Slashdot Mirror
Activating Vista Enterprise Using a Spoofed Server
Ruvim writes "It has been mentioned in previous Slashdot discussions as possibility, and now it became a reality: Information Week reports that a spoofed server has been released that can be used to activate Microsoft's Vista Enterprise versions. It is being made available on several pirate Web sites and spoofs a Key Management Service server, used to activate a large number of copies of Windows Vista in enterprise environments." From the article: "Vista is the first version of Windows that Microsoft requires volume license customers to activate. Besides KMS, the Redmond, Wash. developer also offers Multiple Activation Key, which resembles the retail version's activation process. PCs activated using KMS must reactivate at least once every six months. The MelindaGates hack uses a VMware image of a KMS server to activate -- and keep activated -- a pirated edition of Windows Vista Business. 'Looks like Windows Vista Volume Activation 2.0 is a big bust,' wrote a user identified as 'clank' on the PirateBay Web site Friday. "
In Mysterious Future, Vista Activation Spoofs You!
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Information Week reports that a spoofed server has been released that can be used to activate Microsoft's Vista Enterprise versions.
And you don't even need a separate computer. You can spoof the activation from the same machine.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
Sounds like someone just stole a vmware image from their work that is set up as a kms (many sites are just plugging their KMS in as a vmware guest to get going).
I'm sure that Microsoft must have thought of that as a possibility. Since a unique product key is required to activate a KMS, why can't Microsoft just deactivate that compromised KMS key?
Vista Business and friends are the most likely to be cracked due to volume licensing. However, features are removed in a way that it is advantageous to businesses but turn away most home users. It'll be interesting to see how that works out.
The prize being to 0wn the Microsoft security mechanisms, but more-so to do it before rival warez groups.
The warez groups aren't so much competing against Microsoft, but amongst themselves - for the sheer status of it.
Interesting...our network is completely self contained and does not touch the internet at all. I wonder how this will work for networks like mine (no plans to upgrade anytime in the near future, and since we use the workstations to run Citrix-based apps, it doesn't matter what OS we use.)
Honestly, I'm going to laugh my ass off 6 months down the road when MS pushes out a mandatory WGA update, disguised as another 'critical update,' that nukes pirated installs. All these scam cracked/KMS/pirated Vista copies are going to lock-up, shut down and only be able to do one thing, display the phone number to call MS to purchase a legitimate key. Pirates have gotten by the initial flaws in the authentication system. Microsoft is going to change it, and quietly force everybody to reactivate from a legitimate source. Just wait... it's coming. If you really need a free, modern OS, rather than run something that clings to functionality through hacks, cheats, cracks and work-arounds, why not just bite the bullet and download a good desktop Linux distro? It's free. It's arguably more capable than Vista. How/where/when you play your media isn't decided by the AAs and to top it all off, you don't have to hack/crack/scam to get it to run.
Brought to you by The Pirate Bay as usual. :)
'Yes, firefox is indeed greater than women. Can women block pops up for you? No. Can Firefox show you naked women? Yes.'
Let's hope that Microsoft fixes this problem very quickly. It is important that all Microsoft users pay every last penny for their habit.
...Why anyone would run their business (or hobby) on a system that is subject to DeActivation.
Defective by Design, indeed.
you had me at #!
It was inevitable that Vista Enterprise would be cracked in some way. Every version of Windows has been. In fact, I can't think of a single large-scale (scale as in cost) software that has not been cracked. No matter what any software vendor does, the dedicated pirates will always be one step ahead. Measures like product activation are only to stop widespread casual piracy, not piracy in its entirety.
I daresay you're sidestepping GP's points:
1) Linux does not run a critical set of games which he wants to play.
2) Linux apps lack the kind of application compatibility that he and his family are looking for.
