MS Talks About OEM BIOS Hacks

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The Windows Genuine Advantage blog is talking about the current OEM BIOS hacks out there, how they work and what they plan on doing to stop them. Interseting reading, especially this comment:

It's worth noting we also prioritize our responses, because not every attempt deserves the same level of response. Our goal isn't to stop every "mad scientist" that's on a mission to hack Windows. Our first goal is to disrupt the business model of organized counterfeiters and protect users from becoming unknowing victims. This means focusing on responding to hacks that are scalable and can easily be commercialized, thereby making victims out of well-intentioned customers.
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So I take it this means that these hacks are sort of low on the totem pole for them?
 
Depends if Microsoft thinks the OEM Activation hack is scalable or not. According to the article, I don't think they do. I also think where it is on the totem pole depends on how wide-spread Microsoft perceives the problem to be.

Windows Vistas OEM Hacks

There appear to be two primary variants of OA 2.0 hacks circulating. One is similar to the XP approach I described above where actual editing of the BIOS on the motherboard is done to make the motherboard appear to be from an OEM. It is a pretty labor-intensive process and quite risky. If you mess up editing the BIOS of any motherboard, you can quite easily render it permanently useless. So while this method works today, it's potentially hazardous and really doesn't scale well to large numbers of systems, which makes it less of a threat.

The second variant does not change anything in the BIOS itself, but uses a software-based approach to fool the OS into thinking it's running on OA 2.0-enabled hardware. And while this method is easier to implement for the end user, it's also easier to detect and respond to than a method that involves directly modifying the BIOS of the motherboard.

I do want to say something here about how we plan our responses. As I've said in the past, we focus on hacks that pose threats to our customers, partners and products. It's worth noting we also prioritize our responses, because not every attempt deserves the same level of response. Our goal isn't to stop every "mad scientist" that's on a mission to hack Windows. Our first goal is to disrupt the business model of organized counterfeiters and protect users from becoming unknowing victims. This means focusing on responding to hacks that are scalable and can easily be commercialized, thereby making victims out of well-intentioned customers.
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Since Vista isn't selling nearly as well as XP did originally I think they'll let the hack stay for a while to attract more customers.
 
We will not see this until widespread corporate adoption. 6 months after SP1.

I personally do not care. I can buy Vista64 ultimate for 200 dollars as an oem license. I have built computers now for myself, family, and friends for the past 10 years. Some of my friends will come over and use my computer for what amounts to a demonstration. I will then order myself new parts, and build their system from parts of mine. They get a new windows OEM license.

With regards to windows XP alone, in the past six years I have spent a total of $140 on my operating system. Between work and home I have used this product for an estimated 1000 hours a year. This equates out to less than three cents an hour. I consider that a silly amount to be concerned about. Vista ultimate will cost approximately 4 cents an hour to operate, given the same constraints.

During this time, I have bought licenses for friends and family using a conservative estimate of $2000. If we tallied up our members here; the computer people of friends and family, we would surprise ourselves at how much money we have sent to 1 Microsoft way. The vast majority of the posters here are system builders, I believe this can also be reflected across the computer retail industry.

Again, in regards to copy protection would the CFO at Microsoft prefer half the world computers using Microsoft and the other half using something else, or half the world with a legitimate copy of windows, and the other half using a Microsoft product not licensed? It seems to me to be a six-one half dozen.
 
Interesting. Don't relly see the bios hacks as a big issue. The software trick I could see but also see wga catching it pretty quick.

Still interesting to hear them talk about it.
 
I used to be a huge pirate back in the day, Amiga, BBS, then Console, Super Wildcard DX, etc, then the Internet Dec of 93 on dialup. I was stone cold against ever paying for software with the holy grail being the OS. Never ever I told myself.

Then, I grew up, got older and my jobs started paying better and I had the extra cash.

Piracy is wrong but I understand why it happens.

When I was younger, I didn't have the cash, $3.35 an hour?

If kids could pirate gasoline, they would. How do kids today making $4.00 or $5.00 an hour afford to drive around when gas is nearly $3.00 a gallon already?

If the risk is small, no one is looking, and it's easy, AND the product is too expensive, people will pirate.

For the last handful of years, I've paid for my PC games, and my OS. In fact, recently, I've bought a total of 5 copies of Vista for myself, different computer builds, the wife and another project I am working on.

I also have, as I said, a wall full of purchased PC games. Today, $50 dollars - $100 is like $10 dollars when I was a kid.

I really think if prices were better on these products, piracy would not be as bad. That's coming from someone thats been on the internet going on 14 years and a gamer since 87 on the Amiga!
 
you can mdo your bios or download one of the new bios emu patches. it is funny to see M$ talk about it. unless counterfitters star shipping vista copies with this, they probably will not do anything. (I hope, LOL)
 
Funny thing is, pirated or not, I will not use Vista until I absolutely need to for DX10 gaming. I've used it enough to know that:

1) Vista slows down your PC, in almost every way possible.
2) Not all programs want to play friendly with Vista. (Visual Studios for example)
3) Driver support isn't really up to par yet.

So, If I hold out as long as possible for Vista, maybe these issues will be ironed out. Until then, I'm doing 100% DX9 gaming.
 
rthefley said:
I used to be a huge pirate back in the day, Amiga, BBS, then Console, Super Wildcard DX, etc, then the Internet Dec of 93 on dialup. I was stone cold against ever paying for software with the holy grail being the OS. Never ever I told myself.

Then, I grew up, got older and my jobs started paying better and I had the extra cash.

Piracy is wrong but I understand why it happens.

When I was younger, I didn't have the cash, $3.35 an hour?

If kids could pirate gasoline, they would. How do kids today making $4.00 or $5.00 an hour afford to drive around when gas is nearly $3.00 a gallon already?
Click to expand...

Not in my state (NJ). The minimum wage is $7.15hr. Gas in my state is also cheaper around $2.50-$2.60 gal. Now, take a look at some countries where they don’t make nearly as much. This is where piracy skyrockets
 
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