robinsod has released a decryption and extraction tool for the different parts of your Xbox 360's flash. Called the 360 Flash Dump Tool v0.1, this app will basically open up the data in your 360 for you to study, if you so choose.

To keep us from getting past the technical aspects of this application, here's what robinsod had to say about it:

This tool will allow you to decrypt and extract various parts of a XBox360 flash dump. The flash is divided into 2 major parts:

1. The Cx sections (CB,CD,CE & 0,1 or 2 CF & CG sections).
   CB, CPU bootup
   CD, unpacker for CE
   CE, contains the HV and Kernel in a .cab archive
   CF&CG are upgrade patches
   
   The tool will extract and decrypt sections CB, CD, CE. Additionally it will  extract the .cab file in section CE. This can be opened with winrar and the content (xboxkrnl.img) extracted. The first 256K of xboxkrnl.img is the Hypervisor, the remainder is the 2.0.1888 Kernel.
2. The Flash File System.

The tool expects a dump to contain the data (512 bytes) followed by the ECC (16 bytes). The ECC bytes are used to locate FS entries & identify the version.

The tool consists of the exe and CxKey.txt. CxKey.txt is delivered with 32 '0's and they should be replaced with the key obtained from the 1BL. After all the fuss about AACS keys recently it seems risky to put the key in the exe. The Cx sections extracted from a dump will only decrypt correctly if the correct hex digits are inserted in the CxKey.txt file.

As you can see, it's not exactly a very newbie-friendly device. It does uncover a lot of things about the Xbox 360's code. For those who know what to do with it, it's a very useful thing. As Jamie M., one of our other bloggers, mentioned about the device, "it's a step towards understanding how the xbox 360 flash works (kernel / file system) allowing for possible future customizations as seen with the PSP custom firmware." Isn't that a nice deal?

Download: 360 Flash Dump Tool v0.1

According to Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) President Dan Glickman, the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) support for "managed copy" of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies will be available before the end of the year.

This will finally let users create their own official backup copies. Whenever we talked about backup copies, we all know that there's potential for exploitation. This is the very reason why studios are going to implement some other security measures.

Accordingly, once the "managed copy" specification is already in place, studios will be able to specify what options they would like to offer and for how much. An example of which is users having an option to create just one free backup copy.

Other options include creating a version suitable for mobile usage for a nominal fee and multiple copies at discounted pricing. The HD DVD Promotional Group added that the new feature is going to be retroactive meaning discs sold prior to the "managed copy" support still have to deal with DRM.

On the other hand, the same is not true for the Blu-ray format. One major Blu-ray partner maintains that there is a fear that managed copy could be exploited and provide a backdoor to AACS security. Speaking of which, certain reports are saying that the recently compromised AACS security is delaying the release of the new feature.

If you're on the Internet, you've probably already encountered, in some strange fashion, the supposedly dreaded HD-DVD hexadecimal code that dooms the HD-DVD's security. Here's a little history on that, and we'll show how it's somehow connected (even in an infinitesimal manner) to the wonderful world of gaming.

We here at QJ.NET first came across the code, or at least, word that HD-DVD's security got breached, around early January this year. Back then people were speculating that it was just a hoax, and many doubted that it was a real breach. You know how things are in the "Interwebs"; people scream "Fake!" and often times for good reason.

Anyhow, it was mostly speculative until the AACS itself admitted later that same month that the encryption of the AACS system had been bypassed. But they were bold enough to show confidence in their system. They said, "It does not represent an attack on the AACS system itself." They defended themselves by saying that the widespread copying of movies is impractical given the large file sized in high-definition discs.

Of course, the mouth says one thing, but the hand that gives out cease and desist orders does something else.

Read the rest after the Jump! Click on the "Full Article" link below.

The whole Internet community is reeling with the issue concerning Digital Rights Management (DRM) and user-generated online sites. As you all know, a software key that could break the encryption of HD-DVD format has been unleashed online and thousands of websites published the key.

DRM groups say the bloggers just crossed the line this time. The said key was published on Digg and needless to say, it was picked up by God knows how many websites. An executive from Advanced Access Content System (AACS) said that they are considering to confront those who published the exploit with "legal and technical tools."

