I understand that sharing video, photos, documents etc. is relatively safe because the data is not executed in the processor as instructions. How come people are willing to download and install pirated software though? How can one be confident that it does not contain malicious addons? Are people just don’t know the risks? Or are there protection mechanisms that I am missing? I mean since the software is usually cracked there is not much use in comparing checksums with the originals, is it?
Worth noting that paying for a license for software doesn’t stop it being spying malware either. In fact the pirate versions often take out the spying and the reporting-to-homebase that proprietary software does.
The photoshop that phones home to check a license is arguably more malicious than the pirate version that has been cracked so it doesn’t do that.
Good and valid point. I use opensource software wherever I can.
Though paid software is not going to encrypt your data for ransom or use a keylogger to steal bitcoin (yet).
There was an antivirus that was caught running a bitcoin miner in the background tbf. If memory serves it was Norton?
It was opt-in, and I think to make your subscription cheaper. Then again, Norton sucks!
Long story short.
- Be prepared for disaster.
- Scan it. Sandbox it if concerned.
- Firewall inspect/block/allow every outbound comm.
- Get it from a trusted source.
Basically the same stuff you should be doing with all software.
Edit for firewall clarification.
Is it smart to test if it is malicious in a vm first?
I don’t.
But I take many precautions.
I’ve been pirating software since the C64. About 40 years. Never stopped. Never will.
I buy the good software I encounter. As a developer, i know it’s important to keep funding further development. Unfortunately most is overpriced garbage.
I’m pretty new and extremely cautious with pirated software, i still need to find the precautions i have to take, luckily pirating games is much safer and easier than pirating software
Could you elaborate how pirating games is “safer” than pirating software? Both are executables that could run whatever code they wish on your system, and since pirated games are so desirable, in my experience they are far more often spread around bundled with malware than software is. Oftentimes, you’ll find people take legitimate repacks, add malware, then share the repack under the same repackers name.
I think their idea is that if you know a specific repacker like an athletic woman, compared to downloading softwares that could be uploaded by any elitists trying to fuck with you.
In practice both are the same, but the reputation of the athletic woman makes her more trustworthy.
However outside of that specific repacker I actually agree with you, it’s exactly the same lol.
Interesting. If there are reputable packers / crackers, why do they not uses GPG to sign the software? That way, no one can manipulate and reupload the software.
Many do provide some form of checksum.
It feels safer as there are a few sites with a good reputation which is just easier to find which makes me feel safer. Idk if it is really safer than with software.
I trust pirates more than billion or trillion dollar companies. Also, aggressive DRM such as iLok is worse than malware, so eh.
Fuck iLok. Shit made me regret buying plugins, should have stuck with piracy.
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What kind of cheap-ass, stripped down AutoDesk suite are you getting for $200/mo. Last I checked, the architectural suite was north of $4500/yr.
I just use paint
Technically you can do all the same things with paint and a LOT of patience.
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That’s why I’m learning Blender, I think I’ll be able to carry on without Maya.
Adobe isn’t pretty but Autodesk is a scourge
Blender is fully capable these days, have fun!
You severely underestimate the power of free stuff
How come people are willing to download and install pirated software though?
You can just remove “priated” from that statement and come to the same conclusions. Considering the amount of bugs, backdoors and 0-day exploits distributed via official software I sometimes wonder why people execute proprietary, closed source programs at all.
An no, “reputable” companies mean nothing, just look at Microsoft clowning around with their signing keys.
I feel safe, maybe I shouldnt, but my life wouldnt be this good if I didnt have access to everything I cracked lol
Denuvo games performed worse than the cracked version, FYI.
Yep. The approach that Denuvo utilizes has been discussed forever, but games didn’t really have the extra CPU cycles to run around and validate the integrity of each and every function. Most games are balls to the wall and using every CPU cycle it can. Point is, games that require heavy performance suffer under Denuvo unless your system is bleeding edge. This means the vast majority of their customer base suffer. There are all sorts of ways to prevent piracy for games… but most companies can’t utilize these approaches due to the very nature of disorganized game development.
If I get malware, I can just go reinstall my OS. If I pay for software, I’m never getting that money back.
If you notice the malware…
And have something worth loosing on gheir PC. Many professional software users using cracks may worry of losing their work files which could be easily backed up.
As long as they dont have their financials or personal information thats worth stealing, the cost saving of the pirated software is worth infection, which at max needs a fresh install.
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More reason to have MFA?
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any accounts are worth stealing, especially stuff like Google/iCloud, Discord, (Reddit and Instagram accounts are pretty expensive too if you have them for some reason), and game accounts.
losing**
I have a two PC setup, I treat the windows one with the pirated software as always potentially infected so the potential damage is limited. It’s probably not infected though, I do take the most basic precautions and haven’t had issues with malware for many years.
That’s smart, but requires extra work and hardware.
I installed trusted cracks from scene groups. Not everyone who can crack will be a scene group. To get into the scene you need to be well trusted. Scene groups would NOT damage their integrity to install something malicious through a crack
As another user said, check the files you have match the direct uploads from the scene with a site like predb.me
You can search online for more info on scene groups/warez/topsites
when you dl from any seller site do you know what you get regarding spy/mal/bloatware? for sure?
i would not dl from usenet or a public tracker though.
Most don’t invest that much into anti-piracy protection and you can avoid it with simple firewall and GPEdit corrections for the unlimited premium spoof.
There are also the key gens that emulates the server or the software to receive the codes or give a confirmation to the software.
This is all very oversimplified and there are an infinite number of anti-piracy methods that the companies don’t even want to try to solve since it’s all free advertising and it gets people used to their software when they have to buy it.
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Cool!
You can always run software in a Virtual Machine to see if it’s the real deal or not. Additionally, people really like to be “the first” or “the one” who actually provides something. See for example the first cracked Version of Read Dead Redemption 2 - it was announced like a special record (and it was!). Being the first to provide an actual, working copy brings fame, that’s why people go to such lengths to crack and provide software. And the people who download it? Well, they can often rely on those with virtual machines testing the software and then on reviews and ratings available on the download sites.
Virtual machine testing is a good idea, but I wouldn’t rely on it. Well written malware will check for a virtual environment and might even hold off executing if it detects it. Better malware will have already gained persistence as your testing for it.
it is the same as any binary. you do not know what the author has baked it.
