Ubuntu Linux = Genuine Windows - Validated by Windows Genuine Advantage

Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage mechanism has validated a copy of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux as a genuine Windows product. The WGA has been a target for circumventing techniques since its introduction in July 2005. But Windows Genuine Advantage workarounds involve cracks designed to fool the mechanism into validating pirated copies of Windows. The WGA is nothing new to users of Windows XP and Windows Vista, but the anti-piracy program set in place by Microsoft for its Windows operating system has had little impact on other platforms. Until now.

An Ubuntu user identified only as "mig5" revealed on the UbuntuForums that he managed to validate his copy of Linux as genuine Windows and access a download normally reserved for legitimate Windows users. "I just did this for a laugh and didn't expect it to work. I went to microsoft.com using IE4Linux and tried to download Windows Defender, on Xubuntu. Of course, I was asked to do the Genuine Advantage test. I used the alternate authentication method (IE4Linux doesn't support Active X), downloaded and then ran the genuine advantage application (which took quite a while to start). It gave me a code that I pasted into the authentication box, and to my surprise it verified me and forwarded me to the download page," mig5 said.

At the end of March 2007, Cori Hartje, director of the Microsoft Genuine Software Initiative revealed that the WGA program had "processed more than 600 million unique product validations since July 2005." What Microsoft failed to be clear on is the actual number of pirated Windows copies, and the volume of false positives. The Redmond Company has been especially careful to sweep all data related to WGA false positives under the rug. But if Windows Genuine Advantage indeed validated Ubuntu Linux - as "mig5" claims - then Microsoft's anti-piracy mechanism has severe problems. An indication of a high number of WGA false positives is the fact that Microsoft revamped the mechanism in order to deliver not only a genuine or non-genuine verdict, but also non-conclusive diagnostics. Following the experience with WGA on Ubuntu, "mig5" concluded: "this just goes to show how rubbish they're validation software is."