3 posts tagged with "Windows"

Introduction​

A recent Windows update killed our new activation exploit, TSforge... or so we thought. I will break down what went wrong, how we worked around the problem, and in the process, make a point about the apparent decline in Microsoft's code quality control.

By WitherOrNot
Edited by May

Introduction​

2025 marks nearly 20 years since the introduction of Windows' current DRM system, the Software Protection Platform (SPP). With it serving as the primary gateway to activation since early in Windows Vista's development, many have come up with clever ways of tricking it, from resetting grace period timers to emulating KMS servers to hooking bootloaders. While all of these systems abuse various activation methods, there has never been an exploit that directly attacked SPP itself... until now.

By WitherOrNot
Edited by May, Lyssa

Introduction​

In our ongoing work to bypass Windows licensing checks, we occasionally stumble upon bugs that we choose to keep secret. This decision allows us to preserve potential future activation methods by avoiding bug fixes, while also giving us valuable tools for testing or developing new methods.

One such discovery, which we've named "Keyhole", turned out to be a highly effective DRM bypass. It gave users the ability to license any Microsoft Store app or any modern Windows edition with ease.