forum.vdsworld.com

[tim6389]

it looks like its "padding" 2 bytes for some resaon...hummm

first time you run it it works fine the second time you run it it starts to paded bytes....

[SnarlingSheep]

Padding 2 bytes would mean it was adding 2 bytes before or after the text. In this case it's overwriting 2 characters.

[tim6389]

ahhhh kk i see what you mean....yea no its not over writting ALL the characters... that is to bad to i like how this worked...back to plan a hehheheeh

[tim6389]

would some type of offset cuase this problem?

[SnarlingSheep]

I'm not real sure, it seems like it should start writing right at the end of the file, but it's righting 2 characters before the end.

[tim6389]

yea on the second run that is first run it works fine

[Dr. Dread]

In my opinion writing to EXE files is really not the way to proceed. Especially on networks
ordinary users may not have rights to do this etc.

AND the main concern would be antivirus programs. Many of those will keep checksums or MD5
values of EXEs and will pop up every time you change anything in the EXE. AV progs will
generally not like programs which write to other EXE files! Users will have red lights flashing all over
their screen and you will be flooded with mails and stuff from users who are convinced that you
have installed a malicious program on their PC.

Greetz

Dr. Dread

[LOBO]

[tim6389]

yea you guys do have a i point..I don't make s/w for users..I'am just playing with a few ideas..but like you guys say this won't be a good one to do I will go back to plan A using a ini file of some type..I wish i knew why the exe don't work 100% tho


BTW the finally code that i post will be a type of ini file instead of the exe one cause like you say this won't be a good thing for public useage

thanks for all the feedback

[Rubes_sw]

For one of my programs i used the following method ! And so far it still works greate

Save your data into the registry !

The program creates a random registry entry using an encrypted hard drive serial number (making it hard to find).

Then ecnrypt your Days/Trys/Runs Left etc and save it to the above registry.

Make sure not to tie the registry to your program in any way. eg.

Don't call it: mycompany\vars etc etc

Get your program to randomly generat a registry key

In my programs i use several methods eg.

The above, i also use a key file, included in the key file is:

Users Name,Email,Serial No,License,MD5 etc
I then get the program to verify the data in the key file, (it is ecnrypted, using Blowfish (which I think is very secure)).

I also use the date the program was installed again encrypted and saved into the registry so that you can't uninstall and re-install.

I use about 4 to 6 different methods to make it harder for the wannabe cracker .

Nathan

[moke]

Hi Guys,
You can also use encrypted serial # along with @datetime to limit the
length of time the application will be allowed to run, like a demo period
for instance.

I also agree with Dread on the EXE issue, but the key would have to be
written somewhere where it would be difficult to track or find. Here are
some thoughts:

Write to the registry but change the regkey name and delete the old one
each time the app is run so it will be harder to figure out whats going on.

Rewrite the encrypted serial # using variable encryption, in other words
change the passcocde so the encrypted data changes each time and will
be more difficult to to decode.

Move the location of the encrypted string(registrykey or file) each time
the app is run. Encrypt the location encrypt the location and place in the
registry or ini file.

If you do go ahead with the EXE idea I would append it not write directly
to it. This way you have less concern about corrupting the EXE.

As far as I'm concerned, there will always be way around anything you
do for someone determined to beat the system. Therefore, I usually just
try to be prudent and provide some level of protection. My apps are all
for bussiness customers and not the general public so i don't see as
many problems as some of you guys.

Well that's my 2 cents .

moke

[tim6389]

moke - I like some of thoses ideas hummmm yea the exe i have stopped working on cause I don't know why it don't work right ...BUT your ideas sound very good.....


thanks

[tim6389]

Rubes_sw - hummm that sound to be neat...do you have an explames you can share? I would like to see some of your ideas


thanks

[ACE]

keep in mind that no matter what encryption algo you use, a cracker can see your regcode or serial.

A cracker (a real one) can see the code at run time like you see the code when you debug your script, line by line, so no matter how you hide or crypt your serial, there will be a point in the code where a simple @equal(supposed in this case) fuction will arrive, and the result will be send the execution to registered version code or notreg, so a simple change can be done and cracked. And in this point the serial will be decrypted by your own sofware, so a simple copy an paste and you have a decryptor for your codes.

So, the way to go is to confuse the cracker with long loops and long useless code that dont do nothing than make him uninterested, along with good protection techniques of course, its a mix of software tech and behavior tech.

Lioric

[ACE]

and check for the info in different parts of the program, at start, when using a tool of the menu, saving a file, randomly

Lioric