Someone pointed
this out earlier; It's probably been on slashdot or something, but I don't read slashdot

Seems it would be somewhat easy to track these problems down with a sealed box or better yet a virtual machine. Plus, if they talk to anything offsite, snooping the network will show what it is, and we can all just blackhole route it and get on with life.

It's more likely that it's a hoax/joke.

It's more likely that it's a hoax/joke.

Someone on /. was suggesting the guy had been hired by the RIAA, to throw the scent off of their real efforts in this area...

Considered that. It may well be, but the recent WinAmp problem, and the mpg123 vulnerability attached to the message (which appears legit) does at least mean it's possible, even if not something the RIAA is paying for.

I think I'm really more interested in figuring out what sorts of corruption could take out a player, and making some sort of isolated system to "check" mp3s, not unlike a virus checker.

Not, however, likely interested enough to work on it.

In reply to:

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Things to keep in mind:
1) If you participate in illegal file-sharing networks, your computer now belongs to the RIAA.

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Hmm, I'd like to see that one stand up in a UK court.