“Hackers are distributing a file that they say lets users of the corporate version of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system get around the software’s anti-piracy mechanisms,” Nancy Gohring reports for IDG News.
Gohring reports, “Windows Vista must be ‘activated,’ or authorized by Microsoft, before it will work on a particular machine. To simplify the task of activating many copies of Vista, Microsoft offers corporate users special tools, among them Key Management Service (KMS), which allows a company to run a Microsoft-supplied authorization server on its own network and activate Vista without contacting Microsoft for each copy.”
“The software Microsoft.Windows.Vista.Local.Activation.Server-MelindaGates lets users spoof that KMS process, allowing them to activate copies of the enterprise editions of Vista, its creators say. The hacked download is available online on sites including The Pirate Bay and other file sharing sites,” Gohring reports.
Full article here.
Related article:
Microsoft’s Windows Vista will limit reinstall to one time and one time only – October 13, 2006
MS: 0
HAckers: +34
Seems that Microsoft needs to hire these hackers. These folks know more about the inner workings of Windows than the programmers in Redmond.
It seems kind of low to publish in the article where to get the hack… even a working link right to it, no less. I would think yahoo would have more class than that.
It should be made clear this affects Volume Licensing. Don’t paint the picture too rosy, MDN.
it’s pretty rosy already.
Now Piratebay will get more traffic, which could be a good thing so we can get some more seeders. Been light as of late on the goodies.
MDNW: Anti as in “I am anti anti-piratebay”
I’m sure MDN would like it if a hack was posted to spoof their ad click through’s to 0. No difference. Just because you don’t like a companies stupid policy doesn’t give you the right to steal. Lame – at least take down the link and reference to the site.
we’re gonna sue MDN’s ass.
And this is the most secure version of Windows ever…?
MDN! Come on man… don’t be like that.. you let all people know about out weekness.. that’s not nice.
Why would I want to get a Vista running? Get Crossover and be done with that you need to run. Soon all you need will be running native on Leopard.
I agree – it is as classless for MDN to post the article as Yahoo to proliferate it. Another poor example of MDN losing it’s credibility .
All MDN did was to link the Yahoo story so that we would hav e full context. It’s Yahoo who has the link to the hack.
Are we supposed to be suprised at this?
WOW,
And the PC WORLD waited for this. And they still don’t learn. WOW
MDN never had credibility.
Yahoo linked to
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128115-page,1/article.html
So shame on PC WORLD for that pirate link.
Dear Whingers,
MDN is merely performing its due journalistic service to us. Please cry more to Daddy Blly and Fester the Wonderchimp, your tears taste like sweet cream.
Don’t shoot the messengers, you retards:
http://news.google.com/news?client=safari&rls=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&tab=wn&q=Vista+Hacked&scoring=d
Actually I’m surprised that people expect unbiased info from MDN. It’s a pro-Mac news site. I’m surprised that we even get a heads up on stories about exploits that are supposedly linked to Quicktime through some bassackwards way. If you want unbiased news then go to sleep and keep on dreaming. Or you can search all the sites and make up your own mind. I don’t expect MDN to praise Microsoft, or even do anything that is beneficial. In this case they didn’t even link directly to the hack.
This story has been published, as well as the piratebay link on several other sites. And honestly it takes all of about .32milliseconds for google to point to the link.
What is ironic, is that Vista was MS’s answer to pirating, and what 8 days after its enterprise release, the enterprise version licensing has been cracked. I take no joy in seeing this happening. It just leaves me with the feeling as to why on earth anyone would trust their sensitive data to anything MS? They can’t even protect their own OS from license pirates with the most restrictive DRM’d version of an OS ever created.
MS is beyond “becomming” irrelevant. They already are, people (IT departments, etc), en-masse, are finally waking up to that fact that they can no longer say: “Well nobody ever got fired for using Microsoft.”
zac
Microsoft might have at least had the decency to release this turkey in time for Thanskgiving. No wonder the natives are so eager to gobble it up.
If they can hack around THAT, you know damn well, that there are many, many, more hackable things in Vista.
Here is my theory on Apple not attempting the lock down of the OS,
I’ve always doubted if Apple really cares if it’s OS is pirated to run on a Mac because who ever steals it will STILL need an Apple Computer to run it on! It’s a win-win.
