AACS decrypted?

[Tahir2]

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=119871

Found the link in an Inquirer story.

 

[archie4oz]

Well no not really, AACS isn't "encrypted" to begin with. What's basically happened was that CyberLink's implementation was compromized (or more specifically it's keys were). What this means is that there's a good chance that the AACS Licensing Authority will revoke the key, and CyberLink will have release a new version of PowerDVD (obviously with a different implementation). Movies released after the keys have ben revoked (and possibly new stampings of movies released before the compromize) will probably not play on the compromized version of PowerDVD.

 

[Tahir2]

Saving a key to a file and to memory probably wasn't such a good idea.
I am just wondering what will happen to the guy. He doesn't seem to be too bothered that he might get taken to court.

 

[archie4oz]

Does he live in a country that has provisions similar to the DMCA's with regards to reverse engineering?

 

[Skrying]

Does he live in a country that has provisions similar to the DMCA's with regards to reverse engineering?

I do not believe he is reverse engineering.

 

[BRiT]

I do not believe he is reverse engineering.

There is no reverse engineering going on at all in the HD-DVD Backup program. He is merely providing a Java implementation based on the AACS specifications. The package floating around out there still needs the user to specify and provide a Title Key in order for the program to function. As long as he never distributes a package with such keys, he's not doing anything wrong -- even in a country with DMCA.

The real 'hacking' comes in determing the Title Key from a legit software player, such as CyberLink PowerDVD.

 

[bloodbob]

What this means is that there's a good chance that the AACS Licensing Authority will revoke the key, and CyberLink will have release a new version of PowerDVD (obviously with a different implementation). Movies released after the keys have ben revoked (and possibly new stampings of movies released before the compromize) will probably not play on the compromized version of PowerDVD.

I don't know that much about AACS but where does the revocation stuff happen is it on the physical HD-DVD player or the in application? if the application in question will still extract the key before disabling itself

Also you have to wonder since powerdvd is storing the key unencrypted in memory is this an effective copy protection method? if not then it becomes somewhat more legal.