Wonder whose idea this was? Wonder whose software has more security holes than swiss cheese? Wonder who knows they have security holes but does nothing about them until someone screams.
XMMS, as shipped with RH 8.0, will not play MP3s. This is due to some concerns about patents. (The Ogg Vorbis folks have an interesting response to the MP3 royalty stuff.)
The RPM which restores MP3 functionality is available here, but be aware that this web site is in Norway. Importing this software may also violate the DMCA, since it allows the circumvention of the royalty.