Intel Confirms That HDCP Master Key is Cracked
The high-def digital media has been freed, for better or worse.
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, which is more commonly known abbreviated as HDCP, has been confirmed by Intel as cracked.
HDCP, which is the DRM scheme for HD hardware such as HDTV, cable boxes and Blu-ray Disc players is exposed and wide open for those who wish to bypass it. More specifically, the master key that is used for encryption is floating around on the internet freely for anyone who wishes to make use of it.
"We can use it to generate valid device keys that do interoperate with the (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) protocol," Intel spokesman Tom Waldrop told Cnet.
"What we have confirmed through testing is that you can derive keys for devices from this published material that do work with the keys produced by our security technology," he told FoxNews.
Intel doesn't seem too stressed over the defeat of HDCP, however, as the current scheme still stands to be an inconvenience to all those other than the most dedicated.
"For someone to use this information to unlock anything, they would have to implement it in silicon -- make a computer chip," he added. "As a practical matter, that's a difficult and costly thing to do."
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
-
ALANMAN People have been bypassing HDCP altogether for years now, what difference does this make?Reply -
jojesa ReplyIntel doesn't seem too stressed over the defeat of HDCP
Most people will never know and Intel understand that if there is a lock, eventually, someone will find they way to open it. -
will_chellam It's like an uncrackable safe - all safes can be opened - if they couldn't, they'd be a tomb.Reply -
Trialsking will_chellamIt's like an uncrackable safe - all safes can be opened - if they couldn't, they'd be a tomb.Reply
Even tombs can be had....Lara Croft, Tomb Raider! -
duzcizgi They are trying to play it down but you can use an FPGA & a DSP (these are both generic chips that can be field programmable)Reply
Total cost of dev kit cost will be around $100 plus ~$30 for the FPGC+DSP chip, suct as Analog Devices Blackfin. Anyone who has enough math+programming knowledge to use this key can easily program these chips too. -
cookoy kind of anti-climatic at the end - you have to make your own silicon chip.Reply
maybe this is true for dedicated HW devices but not for PCs.