riahc3 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hello, This assumes the software itself isn't modifiable to break online checks.The software could require always a connection to a online server. No local servers. No centralized server. Servers only that Microsoft (for example) has. Well for starters it can totally be cracked, and the Xbone wasn't always online, it was a daily check.A server side authentication cannot be cracked. This would go further than the Xbox One; It would be 24/7/365 online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunknMunky Veteran Posted January 12, 2014 Veteran Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hello, The software could require always a connection to a online server. No local servers. No centralized server. Servers only that Microsoft (for example) has. A server side authentication cannot be cracked. This would go further than the Xbox One; It would be 24/7/365 online. Yes it can. SimCity was cracked months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hello, Yes it can. SimCity was cracked months ago.What was cracked was what snaphat said: The client side. The client side was just modified to not connect to the internet and work "offline" so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S. Veteran Posted January 12, 2014 Veteran Share Posted January 12, 2014 For me, Steam and GOG have made buying games more attractive than pirating them. Pirating games is such a hassle: running shady modified exes with admin rights that God knows what they could do to your computer, waiting for cracked version of each new patch, multiplayer usually not working... I buy my games because Steam and GOG actually provide me with a good service: up-to-date games, reasonable prices, fast downloads, cloud saves. Phouchg 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Red King Subscriber² Posted January 12, 2014 Subscriber² Share Posted January 12, 2014 I came across many games where you have to login. Those are terrible as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member Posted January 12, 2014 Member Share Posted January 12, 2014 Hello, What was cracked was what snaphat said: The client side. The client side was just modified to not connect to the internet and work "offline" so to speak. What's the difference if it was client side? Client side is the weak point in the DRM so it is what will always be hacked. The only wake to make DRM unbreakable is by forcing a hacked game to still have to depend on trusted server for features. If that requirement is removed, then all online checks can be removed client side by hackers. The_Decryptor and DrunknMunky 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Red King Subscriber² Posted January 13, 2014 Subscriber² Share Posted January 13, 2014 What's the difference if it was client side? Client side is the weak point in the DRM so it is what will always be hacked. The only wake to make DRM unbreakable is by forcing a hacked game to still have to depend on trusted server for features. If that requirement is removed, then all online checks can be removed client side by hackers. Host the server portion locally and redirect the hacked client to use it instead of the official servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athernar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Host the server portion locally and redirect the hacked client to use it instead of the official servers. Pray tell where you are going to get the server-side code from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member Posted January 13, 2014 Member Share Posted January 13, 2014 Pray tell where you are going to get the server-side code from? Exactly. Though, it is worth noting that I never hope that it comes to that nonsense, but that is what I would do myself if I were trying to be an anti-piracy zealot and trying to implement an unbreakable system. Similarly, Adobe could attempt this to make it's subscription based service unbreakable (instead of an offline service that just checks your license with their server). Adobe probably wouldn't do that though because everyone would probably flip out about always on DRM and how functionality is somehow tied to online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Red King Subscriber² Posted January 13, 2014 Subscriber² Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) Pray tell where you are going to get the server-side code from? It does become more difficult at that point - hacking would be involved to get the server code. But alas, a hacker that would do so would be a vigilante. It is common these days to see games with single player aspect become unplayable because companies shut down the servers. The Evil Overlord 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member Posted January 13, 2014 Member Share Posted January 13, 2014 It does become more difficult at that point - hacking would be involved to get the server code. But alas, a hacker that would do so would be a vigilante. It is common these days to see games with single player aspect become unplayable because companies shut down the servers. These are really two different types of hackers here: low-level architecture experts and security experts.The people hacking games generally wouldn't be security experts (for that matter, 99% of the people "hacking" are just using existing exploits and automated frameworks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riahc3 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Hello, What's the difference if it was client side? Client side is the weak point in the DRM so it is what will always be hacked. The only wake to make DRM unbreakable is by forcing a hacked game to still have to depend on trusted server for features. If that requirement is removed, then all online checks can be removed client side by hackers.Well, the client side having its "online check" removed, is actually a dev flaw. When you said forcing a hacked game to still have to depend on trusted servers for features, its a idea I also had but havent mentioned it since I think forcing a game to talk always to a server is really the best way* The other idea related to what you said is have no content stored on the current PC and stream it all. Don't have a massive internet connection? Tough luck. That is when (software) piracy will go down the drain. Don't get me wrong; I never wish to see it get to this but Im just stating some ideas.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athernar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 It does become more difficult at that point - hacking would be involved to get the server code. But alas, a hacker that would do so would be a vigilante. It is common these days to see games with single player aspect become unplayable because companies shut down the servers. That is a highly unlikely series of events. Nigh impossible since the attacker would have to know where the source was located in the first place, and as snaphat said, two totally different scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaphat (Myles Landwehr) Member Posted January 13, 2014 Member Share Posted January 13, 2014 Hello, Well, the client side having its "online check" removed, is actually a dev flaw. I don't see what you mean by dev flaw. Removing such obvious protections is very simple work regardless of how you slice it. There are ways to protect binaries, but they are almost never used in practice because there are downsides (for example, in performance). When you said forcing a hacked game to still have to depend on trusted servers for features, its a idea I also had but havent mentioned it since I think forcing a game to talk always to a server is really the best way* The other idea related to what you said is have no content stored on the current PC and stream it all. Don't have a massive internet connection? Tough luck. That is when (software) piracy will go down the drain. Yeah, that's not going to happen until the US has a better infrastructure in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunna Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I remember Lenslok - because it debuted with the Spectrum version of Elite, one of the best speccy games of its era hobbled with the worst anti-piracy measure ever. Lenslok did work ... occasionally but with the sl-o-o-o-w loading times of games back then it was a real hassle when it wouldn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiB3R Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 That was an entertaining read :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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