Crackers Finally Got Vista

[sabajja]

A group called "Paradox" has finally managed to break the Vista activation in all Versions.

It is a crack that is based on an OEM bios hack, previously released by the "Chinese".

OEM versions of Vista are "pre activated" if installed on an OEM machine.

The hack fools Vista into "thinking" it's such an machine.

The crack is hardware independent, works on all machines.

The Paradox group has managed to re-pack it into an device driver, hence messing with your own bios, or MBR is no longer neccessary.

(Many people were very reluctant of using it cause of this fact)

It will be very difficult, if not impossible, for MS to defeat this technique.

Blacklisting the serial, would mean denying all the OEM owners access to

updates.

Since the crack is a device driver, it's only a matter of time before we'll see a slipstreamed "click and go" install DVD's on the net.

This is basically what the "scene" has been waiting for.

Finally, the hornets nest cracked open on the floor at MS head quarters !

I can confirm 100%, this is not a hoax.

I'm sure you'll hear of it soon anyway.

MS=0

Crackers=1

[Rice_King]

Confirmed that the OEM_BIOS_Emulation_Toolkit_For_Microsoft_Windows_Vista_X86.v1.0-PARADOX file is on the torrents.

If this is true, and I have little doubt it is..., it was just a matter of time. As someone said, "...provide accessibility and make the reward high enough and any security can and will be circumvented."

I wonder if the owners of the stores in Panthip Plaza are going to hold a Vista Release Party?

[Firefoxx]

All protection schemes will be cracked, it's only a matter of when. For high-profile stuff like Vista, HD-DVD and blu-ray, it happens a lot sooner than later. In the end, the only people who will actually be inconvenienced are the legit users who have to put up with the convoluted protection schemes.

[george]

According to Slashdot this is a hoax:

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/03/03/1339209

[Mid]

don't know yet .............

the torrent definitely exists as described , which it different to the key gen in your article ??

[endure]

A group called "Paradox" has finally managed to break the Vista activation in all Versions.

It is a crack that is based on an OEM bios hack, previously released by the "Chinese".

OEM versions of Vista are "pre activated" if installed on an OEM machine.

Can anyone explain what this means? How does an OEM copy of Vista know that it has been installed on an OEM machine? What is the definition of an OEM machine such that it can identify itself as OEM to Vista? My OEM copy of Vista certainly had to be activated on my OEM machine.

[cdnvic]

don't know yet .............

the torrent definitely exists as described , which it different to the key gen in your article ??

There's a lot of torrents of Vista that comes "pre-corrupted" by trojans masquerading as cracked real Vista.

[katana]

More info here.

http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37941

[cdnvic]

So what happens when a keygen is successful is:

Sooner or later, the legit owner of that product key tries to activate his software and it fails. Once they deal with Microsoft and get things sorted (5min on the phone when I went through this), the cracked copy will now fail to authenticate and you have a useless OS on your disk.

[Wolfie]

I thought the hackers managed to crack vista within 48hrs of release...

[sabajja]

At the same time as this "bios emulator" came avaliable on the net, a so

called "keygen" was released by another guy.

These hacks are not related.

Even though the keygen might work, (if you have lots of time on your hands),

it is not the preferred method anymore.

I know for a fact that this new OEM hack works.

I could post plenty of screenshots of peoples activated desktops, (as i've seen them already), but I don't think it's neccessary.

Just take my word for it.

Regarding the OEM:

Microsoft allows large hardware manufacturers (e.g. ASUS, HP, Dell) to ship their products

containing a Windows Vista installation that does NOT require any kind of product activation as

this might be considered an unnecessary inconvenience for the end-user.

Instead these so-called 'Royalty OEMs' are granted the right to embed certain license information

into their hardware products, which can be validated by Windows Vista to make obtaining further

activation information (online or by phone) obsolete.

This mechanism is commonly referred to as 'SLP 2.0' ('system-locked pre-installation 2.0') and

consists of the following three key elements:

1. The OEM's hardware-embedded BIOS ACPI_SLIC information signed by Microsoft.

2. A certificate issued by Microsoft that corresponds to the specific ACPI_SLIC information.

The certificate is an XML file found on the OEM's installation/recovery media,

ususally called something like 'oemname.xrm-ms'.

3. A special type of product key that corresponds to the installed edition of Windows Vista.

This key can usually be obtained from some installation script found on the OEM's

installation/recovery media or directly from a pre-installed OEM system.

If all three elements match Windows Vista's licensing mechansim considers the given

installation a valid system-locked pre-activated copy (that does not require any

additional product activation procedures).

So the basic concept of the tool at hand is to present any given BIOS ACPI_SLIC information to Windows

Vista's licensing mechanism by means of a device driver.

In combination with a matching product key and OEM certificate this allows for rendering any system

practically indistinguishable from a legit pre-activated system shipped by the respective OEM.

[Rice_King]

Just take my word for it.

Ditto. Unlike the other "false starts," this is the real deal. How can / will MS counter this one?

[cdnvic]

Well, I hope they find a way. The worse the piracy gets, the more intrusive the countermeasures get and the more legit software license owners have to suffer because of it.

[Uncle_Ho]

I can confirm the "bios hack" works 100% .. but i did not use the emulation .. i flashed my mobo bios..

Let me explain ..

I went over to this site

In it was an article about how i could "flash my mobo bios" so that it will add in the required SLIC table into the bios !! and then fool vista into thinking that my machine came preinstalled with genuine vista.. Since my mobo was Asus P5WDH Deluxe .. and somebody successfully "fooled" vista using this mobo .. i convinced myself to give it a try .. I flash my mobo .. and added the file "oemcert.xrm-ms" to c:\ (this is the OEM licensing thingy)

[removed instructions]

now my vista is "ACTIVATED" .. i went to windows site and it told me it had to check whether its genuine .. i proceeded and it told me " thanks for using genuine vista" .. i was able to download anything that only genuine users could download" ..

this is no HOAX .. refer to these links for more INFO ..

