July 1998
"Win Patch V1.1.01"
( New update, new hidden routines'  )
Win '95 PROGRAM
Win Code Reversing
 
 
by The Sandman 
 
 
Code Reversing For Beginners 
 
 
 
Program Details
Program Name: wpatch11.exe
Program Type: Win'95 Code Patching Utility
Program Location: Here
Program Size: 1.32 Mb 
 
   
Tools Used:
Softice 3.2 - Debugger
W32Dasm V8.9 - Disassembler
 
Rating
Easy ( X )  Medium (   )  Hard (    )  Pro (    ) 
There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.
 
  
 
Win Patch V1.1.01
( New update, new hidden routines'  )
Written by The Sandman
 
 
 
Introduction
 
This essay is in addition to my previous one on  [ Winpatch V1.0 - Essay No 20 ] because of the following reasons:-

1.  If you registered the previous version of WinPatch V1.01 using the in-built 'hidden routines' as described in my previous essay then installing this newer version will result in the old serial now being rejected!  Perhaps the authors had read my essay..:)
 
2. If you've downloaded this newer version because you could'nt find the older version that I had used for my previous essay then some of the things I described in my previous essay will now be slightly different  for this newer release of WinPatch.
 
About this protection system
 
Registration is via the initial nag screen then into the 'About Screen' and finally into the Registration Screen by pressing the 'Register' button.   Here you will be asked to enter:-
 
Name                   :
Registration  ID :
Company            :
 
Successful registration will result in your registration details being stored in your System Registry File at:-
 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Artistry\WINPATCH\WinPatch 1.0\Registration
     
This is in fact, the same place where any previous versions of Winpatch store it's User Registration info..
 
The Essay 
     
Your first task before anything else it so create a 'Dead Listing' of Win Patch using W32Dasm. If you've read my other essay's then you should know how to do this by now.

 
Accessing the 'hidden' routines to get the program to register itself.
 
While still in W32Dasm take a look at the String Data Resources used within this program.. See anything that looks familiar?.
 
Yep, our old string "Art+Debby!@"  is still with us so at least something's haven't changed..:)

I won't bore you all again with the code to this protection system since it's almost the same as in previous versions. Always learn from your *cracks*, it really does save you time and having to re-invent the wheel each time you come across an upgrade for your target program..

OK, here's what you''ve been waiting for...

Go into the registration screen, then type this:

Name              :  Art+Debby!@
Registration ID: Art+Debby!@
Organization:   Type in anything you want for this

Now press the 'OK' button, a message box will now show, telling you that:
"The Pin Is L&D-0626-77583914"

If you now press the 'OK' button to close this messagebox you will see that the program has already typed this serial number into the registration ID box!!!.  So all you now need to do is press the 'OK' button again to have a fully registered WinPatch program!.

For those of you who haven't read my previous essay on this target program the old serial number was: 'The Pin Is D&L-1121-73823587'
 
Notice the difference?

Job Done.....
 
The 'Crack' 
 
None required.
 
Final Notes 
 
There are of course, many other ways to *crack* this program, I've only mentioned one of them, perhaps you can come up with a few more?.
 
My thanks and gratitude goes to:

Fravia+ for providing possibly the greatest source of Reverse Engineering
knowledge on the Web.
 
+ORC for showing me the light at the end of the tunnel.

 
Ob Duh 
 
Do I really have to remind you all that by buying and NOT stealing the software you use will ensure that these software houses will continue to  produce even *better* software for us to use and more importantly, to continue offering even more challenges to breaking their often weak protection systems.
 
If your looking for cracks or serial numbers from these pages then your wasting your time, try searching elsewhere on the Web under Warze, Cracks etc.
 


 
 
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Essay by:          The Sandman
Page Created: 06th July 1998