Let's accept that a console is superior to a PC for gaming, and let's accept that Linux is preferable to Windows for general computing tasks. GP's two points are still unresolved: he wants to play that particular set of games (presumably not available on either a console or on Linux) and he wants compatibility for a specific set of applications (presumably Windows-only applications without equivalent Linux alternatives/ports).
They will if you have a big wallet to match!
:(
Alas, the part of the puzzle I am missing...
Inconceivable!
An interesting twist from this is that the most feature-rich Vista Ultimate Edition may not be the most warezed one after all. Because these aren't supporting KMS activation, unlike Enterprise and Business who were both intended for this use. However, for a pirate, that may not matter much, as the benefits of Vista Home Basic/Ultimate (= home/entertainment-oriented software) is probably quite easily outweighed by already available software, often free.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
The problem is that there's just too much "fame" in cracking windows authentication. We used Telelogic Tau SDL in university, and it was only available on the university computers, and even there there was a limited number of licenses. We contacted the company to see if we could get some cheap/free licenses. They said no, and that licenses cost around $2000. Which was almost as much as a semesters tuition. Anyway, we also looked to pirating it, and couldn't find it anywhere. The problem was that it wasn't a popular enough program that anybody would bother cracking it. However, with windows, everyone wants it cracked, and everybody wants to be the one to crack it. So it's going to get cracked. I mean, look at the game consoles. People solder chips into the to crack them, but I don't think you'd find a way to install Linux on the v-Tech notebook. People are going to crack what they want to crack.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
"You can flip over a screwdriver to pound in nails, but why not just use the hammer?"
because the screwdriver manufacturer hasn't installed a "Feature" that makes the tool cease to function, forcing you to call the hammer manufacturer to ask permission to regain use of that hammer you bought. All the while knowing that at some point, the hammer manufacturer is going to decide they want to sell their new hammers, so they will stop giving permission to the old hammer owners to keep using their purchased hammers.
The real question would be, "Why would you buy a screwdriver, when you can rent a hammer?"
Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-Me lindaGates.torrent
.nfo].
...
...
unlike windows xp and volume activation 1.0 windows vista doesnt have any corporate
keys which will permanently activate it. volume activation 2.0 requires a corporate
user to either do a one time activation through microsoft servers (mak) or companies
can host a local activation server which does not talk to microsoft (kms). the only
difference is kms requires re-activation once every 180 days. however as long as
theres a local kms server its simple to keep windows activated. this release is a
vmware image of a permanently activated kms server which allows local activation of
windows vista business/enterprise edition. volume activation 2.0 is only built into
those two editions.
install vista business/enterprise edition with the key [removed, check
using the latest vmware workstation, boot the image. disable vmware firewall.
on the non vm vista right click the command prompt icon and run as admin. type
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -skms vm_vista_ip
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato
windows should now be activated.
to check activation status type
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -dlv
tested using echos windows vista enterprise and vmware workstation 5.5.3 but seems to
have issues with the billgates windows vista business.
The "MelindaGates" hack? Is that because people are getting sick of being screwed by Bill?
Even better is that the torrent tracker referred to is The Pirate Bay -- who mocked microsoft's legal threats, resulting in Microsoft appearing to pull strings that lead to an unprecedented, although ultimately unsuccessful, raid on their servers.
It is commonly believed that the MPAA, not Microsoft, was responsible for the US State Department leaning on the right local ministers to get the Pirate Bay raided. For one thing, the MPAA prematurely ejaculated a press-release congratulating themselves for getting the Pirate Bay shut down, while Microsoft was mum on the event.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
That is actually very interesting.
However, given the nature of their work, I'd guess they don't use the newest OS...
Funny that MoxFulder should point this out?
The DRM module doesn't block unsigned drivers, allowing injection of attack code.
The license module has been spoofed, which means it's not protecting Microsoft's revenue.
Does Vista protect anything other than media restrictions imposed by producers?
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
99% of the games? You're kidding right?
