Researcher cracks MS WGA
p2pnet.net News:- A researcher in India says he’s penetrated Microsoft`s supposedly super-safe Windows Genuine Advantage.
But Bill and the Boyz are trivializing the crack, saying “It represents very little threat, according to rediff.com, which goes on:
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.
Mohanty posted a detailed proof-of-concept programme on the MS 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, says rediff.com, adding:
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..
Microsoft has been testing the WGA licence check on its Download Center and Windows Update Web sites for several months, says ZDNet UK.
“It has said that by an unspecified date in the middle of this year, all Windows XP and Windows 2000 users will have to validate their copy of Windows before they can download from the Web sites.
“The GenuineCheck.exe tool used to bypass the check is meant to provide an alternative way for users to prove that their copy of Windows is genuine. The primary Windows Genuine Advantage checking mechanism uses ActiveX, which is not supported in all Web browsers.”
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See:-
rediff.com – Indian cracks Microsoft’s anti-piracy program, June 21, 2005
ZDNet UK – Windows Genuine Advantage circumvented, June 24, 2005
June 24th, 2005 at 9:56 pm
So, more money for Bill, and more zombies for hackers? Really, people who run into WGA are going to risk not patching for a while.
June 26th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
Just ANOTHER reason to stay the away from Micro$oft and their devilish schemes. They want to control your computer to the point where it will be useless except as a game machine or able to run only THEIR software. Every stupid piece of their software ‘phones home’ and reports on you if you are running a copy that isn’t ‘licensed’ by them. They can BYTE me! I’ll run Linux and surf the web without the stupid restrictions of M$ and their merry band of thieves, reaching into MY pocket every time I want to do something!
June 28th, 2005 at 1:39 am
Windows 2000 w/SP4, behind a Linux-based NAT firewalling router, is 100% secure against all but the most hellbent crackers.
July 5th, 2005 at 1:41 pm
Have you taken your meds today?! MS sp4 secure?! You gotta be kidding, it has more holes than swiss cheese. Even an amateur can break into it. Wanna try, give your IP and chances are in 10 minutes your box is hacked!
Sorry, but MS secure?! I think not!
July 29th, 2005 at 8:11 pm
Umm.. How do you propose to get past the Linux firewall?