here in the US to do what they're doing, wouldn't the US/Movie Studios not allow the consumer the ability to purchase/import copies?
Quote iwog 26th March 2008, 15:33
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andune
They are based in Antigua (quite close to Barbados) so they can avoid copyright laws like the american DMCA.
Have DRM ever done something good for the companies?

I was close, knew it was the Caribbean. And no i dont think DRM has ever done any good for anyone.
Quote leexgx 26th March 2008, 17:18
anydvd i have used in the past to unplayable dvd's in the past to some new protection, with BD (HD-dvd does not have this problem) you needed anydvd so you could play the disk as it removes any checks that the disk norm does more so if your ver of powerdvd was banned/blocked due to the keys been revoked, as power dvd would just see the disk as an unprotected disk so would skip norm checks
Quote DriftCarl 27th March 2008, 08:44
I guess it keeps the DRM people in work, and it keeps the crackers off the streets :)
Quote Paradigm Shifter 27th March 2008, 10:53
So DRM is just a way to solve unemployment? :)
Quote steveo_mcg 27th March 2008, 11:11
And give people hobbies...
Quote iwog 27th March 2008, 11:33
And annoy legitimate consumers....
Quote rhuitron 27th March 2008, 17:39
Hey BD+


HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa

Ohh god, I busted a gut!

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa
Quote Tyinsar 27th March 2008, 17:39
"Locks are made to keep honest people honest"

Let's face it, without DRM there would be a lot more pirates. If it was easier more people would do it.

Look at it this way: If a person around you forgets something and walks away, taking it feels a lot less like steeling than breaking into their house would.

Edit: Still, I'm glad that there will be an option to backup any such stuff I might buy (though for now I'm still using an SD TV)
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