Slitherine

quote:



Starforce is a
TrojanKit:
Definition:
1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

Starforce once installed is constantly checking your system and sending info to drives interferring with streams back and forth.

SF is so over zealous about its sector checking that if it loses these it will refuse to function. On top of this, XP reads this as a disk I/O error. Which in turn causes it to step down the IDE speed to compensate. Eventually it will step down to the older 16 bit mode which disables DMA access altogether. No DMA means.

1. No Digital access to play audio CD’s
2. Unable to play DVD videos from DVD
3. Most current CD/DVD Games/Application will not run.
4. CD/DVD writing becomes almost impossible (Up to 2 hours for a full DVD on 16x DVD writer) and it will make many coasters even on burn proof drives.

The issues concerning DMA can be cured by uninstalling SF and then uninstalling the CD/DVD drivers as well as the Primary and Secondary IDE controllers. Forcing XP to reload those drivers.

Hardware failure:
A lot of new CD/DVD hardware is not PIO mode compatible. Thus any period of time being used in this old 16bit mode can be interpreted by some drives as attempts to Overburn/Read an excessively over burned disk. I.E in over burning you force the laser to go right to the edge of the disk. This results in the laser in many cases hitting the side casing of its guide and in turn stripping the threads off the worm gear. Basically it trashes the hardware.

Some drives also interpret the search for specific sectors indicated by SF as an over burn read/write command.

Security:
SF opens up Ring 0 (super user level) access to Ring 3 (User level applications).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

I wonder how many more Publishers will follow Ubi's example, I really do hope that this is the end of SF.

I am also hoping (but not holding my breath) that patches will be issued for the games that I have already bought that will allow them to run without SF.

Found this info on the web, can't really speak for its accuracy, but it makes me want to err on the side of caution.

quote:



Starforce is a
TrojanKit:
Definition:
1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

Starforce once installed is constantly checking your system and sending info to drives interferring with streams back and forth.

SF is so over zealous about its sector checking that if it loses these it will refuse to function. On top of this, XP reads this as a disk I/O error. Which in turn causes it to step down the IDE speed to compensate. Eventually it will step down to the older 16 bit mode which disables DMA access altogether. No DMA means.

1. No Digital access to play audio CD’s
2. Unable to play DVD videos from DVD
3. Most current CD/DVD Games/Application will not run.
4. CD/DVD writing becomes almost impossible (Up to 2 hours for a full DVD on 16x DVD writer) and it will make many coasters even on burn proof drives.

The issues concerning DMA can be cured by uninstalling SF and then uninstalling the CD/DVD drivers as well as the Primary and Secondary IDE controllers. Forcing XP to reload those drivers.

Hardware failure:
A lot of new CD/DVD hardware is not PIO mode compatible. Thus any period of time being used in this old 16bit mode can be interpreted by some drives as attempts to Overburn/Read an excessively over burned disk. I.E in over burning you force the laser to go right to the edge of the disk. This results in the laser in many cases hitting the side casing of its guide and in turn stripping the threads off the worm gear. Basically it trashes the hardware.

Some drives also interpret the search for specific sectors indicated by SF as an over burn read/write command.

Security:
SF opens up Ring 0 (super user level) access to Ring 3 (User level applications).

Cheers

Jev

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

Rhonda, make sure yoo follow he instructions in my earlier post regarding the Nonplug an PLay devices.

Cheers

Jev

http://www.spwaw.com/phpBB2/index.php

quote:

ORIGINAL: Goblin

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

Rhonda, make sure yoo follow he instructions in my earlier post regarding the Nonplug an PLay devices.

Cheers

Jev

This is how I checked to see if it worked or not. My thanks Jev!



Goblin