Im just a little curious, but how do scene groups actually crack a software?

I know the first step is getting the legit version of the crack first and the installer, and what happens after that? Is there usually like a step by step process to doing it?

Also how do keygens work?

 

I've never done it, but it would involve reverse engineering code.

Machine code is in binary form, which of course we can't understand for shit. So you have to convert that binary code back to a higher level, readable language somehow, then poke around and figure out how it's doing things like checking for a license, or valid login, etc..

You can possibly decompile the code into a high level language if you know what the code was written in, or you can disassemble whether you do or not. That would let you see the code as assembly language. It's been like 30 years since I've coded in Assembly language.. but let me tell you, it sure isn't fun. But thankfully with more simpler written applications, you might be able to use techniques like this nice video describes here:

I could re-explain this video in my own words, but it's probably best you just watch it. I am a programmer, by trade, but as I said, I've never actually cracked code, so I can't verify this is actually how this stuff is done, but it makes sense to me that it is. This was a pretty neat, informative video for me. I'd always kinda wondered too how some of this works, and the explanation makes sense.. although I'm sure it gets to be a much more difficult task the larger the program, and if they start doing things like encrypting strings you can't find them easily, finding timebombs, phoning home, and other fun hidden surprises... So ya, obviously some software is going to be a lot harder and/or more time consuming to crack.

The video also directs you to some freeware software designed for people messing around to crack and build keygens. By that, I mean, it's a list of some .exe files that YOU are supposed to crack/build keygens for using. Pretty cool stuff.

 

Last edited: Dec 5, 2021

https://blog.securelayer7.net/reverse-engineering-101-crack-mes/

 

Reverser finds out how serial key is verified inside the app for a given input and then implement this logic in his own keygen.

 

nice try officer, better luck next time

 

not today, CIA

 

The one and only trick to crack anything is:

Username: admin
Pass: 1234

 

Try learn about Reverse Engineering.

 

First you have to make your brain really smart.
Then once your brain is really smart, ...
Well, i don't know ... but once your brain is really smart it becomes obvious.

 

Not too hard, just open the plugin in text file, find all ilok, timebomb, encryption and pace words and hit backspace

 

Reverse Engineering the cymbal sample and place it right before impact like a champ everyday.

 

This is not place for any curious person other than Musicians/Music Curious

By your question, i know you can't ever crack a ware not even an account

Just like Bin/Ccn/Cvv (52975xx323 Putout Edacra USA)

IP:Port: 192.168.0.1:8080

To open you need OllyDbg

 

Vasoline is cracked petroleum, David Bowie wrote a cool song called Cracked Actor, when your pants ride real low on your hips and you bend over someone might see yours, if you do like Devo and Whip It Good you might hear the snap of one, but don't ask me 'cause I have no clue, R2R starts the day to crack for me, to crack for you.

 

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I think the best way to explain to non-programmers is to compare with video game cheats.

Super Mario 64 is hardcoded to start with only 4 lives. But if you can find where it stores that 4, you can change it to 99, and the game will always start with 99.

That's pretty simple as it's just finding data to modify. How about something more complicated, such as modifying very specific code to change an outcome.

In all the Pokemon games, the slot machines are rigged (just in real life). But by finding and modifying the code to skip the rigging part, we can make the odds much more in our favor.

Then there's video game passwords, which gets more complicated. A long time ago, you got passwords you had to write down that saved your level or items. They didn't want you to be able to change it around to easily make your own passwords, so they intentionally make it more cryptic or elaborate. But the algorithm is still there in the code, hidden, waiting to be decoded. And that's how some people make "password generators" without actually modifying the game, allowing you to make any password you want. But to make these "password generators", you need a good understanding of what the code is doing, and need to correctly simulate what its doing in your own code, to be able to generate new passwords.

Of course it gets more complicated when more sophisticated methods are used, but the ideas remain the same.

 

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I didnt say i wanted to crack one which i would be too lazy to do i wanted to know how it works lol

 

Software cracking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_cracking

 

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Easy, they push:
(and sometimes Start )

Otherwise IDKFA or IDDQD is good for a last resort..

 

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This is the way how i do it , but i am not sure about other teams ...

 

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Software is programmed in a programming language, like C++. This higher-level language is then translated by a compiler to a more basic language that can be interpreted by the computer (machine code). When the compiler does the translation the original program language (C++) is not in the final software executable, only the basic machine code, so it's quite unreadable by humans.

Software is cracked in more or less 2 ways:
1. By disassembling the whole software in a more user readable format (assembly language); this is never the original programming language which is why reverse engineering/cracking is not so easy
2. By executing the software in a debugger and following its realtime execution (usually setting breakpoints on interesting functions/code since following the whole execution would be quite an infinite process)

The two are often combined: looking at the disassembled code identifying possible interesting parts and then using a debugger to set breakpoints at those parts and investigate the realtime execution.

In its most simple form, software sets and checks a flag to verify if it has been bought or not. To crack it there are usually 2 attack vectors:
1. Patch the executable so that the registered-flag is always set
2. Interpret the serial code algorithm so you can program a keygen to generate a valid code

Again, many times both (and more) attack vectors are combined.

Of course this is all simplified. In reality a well protected piece of software will use encryption, packing, code obfuscation, anti-debugger techniques, hash verification and a lot of more tricks to avoid being cracked. Often resulting in a cat-and-mouse game between developer and cracker.

Yes, I used to be a cracker, long time ago

 

Last edited: Dec 5, 2021