Actually, these days you're more likely to catch malware off of legitimate purchases (CDs, games containing StarForce, etc) than off a decent pirate site. (Torrent sites in particular tend to kill off torrents containing malware).
Isn't it ironic?
I'm a dreamer, the world is my playpen. But hey, I'm a serious person, I can't dream all the time.
The part they don't mention is that the activation server only hands out activations on networks with 25+ computers. The machine may be permanently activated, but after 180 days, if you don't have 25 unique machines (and no, virtual machines can be detected and don't count), the activation server will deny your request to reactivate.
That doesn't preclude from downloading another pre-activated KMS Server, but this isn't really a permanent solution.
Being against annoying and imposing DRM and copy protection doesn't mean you support piracy. Two people do not equate to the whole of Slashdot, the free software community, or, in fact, all of the world.
... idiot.
Wow, should Slashdot should castrate anyone who is against the notion of copyright law? Either make file sharing legal (the democratic method) or put the 50+ million people who do it in jail (the fascist method). I think we are headed toward the fascist method.
Or they will run out of keys to revoke.
An enterprising hacker might
a) seek out and duplicate the keys of other customers' installations
and/or
b) put in zillions of keys to be invalidated all at once, until all possible combos have been covered.
a) is nearly infinitely easier and more immediately devastating. Lots of high profile customers become enraged.
b) will make Vista completely unusable.
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
Would you feel the same way if MS found a loophole in the GPL that allowed them to start lifting code wholesale?
MS has a certain motivation for developing software, and they protect it through technical and legal means.
You'll find that most people here are perfectly in favour of MS enforcing their rights via legal means (as long as they don't use strongarm tactics to do so... discovering somebody has unlicensed copies of windows because of a tip-off is one thing, requiring a contract that enables them to randomly audit a company's offices is another entirely).
We do object, on principle, to enforcement of legal rights by technological means. This is largely because the technological means are (a) inconvenient to legitimate users and (b) don't always work quite the way the should.
Windows Activation is inconvenient because it:
* Requires you to give information to MS that you might not want to give them, and which they have no legal right to.
* Requires you to effectively get permission from MS if you want to upgrade your computer's hardware multiple times (or reinstall your copy of Windows on a different machine, if your existing machine fails, etc...)
* Has made MS extend the Windows kernel so that it will not run versions of certain programs that haven't been signed by Microsoft. This means that I can no longer rip Windows apart, replace WINLOGON.EXE with a custom program that does what *I* want it to do, and not log in via an MS-approved process. Not that I've ever done that, but I kind-of liked the fact that I could if I wanted to (it's not as well documented as replacing 'init' on a Linux system, but there is information about how you would go about doing it out there -- but that's irrelevant now, only MS can do it).
If you don't agree with what they do, then fine, don't use their software, but how is pirating a copy of Vista any different from helping yourself to GPL code without giving anything back?
It isn't. But who said anything about pirating Windows? I have a legitimate copy of XP on my machine. Label stuck to the case, and all. Do I run WGA? Fuck no, I don't want to get involved with that; I don't want to get involved with something that will complain if it isn't able to validate my copy of Windows through some completely undocumented process that may or may not be correct for any given installation. Perhaps multiple people are using my activation code -- I have no way of knowing if anyone's flipped my laptop over and made a note of the number while I wasn't present. But then, despite having that activation code, I didn't use it last time I reinstalled Windows. Why? Well, the copy of Windows that was supplied with it only installs from a system restore disc that wipes all data on your hard disk. I didn't want to do that, so I installed from a regular retail edition of XP. Which I then had to hack to make activation work, because I'd already activated a machine with its key.
Another piece of software I use validates itself against an encrypted key that has a copy of my network interface's MAC associated with it. Fine, except for some reason the damned process occasionally causes the thing's driver to crash while its performing the validation. So of course I've hacked it, despite having a perfectly legal key.
It isn't only pirates who are concerned about Windows Activation, WGA and other copy-prevention mechanisms.