Indian cracks Microsoft's anti-piracy program

Rediff ^ | June 21, 2005 14:53 IST | Alok Sharma

[Gengis Khan]

An Indian researcher has breached the much-touted "impenetrable" Windows Genuine Advantage of Microsoft.

Bangalore-based Debasis Mohanty has cracked WGA through an "easy-to-exploit" weakness in the software for generating illegal copies of the Windows XP programme.

Microsoft confirmed the claims of Mohanty, but sought to downplay it saying, "It represents very little threat." A company spokesperson said they did expect counterfeiters to try a number of different methods to circumvent safeguards provided by WGA.

WGA is an anti-piracy programme that keeps a tab on consumers whether they are running legitimately licensed copies of Windows XP.

Mohanty has posted a detailed proof-of-concept programme on the high-profile security mailing list of the software giant, showing how the WGA validation check can be tricked to generate key codes for use on illegal copies of the software.

Using a secondary Microsoft validation tool called 'genuinecheck.Exe', Mohanty claims to have made it possible for people to trick the safeguard mechanism and download and run the supposedly restricted software from Microsoft's download centre, he said.

[Flyer]

There is nothing done that cannot be undone.

[general_re]

Nobody has ever claimed, to my knowledge, that it's "impenetrable", least of all MS.

[softwarecreator]

So, we are proud of the fact that we helped crack a code that can be used for illegal piracy of copyrighted software?

[Huck]

All you need is love!

[Flyer]

Hmmm. . . did I quote the Beatles?

I was trying to be all cool and philosophical and I quote a pop tune. Sigh. . .

[softwarecreator]

Luckily for you, back in the day The Beatles were cool and philisophical

[Huck]

Not exactly, but it was close.

http://www.allspirit.co.uk/allyouneed.html

But look on the bright side; in its day, this song was both cool and philosophical!

[Huck]

You beat me to it.

[Flyer]

When I saw them live at the age of 11, cool and philosophical didn't register with my little pea brain.

[Flyer]

You two sharing a brain this morning?

[softwarecreator]

You saw them LIVE?

Wow, I envy you.

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

And so we see once again the Advantages of an Open Operating System... like LINUX.

Microsoft had better watch it or they will find themselves loosing market share quickly!

As far as cracking the code it was Microsoft who issued challenge and the hackers took up the gauntlet. There is NO CODE that can't be broken given enough time, effort and intestinal fortitude.

[Flyer]

The ticket was $5.00

I mostly went because my older sister was going - but I'm glad I did!

[softwarecreator]

$5 ... wow.
What stadium & year?

[Flyer]

Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston - August 19, 1965

Somewhere I still have my ticket. . .

[softwarecreator]

I said it earlier ... I envy you.

I was too young to see them when they were still a band and in fact, never heard of them until about 1970, after the breakup.  I remember my sister was upset about their breakup and played "Hard Day's Night" for me so I would know who she was talking about.

I've been a HUGE fan since that day.

[rwfromkansas]

yep. Part of the reason people pirate is because companies do all they can to keep the consumer from using things they buy for personal purposes.

If they would stop suppressing the consumer, there would not be near as much a reason to pirate for most people.

It would lose the allure and people would just go buy the software. Too bad the software giants don't understand the simple concept. Say no, and somebody will go do it just because you said no.

[softwarecreator]

SO, what you are saying is that since they say "we don't want you to pirate our software and will try to do things to stop you", this gives people the green light to go a head and do it?

If you believe that then please go take the lock off your front door since it encourages people to attempt to see if they can pick it.

Pricay is stealing, pure and simple.  You can try to wrap it around noblity and a Robin Hood mentality, but it all comes down to stealing.

[softwarecreator]

And so we see once again the Advantages of an Open Operating System... like LINUX.

Where?  Where do we see this advantage you are talking about?

If the thieves want to get thru, they would succeed no matter what OS was running.  The anti-Microsoft groupies just crack me up.  Did it occur to you that now MS knows about this vulnerability and can now fix it.

This is could actually be a good thing but, of course, the Anti-MS crowd turns it to a negative.

[rwfromkansas]

I am not saying it makes it right, but I am pretty sure people wouldn't feel much like pirating if there wasn't a sense of danger in it and people saying how awful it is all the time. People like doing this stuff because they feel like they are having a little excitement and risk in their lives even though really they aren't since the chance of getting caught is almost nothing.

[softwarecreator]

since the chance of getting caught is almost nothing

Really, tell that to the people who've been arrested for hacking.  They might not agree.

You do have a point though, it is rare.