Recorder Identification Code - tracking back CD writers?
Seems there is a danger hidden in distributing officially unsanctioned data on CDs. There is a technical measure that allow tracking the CDs back to the writer they were created with. We should be aware about this for any scheme that relies on distribution of physical CD-R/RW media. According to Orange Book Part2 Ver 3.1, the CD recorders are supposed to write RID (Recorder IDentification Code), a 97-bit number identifying brand, type, and serial number of the recorder, every 100 frames in the Q-channel to all CD-R and CD-RW disks. There was something principially similar discussed here in 1999, related to Xerox using steganography for embedding serial number of the copier in color copies. Never trust a device whose firmware you can't audit... See: http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Glossary/Details.asp?RelatedID=630 http://www.disctronics.co.uk/technology/glossary/glossary_qr.htm http://www.feurio.com/English/faq/faq_writer_snr.shtml http://www.licensing.philips.com/information/sid/
At 11:32 PM 5/22/2003 +0200, Thomas Shaddack wrote:
According to Orange Book Part2 Ver 3.1, the CD recorders are supposed to write RID (Recorder IDentification Code), a 97-bit number identifying brand, type, and serial number of the recorder, every 100 frames in the Q-channel to all CD-R and CD-RW disks.
There was something principially similar discussed here in 1999, related to Xerox using steganography for embedding serial number of the copier in color copies.
Never trust a device whose firmware you can't audit...
You mis-spelled "edit" landon [re-lurking]
On Thu, May 22, 2003 at 11:32:02PM +0200, Thomas Shaddack wrote:
Seems there is a danger hidden in distributing officially unsanctioned data on CDs. There is a technical measure that allow tracking the CDs back to the writer they were created with. We should be aware about this for any scheme that relies on distribution of physical CD-R/RW media.
According to Orange Book Part2 Ver 3.1, the CD recorders are supposed to write RID (Recorder IDentification Code), a 97-bit number identifying brand, type, and serial number of the recorder, every 100 frames in the Q-channel to all CD-R and CD-RW disks.
You should be able to circumvent this by writing your CD-R in RAW mode, where
you can control what's going into the Q-channel.
Sources [1],[2] seem to imply to me that this is only limited to consumer
audio CD recorders anyway. Further investigation ongoing.
Cheers,
Ralf
[1] http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq02.html#S2-26
[2] http://www.mitsuicdrstore.com/SCMS_nh.html
--
Ralf-P. Weinmann
participants (3)
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Landon Dyer -
Ralf-P. Weinmann -
Thomas Shaddack