Scenario example:
Person priates a newer OS operating to load on an older computer that came with an earlier OS installed. Person steals the OS, loves the upgrade but the old computer power is sluggish, which causes the user (who’s now addicted to the new OS apps, etc.) starts craving an upgrade to a new Mac that runs the OS and all it’s newer apps better. A BIGGER SALE. I’ve seen this theory proven in the wild ; ) Esp. with switchers who bought a cheap used Mac off e-bay to see if they liked Macs.
M$ can’t use Winduhs or Vista as bait to sell a newer, faster, better computer.
What relevance does a hack on Vista have to Apple? This site is little more than a thinly disguised schoolboy pissing contest. It’s the Fox News of the computing press.
MacRaven: Your insight is astounding.
Reality Check,
What relevance does a hack on Vista have to Apple?
Apple Macs can run Vista, you tard. Now, for free. Reality? Check.
Now, get back in your seat, keep that helmet strapped on, and STFU while I cart your retarded ass back to the home!
MDN, thanks for posting the article with details and links!
I had no idea there was this thing on the Internets called Pirates Bay.
Short Bus Driver wanna be…
your still sittin in back – so shut the f up.
Short Bus Driver…
It’s the Fox News of the computing press.
MDN gets it’s talking points from the White House?
About computing?
I don’t believe it.
Nice, up and running, don’t notice anything that would make me pay for Vista though
Who cares if some other site posts it first, or if the ‘news’ site that posted it is the biggest in the world –
Haven’t you guys learned anything since childhood?
Didn’t your mother ever tell you ‘if someone jumps off a cliff are you going to jump too?’
In all of these comments, nobody ever asks the one salient question…
Why in the name of God would you want to do this?
I ask this simply because if Vista is the answer, I’m not sure that the problem is worth solving.
And here’s the real issue: whoever is behind this has obviously worked out how to get into both Windows activation routines and – more worryingly – how to hack the network stack in order to deliver the spoof activation. It was already known that Vista’s rewritten (and not stolen from BSD) network stack was going to be a source of problems, but I guess it generally hoped that the system would be in the wild for a few weeks before this crap started surfacing.
What the hell is this? VistaDailyNews?
hey Microsoft,
Tiiiiimmmmberrrrrrrrr!
To the Microsoft crying few here, MDN is Apple centered, of course.
But just go to any Microsoft centered site and you see even worse. PC users just seem blinded by MS. They don’t like Apple, they just can’t seem to figure out why.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> I find it very interesting.
N.
Hang on a sec let me get this straight.
Theres a hack, that lets me pirate a piece of shit!
Why do I want to do that???????????
I can shit for myself.
Reality Check: The Vista relevance (and any hacks [sic]) at MDN is simple:
MS and Vista are direct competitors to Apple and MacOS X (you can choose your own point version). If you cannot see that, then I am really sorry. I am actually amazed that I even posted to state the obvious.
zac
@ MacRaven, I think you’re right about Mac OS licencing. Good take. I’ve seen it work over and over again through the years.
Updating the OS mostly keeps the users of Macs happy and feeling like they’re keeping up with everyone. They also usually get access to new features that they use and grow to like. Then, when they feel their Macs are running too slowly, or they need USB 2 instead of USB 1 or whatever, they buy new Macs and pay a built-in licence fee along with the hardware to get the updated versions of the OS.
All in all, I think it’s a good system, and I think it’s great that Apple is not so greedy as to require OS serial number to CPU or mobo matching; it helps in the propogation of Macs and the perpetuation of their use in society.
That being said, I think as Mac promoters, technicians, and so on, we should be mindful of not abusing the system. I either outright require, or otherwise strongly suggest, that my clients buy the current OS or buy the next one, if it’s going to be out in the coming couple of months.
/my2c
If Fox news got its talking points from the White House, they wouldn’t hang around Newt and Oliver North, guys. Uhm, get a clue? Fox also first ran the story about Bush’s DUI in the closing days of the ’00 elections. Also, Fox has been around longer than W’s been in office, so what did they do before he showed up? Your empty skull is showing, guys. But I am making a quintessential conservative mistake — assuming that liberals are interested in reasoning. Go on back to the Code Pink demonstration, guys.
@drmacnut
Agreed about not abusing the system….but….
For legal reasons I won’t say *I* personally do this, but, if rebuilding a used Mac for someone who is a PC switcher it’s good marketing to put the newest system in. You want a switcher to have the best experience possible to ensure another mac purchase.
That’s my theory.
hahaha–MDN magic word: “true”