Despite all the problems DRM has been causing lately, it seems like companies involved in copy protection just keep trying to create more dangerous copy protections. Originally, they were more of a nuisance causing compatibility issues, installing wanted software, etc. Next came Sony Rootkits which used cloaking to hide its DRM processes and files, but with the side affect of being able to cloak spyware & viruses, thus causing a serious security risk. More recently, the Settec Alpha-DVD protection has been reported to cause DVD writers to malfunction.
Now, Futuremark* has uncovered a very dangerous anti-piracy system Starforce is now using. This copy protection system installs a driver that runs at the highest level of access on the system, which gives it low level access to the PCs hardware and any drivers and processes. This driver runs regardless of whether the game runs; keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity such as attempting to copy a protected disc. If something suspicious is detected, it forces the PC to make an immediate reboot, regardless of any other applications running and whether or not the user has any unsaved work.
To make matters worse, this copy protection interferes with DPM readings from software that is designed to allow the playback of copied game discs, which means that any game backups that rely on this Data Protection Manager will no longer play with the Starforce protection driver in place. Finally, as the Starforce protection has been found to interfere with certain device drivers, some drivers will run in legacy PIO mode instead of DMA, which not only slows down the PC by hogging CPU resources, but also slows down the data transfer to the affected hardware.
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With such a high level of processor access (sharing the same levels the operating system enjoys), the Starforce driver can do anything to your computer at any time. This very ability is demonstrated, since the Starforce driver will force a reboot (not a shutdown) when it thinks it has discovered suspicious activity related to copying. The reboot occurs instantly, and any and all unsaved data could be lost. |
With the reported side effects of this copy protection system, this is one thing I would not trust on any system. For example, if one wanted to make a copy of a disc and didn't realise they had a Starforce protected game in their DVD-ROM drive, their PC is rebooted without even being given a chance to save any work! Worse still, this is likely to give some people a major headache trying to figure out why one or more of their device drivers are acting up, certain hardware cause the PC to run sluggish when used and so on. However, for those who get affected or lose several hours of unsaved work due to an unexpected reboot, chances are that they are not going to get any compensation or sympathy from Starforce or the game publishers using the copy protection.
* Update: According to a news post by Futuremark, apparently they have not carried out any research or uncovered anything relating to StarForce, however this discovery was made by users who posted about this on their public discussion boards.
Feel free to discuss about CD/DVD copy protection measures on our forum.
Source: Geek.com
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I'ts a shame that they take over your pc and reboot without your knowledge.
PPL, don´t buy any starforce-protected products
After using a partition manager to merge two harddrive partitions (C/D) to one (C) and changed the driveletters of my two dvd-drives from E/F to D/E, my pc rebooted without warning when I tried to start a Starforce protected game (Colin Mcrae Rally 2005 - dvd bestseller edition).
When my system came up again Windows reported a serious malfunction in my system. When I tried to startup the game again it requested the cd-key and the game then started properly.
I have now decited to uninstall the two games I own with embeded starforce mal-ware (Colin Mcrae Rally and Peter Jacksons King Kong)
url tags inserted
[edited by H3rB3i on 21.03.2006 17:46]
And about us?...Do you think we are entitled to decide something about what happens inside our machines?
It comes a guy...and destroy you drive;
Afterwards, another reboots you computer, not because you are using something belonging to him but because he decided to install a piece of spy software that assumes you are going to do someting its master doesn't allow...and you unsaved work goest down the hole...
Another one decides to modify your firmware, changing you hardware behaviour...or to install some dlls that will conflict with some other application you use...now better to say "used to use"...
What a nice and fair world...by the way, is today's date the 30th of December 1983?
Can't wait to see the Big Brother coming on the 1st of January!!!!
I can catagorically state that I would not buy a starforce protected game.
Software companies have to learn that consumers will vote with their feet, if they dont like something about a game. Consumers will not support them in future.
Having a low-level device driver installed and running on a user's PC without their knowledge is downright dangerous. This Starforce mob should definitely be sued for this.
that's clear for me.
If you want a game that has starforce, go ahead and buy it, but don't install it until gamecopyworld. com has a no cd patch that bypasses it. Take that starf*ck
[edited by plextdude1234 on 22.03.2006 17:47]
SF doesn't watch over other processes/user actions. It also has absolutelly no intention to reboot one's PC.
All this seems to me as just another black propaganda.
PS. Yes, i'm from SF dev team.
[edited by sage386 on 22.03.2006 18:56]
[edited by sage386 on 22.03.2006 18:57]
Aperently you are not only behaving like natzis but you natzis !
[edited by sage386 on 23.03.2006 14:19]
When i install Prince of persian (Starforce) and my wife likes to play The sims 2 (Safedisk4).
The sims crash until i uninstall princeofpersian.
Then it works fine.
So if you are SF dev team member why you dont have tested how they work with different protection.
I installed trackmania nations (which is free to download from the official website), it installed starforce... my C: drive used to have 12 gb of free space.... down to 6 for no reason! Yet I installed the game on my D: drive.... hmmmm.... Stupid SUCKFORCE!!! 
, i dont know how. but now wot should i do. Please help me. and i am with u guys against this suckforce or starfuck whichever sounds good. "A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. "
I think there might be a legal case here against these people. It is time to make an example and show that this is unacceptable.
Being a assembly language programmer who has done some low level programming, it is really scary that this program has Ring 0 access. Having this kind of access to the processor gives you everything at your command which could include doing some nasty things. I would highly advise against installing ANY game that might install this driver. I am sure some malicious programmer is already scheming how he could use this to his advantage!