The bloggers, on the other hand, commented that they are protected by the First Amendment. Digg management, for a time, removed the entries containing the key. However, the users posted an even more number of websites containing the exploit and Digg eventually acquiesce with its users. A part of Founder Kevin Rose's statement reads,

After seeing hundreds of stories and reading thousands of comments, you've made it clear. You'd rather see Digg go down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and effective immediately we won't delete stories or comments containing the code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be.

AACS Chairman Michael Ayers seemed amused by this as he referred to Digg's decision as an "interesting twist." Ayers added that people can talk about the pros and the cons of the matter but publishing the software key itself is a different matter. When you do that, he explained, you leave the "realm of protected speech." He also released a statement telling the users that the key is already invalid,

We will take whatever action is appropriate. We hope the public respects our position and complies with applicable laws. There has been a lot of misunderstanding. The key that has been leaked has now been revoked. This is the first round and will not be the last.

AACS, reportedly, is now employing stronger tools and copy protection system that have been designed to counter these breaches.

A user of the Doom9 forums has reported that he has found the processing keys, media keys, and Volume IDs of HD-media (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray), on February 11, 2007, each a part of the encryption system HD-media players use. Subsequent posts to the thread to date have helped confirm his findings.

The thread itself contains his step-by-step method of finding the HD-DVD processing keys, building on past efforts and experiences - not to mention revealing the keys themselves for a given HD-DVD title. There are arguments that he has done no wrong under the law, since he's just revealing the code that is already on the disk and is not trying to circumvent copy protection.

However, the next steps might lead to piracy (and legal trouble). For that reason this article will NOT feature a link-to.

Posts later on indicate that the same technique might work on Blu-Ray titles as well. Reactions in that forum indicate that they've laid bare the current HD-DVD and Blu-Ray movie lineup on the market. There is mention that the keys could be changed by Advanced Access Content System (AACS) for future releases, though. Additionally, one forum poster argued that finding the keys on the disc doesn't necessarily break the DRM Vinci's Code because AACS could always change the locks.

Still, the discovery is spurring talk of fair use and media backups. Speaking of which, and to clarify any debate about piracy that may follow: the arguments in favor of the discovery of the processing keys do not speak of piracy, but of fair use - the freedom of the buyer of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray titles to play their titles on any player they own, in the format they specify or have (remember, for want of a cable...).

Arguably, that same freedom can be abused, which has led to piracy. It's the old debate between freedom and responsibility.

Your ethics, your call.

The Advanced Access Content System (AACS) Licensing Authority 'fesses up. As BBC has reported, the megagroup responsible for the walls of security on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs has just admitted that the encryption on HD-DVD discs has been bypassed, as claimed by muslix64b earlier. The AACS aren't too worried, though, as they note that "It does not represent an attack on the AACS system itself."

The spokesperson further commented that the large size of the files and the high cost of writable hi-def discs made widespread copying of the movies impractical. From that perspective, they might be looking at the early (and high-cost economics) of high-def movies to deter potential pirates - hence their complacent attitude towards the hack.

Here's an interesting bit, though: Why did muslix64b go as far as to break the walls of copy protection on HD-DVD, then, if the economics aren't suited for it right now? BBC gets the answer straight from the hacker himself: because he was so peeved at the fact that he couldn't play his HD-DVD movie, simply because he lacked the required compliant connector (HDMI cable or compliant DVI). According to him, "Not being able to play a movie that I have paid for, because some executive in Hollywood decided I cannot, made me mad."

So... for want of a cable, what got lost again?

Just when Hollywood thought it was safe from piracy, hacker Muslix64 comes along and cracks the HD-DVD Advanced Access Content System (AACS). AACS was developed by several companies to prevent high-definition discs from being copied by restricting the devices that can play them. AACS is also used by Sony's Blu-ray.

Muslix64 posted a video and decryption codes for copying several films ("Full Metal Jacket" and "Van Helsing"). That's just the appetizer. Muslix64 promised to post more source codes that will permit the copying of even more titles. The codes, according to the hacker, will transfer the video from the HD-DVD disc to a hard drive and can be played in any HD-DVD-compatible player.

