Softpedia
 

NEWS CATEGORIES:



NEWS ARCHIVE >>
SOFTPEDIA REVIEWS >>
MEET THE EDITORS >>
TRENDING TODAY
Home > News > Microsoft > Windows

July 31st, 2009, 15:05 GMT · By

Microsoft Tackles Windows 7 RTM Crack, Blacklists OEM SLP Master Product Key

SHARE:

Adjust text size:

Windows 7
Enlarge picture
The first crack for Windows 7 RTM Build 6.1.7600.16385 had a short life time span and Microsoft made certain of this aspect. The Redmond company revealed that it had worked with Lenovo, the original equipment manufacturer that contributed to the activation circumventing of Windows 7 RTM by leaking the OEM SLP Master Product Key that served as the backbone of the hack, in order to hinder future attempts to bypass the activation and validation process associated with the latest iteration of the Windows client, via this method. The Redmond company indicated that it had blacklisted the special product key issued to Lenovo for the OEM-SLP (System-Locked Preinstallation) of the gold bits of Windows 7.

“The key is for use with Windows 7 Ultimate RTM product that is meant to be pre-installed by the OEM on new PCs to be shipped later this year. As such, the use of this key requires having a PC from the manufacturer it was issued to. We've worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating their copy of Windows 7. At the same time we will seek to alert customers who are using the leaked key that they are running a non-genuine copy of Windows. It's important to note that no PCs will be sold that will use this key,” revealed Alex Kochis, director of Genuine Windows at Microsoft.

At the same time, Kochis defended the Windows Genuine Activation technology as well as the company's antipiracy efforts. As the Windows 7 Ultimate RTM OEM crack was made public, critics were none too soon to point out that WGA was an immense failure just because it proved useless to stop or to detect the hack. However, this shortsighted and infantile perspective is the same as arguing that all automotive safety measures are failures because of one airbag that failed.

“Our primary goal is to protect users from becoming unknowing victims, because customers who use pirated software are at greater risk of being exposed to malware as well as identity theft,” Kochis noted. “Someone asked me recently - and I think it's worth noting here - whether we treat all exploits equally in responding to new ones we see. Our objective isn't to stop every "mad scientist" that's out there from dabbling; our aim is to protect our customers from commercialized counterfeit software that impacts our customers' confidence in knowing they got what they paid for. That will continue to be our focus as we continue to evolve our anti-piracy platforms, and respond to new threats that we see emerge in the future.”

The Windows 7 Build 6.1.7600.16385 Ultimate crack was made possible by a set of factors. First off, hackers were able to obtain the OEM-SLP (System-Locked Preinstallation) activation product key from a leaked ISO image of Windows 7 RTM from Lenovo. In addition, OEM activation 2.1 was bypassed by changing the motherboard's BIOS. And last, a Windows Vista OEM certificate was used to trick Windows 7 into activating.

“Windows 7 already includes an improved ability to detect hacks, also known as activation exploits, and alert customers who are using a pirated copy,” Kochis added. “There is a hack that is said to enable, when paired with the leaked key, a system to install and use a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. Both the hack and the key are indications that a copy of Windows may not be genuine. The Windows Activation Technologies included in Windows 7 are designed to handle situations such as this one, and customers using these tools and methods should expect Windows to detect them.”



171,256 hits · 11 comments
Link to this article · Print article · Send to friend

MUST-READ RELATED ARTICLES:


Windows 7 RTM Crack Confirmed by Microsoft

Cracked Windows 7 RTM Ultimate Activated with OEM SLP Master Product Key

SQL Server 2008 SP1 Automatic Upgrades Coming

Firefox 3.6 Alpha Just Around the Corner

Download Google Chrome 3.0.195.4

READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Dave on 31 Jul 2009, 15:46 UTC reply to this comment

Well, at least all the activators that I knew will definitely work pass Oct 22 (not sure about MS updating) and of course new OEM keys will be again leaked but it's a huge issue (not new in the Vista's case) for MS since millions of PC or notebook come out from the manufacturing using just couple keys and I just wonder how they resolve millions of them out there if they're going to blacklist them


Comment #2 by: Steve on 31 Jul 2009, 21:18 UTC reply to this comment

There are no "advanced technologies". Microsoft as well cannot "blacklist" this key that is out, unless they illegally penetrate an individuals PC, or use Windows Update, which will not offer many updates for Windows until RTM hits shelves anyway, but WU can easily be disabled. Any other entry through MS is considered against internet privacy act.


Comment #3 by: TOMxEU on 02 Aug 2009, 14:56 UTC reply to this comment

Well, 120 days re-activation still works and it is legal, since users do not have to alter Windows files with any crack, So it will work just fine, at least until RTM will be finally out and available for purchase. ;)


Comment #4 by: Scott on 07 Aug 2009, 18:20 UTC reply to this comment

If MS was smart, they'd offer the RTM for download NOW and sell keys to it at the same time. Why wait until October? It's ready now, sell it over the internet.


Comment #5 by: Me on 09 Aug 2009, 02:46 UTC reply to this comment

Wouldn't it just be easy enough to have an encrypted bootloader boot from a a reverse engineered slic2.1 compliant oem bios with proper signatures. then just use one of that oem's product keys not a master key to active. if the boot loader was based on grub and encrypted windows could not see what it was for and would just look like Linux. Meh not like I care I'll just run Ubuntu and crossover for my valve/steam/souce eingine games. I just really like by technical side of actually creating a method that is undetectable.


Comment #6 by: Skidley on 12 Aug 2009, 18:51 UTC reply to this comment

Yes they can blacklist it fool. Try connecting to a MS service with it.

I hate ignotant people


Comment #7 by: simon on 25 Nov 2009, 23:19 UTC reply to this comment

microsoft can blacklist an oem key as computer come with 2 keys, 1 that is pre-installed on all of a manufacturers computers. (oem masterkey) and the other key is on the sticker which is unique to that computer. so if microsoft blacklist the master key a user can re-activate no probs using the key on the sticker which is not a master key. the masterkey is used to activate windows on several computers at once. the sticker you normally see is an individual one for the user if re-activation is required.


Comment #8 by: mohamed on 27 Apr 2010, 17:11 UTC reply to this comment

Thanks Well, at least all the activators that I knew will definitely work pass Oct 22 (not sure about MS updating) and of course new OEM keys will be again leaked but it's a huge issue (not new in the Vista's case) for MS since millions of PC or notebook come out from the manufacturing using just couple keys and I just wonder how they resolve millions of them out there if they're going to blacklist them


Comment #9 by: joe on 17 Mar 2011, 10:56 UTC reply to this comment

This sounds similar to an issue that I face. But how can I possibly hack myself and my own computer when it is already paid for and I have the OEM license sitting in my hand?


Comment #10 by: icaro17 on 19 Jun 2011, 14:26 UTC reply to this comment

gracias por el aporte


Comment #11 by: deepak on 15 Aug 2011, 06:22 UTC reply to this comment

nice..

Copyright © 2001-2013 Softpedia. Contact/Tip us at

WindowsGamesDriversMacLinuxScriptsMobileHandheldNews

SUBMIT PROGRAM   |   ADVERTISE   |   GET HELP   |   SEND US FEEDBACK   |   RSS FEEDS   |   UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE   |   ROMANIAN FORUM