Security flaws in the newly-established Windows Phone 7 marketplace have led to the creation of a mechanism to strip away copy-sharing (DRM) controls.

Weaknesses in Microsoft's DRM for Windows Phone 7 allowed a white-hat hacker to create a proof-of-concept demo illustrating how it was possible to take an application from the marketplace and strip off its copy-prevention controls before installing the application on a jailbroken Windows Phone, tech enthusiast site WPCentral reports.

WPCentral has not published details of how to carry out the hack, but it has posted a video of the crack being carried out. Developers, if not the wider public, have known about the underlying flaw for some months but it has not been prioritised for a fix, something that is now likely to change. ®

Related stories

• Windows 7 Phone glitch spews phantom data (11 January 2011)
• Microsoft eases Windows Phone 7 restrictions (a bit) (10 December 2010)
• Windows Phone 7 unlockers let off with a warning (8 December 2010)
• Hacker brings enhanced security to jailbroken iPhones (7 December 2010)
• WinPho7 jailbreak kit locked down by Redmond 'dev mojo' man (2 December 2010)
• WP7 vs Android: a struggle for supremacy (28 November 2010)