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The Month: Another security faux-pas

Another month, another security faux-pas. This time, Hollywood's advanced access content system (AACS) for securing high-definition video (HD DVDs) has come under fire.

A hacker calling himself arnezami has claimed on a discussion board thathe has found the master key to the copy protection process, firstly byreading the volume key, then identifying the processing key. Combiningthe two allowed him to unlock the copy protection. No hacking tools orreverse engineering was required, according to arnezami.

This attack will, in theory, work for every Blu-ray and HD DVD discreleased so far. Although content owners could change or revoke the keysin question, the crackers argue that the hack will reveal the new onesjust as easily.

AACS was founded by IBM, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, Panasonic(Matsushita Electric), Sony, Toshiba, the Walt Disney Company and WarnerBros Studios.

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