there's nothing more fun, as a reverse engineer, then checking into a DLL to see about cracking it (it's been out of support since the Clinton administration, so I have to) and just seeing "validate_license" as an exported symbol.
GEE I WONDER WHERE I SHOULD START LOOKING
oh great it's right next to a string buffer labeled "verify_password"
I'm sure that'll come in handy
oh my god
I think this is even easier than I thought.
So the function looks basically like this:
validate_authorization_code (serial_number, expiration_date, max_users, authorization_code), right?
and it takes the serial number and expiration_date and max_users and confirms the authorization_code matches some hash or something to make sure it fits those serial numbers and expiration_date and max_users
a less sensible way to do this would be to have validate_authorization_code be implemented like this:
correct_authorization_code = generate_authorization_code(serial, expiration, max_users);
return strcmp(correct_authorization_code, authorization_code) == 0;
the authorization_code generator has an "encrypt" parameter that does some simple XORing
this code passes 0 for it, so that's not even turned on
the most infuriating thing in computers is when you have a program that does X, so you modify it, and it still does X. so you modify it more, and it still does X. so you change a bunch of stuff, and it still does X.
AM I MAKING CHANGES OR NOT? STOP IGNORING ME
these punks put in a specific check for the "add serial number authorization" dialog changing the serial number.
So you're allowed to add more users, extend expiration date, but not change your base serial.
mean. time to add more 0x90s
Nice!
I did a keygen with ollydbg so many years ago... Part of the hash was a string berating you for cracking the software.
Another used a unlabeled gpg function to verify the license text file was legit. But the check wasn't as elegant as the license file. They ran gpg and checked for an exit state of 0. Meaning, if you replace gpg with echo in the base OS, all licenses were valid now. :D
Its more infuriating when you realize the reason nothing changes is because you've been looking at the wrong location for changes or updating the wrong location.
@foone : "You can be anything you want!"
69420 : "Okay, I want to be a serial number…"
@kaced yeah but then I would have to redistribute the hacked DLL
far more fun to leave it alone and just generate my own serials
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