If proven, Muslix64's technique strikes another blow to Hollywood's dream of a world where there are no such thing as pirated materials. One of the AACS companies said it was looking into Muslix64 claim.

With the confusion of the next-generation of gaming, it's easy to see why most people just don't bother updating their TV sets to HD. If you don't know the difference between 720p and 1080i then why spend your life's savings on a TV or LCD screen when you don't know what does, but hopefully by the end of this article you should have a better understanding of different HD formats, and why some people believe that the Xbox 360's New 1080p Support system is flawed.

At this year's Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft announced that they would be adding 1080p support in Xbox 360 games and movies, upgrading their latest console to support what is currently the highest grade of High-Definition resolution available. The part of HD which most people know about is the HDMI cable, basically yet another wire that connects a console and the TV. It has the ability to send both audio and video signals in a digital format, something that other cables previously haven't been able to accomplish. Due to this, it is able to support HDCP / AACS, a new copy-protection technology that will some day be required for playback of Blu-ray/HD-DVD at full resolution, hence why Sony have added HDMI support for their next-generation PS3 consoles.

This is where Microsoft seem to have let us down. As the Xbox 360 doesn't have HDMI support you may not be able to playback copyrighted HD-DVD's at full resolution, as only a limited number of 1080p-capable HDTVs can accept the HDCP / AACS signals through analog inputs. HDMI is the standard for HD TVs and for that reason most TV manufacturers have built 1080p HDTVs that are only able to accept the high-resolution 1080p via HDMI cable. Very few 1080p HDTVs will accept an analog 1080p signal via VGA, but this usually requires the use of a VGA-to-DVI dongle - making 1080p without HDMI very difficult to achieve.

An interview with Microsoft on how they plan to have 1080p support for all games without HDMI support turned out inconclusive, with IGN still waiting for a proper response from Microsoft. Sure, the Xbox 360 will support 1080p games, but due to the lack of the HDMI cable most 1080p HDTVs won't display the signal - possibly ending in disaster for 360 owners who have purchased HDTVs without analog 1080p signal support. Lets hope Microsoft pulls something out of the bag in order to sort this mess out soon.

The coming of Microsoft's HD-DVD drive invokes in us a weird curiosity akin to children opening a gift. What will it look like? How will it sound? What happens if we plug it to the adapter? Can we still use it if some new schemes are implemented on the HD-DVDs, such as copy-protection?

Well, we do know how the HD-DVD drive already looks like from here. According to a Microsoft rep, the drive makes as much noise as something spinning a disc 12 times per second should make. And as for the copy-protection scheme, Microsoft says, "The image constraint token feature of AACS is an optional flag for the [motion picture] studios and several have publicly stated they have no plans to invoke [the copy-protection flags]. Therefore, the copy protection scheme is fully implemented in both HD DVD and Blu-ray today."

What does this mean? The content flow over non-HDMI devices won't really be impeded because the HDMI/HDCP isn't yet an industry standard in the copy-protection scheme. For now, all the consumers should worry about is the HDMI connectivity (an alternative to component connections it's an all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed streamS). Microsoft remains mum about this, although they are looking at it as a possibility.

Just like Blu-ray, HD DVD announced the release of a recordable media before burners are even revealed. Early this month, Hitachi and Mitsubishi announced that July 5 will see the entry of 15GB HD DVD-R media in Japan. They promised that the RW and dual-layer versions will also be coming out later in the summer. They stayed true to their words.

Although the HD DVD-RW has not been announced yet, Mitsubishi reveals that a 30GB dual-layer HD DVD-R will surely come out next month. The single-sided media can hold 150 minutes of HD content encoded at a 24Mbps playback rate. Mitsubishi highlighted the fact that the coming dual layer disc uses high-sensitivity dye for accurate recording on both the near-side and inner storage layers. Just like Blu-ray discs, the HD DVD discs will include the AACS copy-protection technology.

Verbatim may soon offer the 15GB and 30GB HD DVD-R discs in the future as the company is owned by Mitsubishi.