Microsoft's Genuine Advantage program cracked in a day
Well, that didn't take long. Just 24 hours after its release, Microsoft's "Genuine Advantage" program — which was supposed to block users of pirated software from using the Windows Update service — has already been cracked. And what's the crack? Just one line of Javascript that you can enter in IE's location bar before accessing Windows Update. Kind of reminds me of that CD DRM system that was defeated with a magic marker.
Check it out.












Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsmickJul 28th 2005 11:30PM
awesome me hate microsoft
their shittie software is overpriced
keep cracking but stay clean!
ajp2116Jul 28th 2005 11:43PM
It doesn't work. I typed in the javascript as told and, then it proceded with the scan for updates like normal. Then it prompted me with the verification of authenticity. I typed:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
hafaJul 29th 2005 2:01AM
yep. what'd i said ?
AdoraJul 29th 2005 12:18AM
Did you type it in and then hit enter? It'll look like nothing happens, but it worked for me.
Not that I wouldn't have a true and genuine version anyway... >_>
:: Lisa
:: adora [at] techslut [.] net
VirionJul 29th 2005 3:34AM
You can disable the WGA Add-on and that still works just as well, it's in the Tools menu in IE. Microsoft even has a help article about disabling Add-ons. I'm still suprised it hasn't made the rounds as well, yet. I got the new optional Outlook Express patch today fine. The only thing IE does is pop a little icon in the bottom saying the site tried to access a disabled Add-on.
Nicole SimonJul 29th 2005 4:12AM
I might be tempted to use it too - and I do own a bought copy of XP.
But I do not like to be treated pirate because others are.
ErzengelJul 30th 2005 9:17PM
A dayy? it really took that long? I expected something like "1 hour after" or even better, "1 day before" lol
JinFXJul 31st 2005 7:01PM
this is better than disabling the addon afterwards b/c the whole point is to not have to wait for the download
so wat if i use dialup...bruin online is free...ok...T_T
VirionAug 1st 2005 10:30AM
In reply to 8:
I guess that's one way to look at it, though with the people normally savvy enough to know these tricks they tend to have a faster connection (though I do like free, so I can't blame ya.) I think the real purpose of this is to avoid the software, I just meant that there was another way to avoid the proccess in general, and it just seems nobody on any of the sites that posted the link to boingboing has acknoledged it yet, especially considering it was an already existing feature of the browser and required little time to uncover and exploit (the suggestion to disable it that I saw predated this fix posted in the article.)