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"Widevine Dump":Leaked Code Downloads HD Video from Disney+, Amazon, and Netflix

(torrentfreak.com)
449 points bertman | 1 comments | 27 Dec 21 12:55 UTC | HN request time: 0.239s | source
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sydthrowaway ◴[27 Dec 21 14:25 UTC] No.29702696[source]▶
I've often wondered how easy it would be for people in the scene to rip Netflix or others streaming content. Isn't it as simple as getting the URL of the video player element in the browser and using cURL or wget?
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alt227 ◴[27 Dec 21 14:31 UTC] No.29702740[source]▶
It is, but the resulting files are encrypted. Hence this post being about exposing CDMs (Content Decryption Modules). These use decryption keys obtained through hacking or paying internal staff. Once the decryption keys are exposed like this then the content providers 'burn'; them and generate new ones meaning the process has to start over again.
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ordx ◴[27 Dec 21 14:42 UTC] No.29702831[source]▶
I assume at some point Widevine plugin decrypts these files to display the actual video stream in the browser, correct? Why don't they capture already decrypted stream?
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1. kingcharles ◴[27 Dec 21 17:11 UTC] No.29704316[source]▶
You are technically correct. The stupid thing about DRM is that the player has to download the decryption keys into the RAM of the player. All these players do is try to obfuscate the keys so they can't be accessed very easily. When you see these proper rips out there they are being done by groups who extracted a decryption key from the player and used that to unencrypt the stream.

DRM is dumb. I used to work on DRM. It was dumb then, it's dumb now.