P.S By flashing my BIOS ; it only added the SLIC thingy .. so it is SAFE .. after that i updated my bios with the latest from asus ..

now i am dual booting VISTA & MAC OSX86 (which works 99% - only sleep doesnt work )

I am not proud of cracking vista .. and using ill gotten OS .. i am just here to tell you guys that it works .. plus i don't use VISTA for day to day activities ( i prefer XP ) .. VISTA is installed in the new PC which was bought purely for video editing , which i have not started doing yet !!!

Edited out the URL's.

We are not a hacking website!

[sabajja]

Just take my word for it.

Ditto. Unlike the other "false starts," this is the real deal. How can / will MS counter this one?

The genie is already out of the bottle.

This will be a hard one to "fix".

There are already 4 different solutions circulating that are slightly different from each other.

MS would need to find a way to beat e'm all.

Ain't gonna happen.

At least not without seriously screwing up the OEM's.

They made the misstake from the beginning by allowing the

"system-locked pre-installation 2.0".

I guess they have to remove that, in whatever replaces Vista in the future...

[Uncle_Ho]

Edited out the URL's.

We are not a hacking website!

<removed url> is NOT A HACKING SITE ... If you visited the site you will surely know its a "News site about Vista, Longhorn and other Windows"

i am not encouraging PIRACY here .. but at least let the visitors go to the site and judge for themselves ..

[Crushdepth]

I thought one of Vista's security measures was to periodically 'check in' with M$ to revalidate its legitimacy. Once M$ start seeing multiple copies of the same key turning up all over the place they may invalidate that key.

So while the hack(s) may work now, maybe not for long?

[cdnvic]

Edited out the URL's.

We are not a hacking website!

<removed url> is NOT A HACKING SITE ... If you visited the site you will surely know its a "News site about Vista, Longhorn and other Windows"

i am not encouraging PIRACY here .. but at least let the visitors go to the site and judge for themselves ..

You can download keygens and cracks there, what more do you want for proof?

[Wolfie]

Ok let me spell this out to people...

Anyone posting links to sites containing cracks, key-gens, serial numbers or any other illegal content will be immediately banned from Thaivisa.com

Is that clear enough for people? I hope so...

[Uncle_Ho]

ok u guys have a point here ..

but then i cant also link to google in this site .. because people can go to google and search cracks and keygen ..

i am just trying to prove my point ..

maybe we are on different wavelength here .. but i am not a moderator ..

[Wolfie]

your comparing apples to pears there my friend...

I suggest you either put your 'point' to rest or find somewhere else to discuss your 'point'

The rules are clear on the posting of illegal content, you can dance around the flames as much as you want but you will get burnt eventually.

[Uncle_Ho]

my bad , sorry

[sabajja]

I thought one of Vista's security measures was to periodically 'check in' with M$ to revalidate its legitimacy. Once M$ start seeing multiple copies of the same key turning up all over the place they may invalidate that key.

So while the hack(s) may work now, maybe not for long?

It's not that simple.

All OEM copies uses the same key.

Invalidate that key, and all the legitimate OEM customers are locked out.

This "system-locked pre-installation 2.0" is alot

like the "Corporate XP" MS made, when it released it

without the need for validation.

Go figure the crackers would take advantage of it...

What were they thinking,,,,had they been drinking ? lol

[Crushdepth]

If they relied on only one key they are crazy.

[Phil Conners]

Edited out the URL's.

We are not a hacking website!

<removed url> is NOT A HACKING SITE ... If you visited the site you will surely know its a "News site about Vista, Longhorn and other Windows"

i am not encouraging PIRACY here .. but at least let the visitors go to the site and judge for themselves ..

You can download keygens and cracks there, what more do you want for proof?

The way you always defend Microslush nails and teeth I can't help wonder ... do you work for them?

Otherwise why do you care?

[cdnvic]

If you read back I bitch about them when I think it's warranted. What bugs me more though is people moaning about them and trying to justify their piracy by whimpering on about how rich gates is, blah blah blah.....

For a company that everyone hates so much, there's sure alot of people using their product. Other than playing a few games though there's nothing I do on my Windows machines that I can't do on my Linux machines so I just assume that those who claim they are "forced" to use Microsoft are either lazy, or not smart enough to grasp another OS. That doesn't say alot because Macs are even easier to use. Why don't the whingers run Macs then? Because they can't get a copy of OSX for two dollars is why.

I guess when it comes down to it, I just get sick of the constant whinging about them. They're an easy target and it got old years ago. If you don't like it, don't use it. I have my problems with them but over all it's still my first choice for an OS, and I'm capable of using a half dozen so I'm not "forced" into it.

If you have a problem with it, ignore me.

[Phil Conners]

Well for me I use some custom built software (not custom built by me) and suffice to say it does not work in anything but Windows, including any VM, due to (poor) design. I'm not happy with it but no way around it. The actual product name is irrelevant.

You can get XOS for 2 bucks just like you can get Microslush, but XOS will only run on XOS hardware. I know there are some Intel versions available and I tried one just for fun but couldn't get it to work with my (grantet, not very mainline) hardware.

So just because they are an easy target they should be left alone? Duh, that's the stupidest thing I've heard today....

[cdnvic]

So just because they are an easy target they should be left alone? Duh, that's the stupidest thing I've heard today....

Nope, that's not what I said. When you learn to read you'll get it though.

[Wolfie]

play nicely please gents

[cdnvic]