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Subject: [ISN] Norton Antivirus product activation cracked
From: InfoSec News <isn () c4i ! org>
Date: 2003-09-24 5:33:23
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/32955.html
By Jan Libbenga
Posted: 22/09/2003
Software giant Symantec last month announced that it will add product
activation technology to all of its consumer products, starting with
Norton Antivirus 2004. The idea is to prevent large-scale piracy
operations from thieves who counterfeit Symantec programs and offer
them to customers on the Web. The company estimates at least 3.6
million bogus copies of its programs are sold annually.
The measure may help alleviate the counterfeit problem, but the
product activation itself is not exactly waterproof. The Register had
no problem of finding a key generator on the Web and installing a full
version of Norton Antivirus 2004 on several PCs without Symantec
knowing it.
When you buy the product on a CD, you have to plug in a software key
printed on the CD sleeve. From there, a wizard checks the hardware
configuration, including the hard drive serial number and
configuration.
Based on this information, the software creates an alphanumeric code
and transmits this code to Symantec through the internet. Otherwise,
the wizard prompts you to call an automated phone service to complete
activation.
Here is where the activation fails miserably. The key generator will
not only provide you with a serial number, but also with a final
unlock code. No need to call an automated phone service either.
The key generator won't work with the trial versions, only with the
full program which we located on a murky Russian website.
As is the case with Microsoft's product activation, the technology is
based upon a key generation algorithm rather than a fixed database of
real CD keys. All the key generator seems to be doing is reproducing
this logic.
Other more obtrusive product activation techniques may prove
unpopular. Earlier this year Intuit dropped its product activation
policy after complaints from customers, who had to provide some basic
information about their PC before they could use its TurboTax product.
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