What Is Software Cracking, and What Are the Risks of Using Cracked Software?

Countless people worldwide use cracked software to access programs they would otherwise purchase. The effects of this illegal practice can be far-reaching and have serious consequences for both software developers and the users of the cracked software. But what exactly is software cracking, and what’s so bad about it?

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What Is Software Cracking?

People use software cracking to circumvent measures put in place to prevent software copying and unauthorized distribution. The act can involve modifying or adding software code to bypass licensing restrictions, encryption keys, and other copyright protection mechanisms.

The sole aim of crackers is to make the software available for free for their personal use or unlicensed copying and distribution. They also try to gain access to a software’s premium version without any payments to its creators.

History of Software Cracking

In the 1950s, there were no copyrights, as software wasn’t recognized as intellectual property. After a decade, the US started issuing patents to software developers, and copyright licensing came to the fore. Software became the new gold, and launching personal computers in the 1970s intensified this situation. By 1977, the U.S. copyright office had registered over 1,200 computer programs. Software companies started including DRM (digital rights management) and license keys in their products as restrictions.

The first crackers were called computer “geeks.” Not willing to pay for software they were once getting for free, they began to devise ways to get around license keys and restrictions. Being the first to release a “cracked” version of a popular software became a badge of honor among groups of crackers and hackers to be.

The early 2000s brought a boom in software production, and with the advent of P2P (peer-to-peer) file transfer networks, cracked software distribution reached staggering heights compared to the previous century. This brought about the race between the crackers and the software industry, one group looking for new ways to prevent infringement of their copyright while the other inventing new ways to jump through these restrictions.

Types of Software Cracking

Crackers use various methods to get past license keys and software protection measures.

1. Keygen Cracking

Keygen cracking involves using a key generation program to produce valid license keys for software. This type of program, popularly known as “keygen,” analyzes the algorithm the underlying software uses to generate legitimate license keys for people who purchase a software license.

Crackers use keygen when they want to bypass software activation requirements and access premium services offered only to paying users. The keygen program is usually distributed with the software’s cracked version so that it can be used on multiple computers. Many people who use keygen programs have a high chance of getting infected by the popular malware HackTool:Win32/Keygen.

2. Patch Cracking

With this method, crackers analyze the software’s code and create a program (called a “patch”) that modifies the code.

First, crackers analyze the software’s code and identify the algorithms responsible for enforcing the software’s protection measures. Then, the cracker modifies the code, removing these protection measures completely. After modification, crackers create the patch, a small program that makes the modifications when applied to the software.

This patch is distributed with the cracked software, allowing it to be used with multiple copies of the same software and eliminating the need to purchase the software’s license.

3. Server-Based Cracking

In server-based cracking, the crackers set up a group of servers to bypass the software’s protection measures. From these servers, the cracked software is made available for download.

The servers are configured to circumvent the security measures employed by the software developers. Crackers do this by using a key generator to produce license keys for the software, modifying the software’s code directly, or improving an already cracked version of the software.

When this is completed, the crackers usually provide a download link to access the cracked software through a web-based platform.

4. Reverse Engineering Cracking

With the concept of reverse engineering, the software’s code is analyzed for potential vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities are exploited by the cracker and used to generate valid license keys or create a patch for the software.

Reverse engineering is reconstructing a software’s source code to make the software behave as the cracker wishes. It involves disassembling the source code, the software’s algorithm, and data structures. This method can also be used for debugging, which involves finding and fixing errors in a computer program. However, while the crackers might have to fix the errors in the program, this is not their ultimate aim.

The first step in reverse engineering cracking is data collection. Information on the target software is obtained online from various sources and even through the manufacturer. The next step is the disassembly and study of the software. Crackers break down the algorithm, data structures, and data flow and analyze them for bugs and errors.

Modifications follow next. The code is twisted, and the logic is changed to bypass the manufacturer’s measures. After the modification, the software is finally put back together as a cracked version.

Consequences Involved with Using Cracked Software

In the US, using cracked software is illegal, as it violates software copyright law. Offenders may have to pay fines of up to $150,000 and spend five years in prison. Here are other reasons you shouldn’t use cracked software.

Malware and Security Risks

When software has been disassembled and its code modified, it can become vulnerable to malware and many other security threats. Crackers might even create the vulnerability to add malware to the program. These threat actors can use different kinds of malicious programs to steal sensitive financial information from your computer if you download the cracked software.

Cracked software are not updated regularly, leaving them exposed to security threats. Additionally, the cracked version becomes obsolete as software providers improve the software and add different functionalities.

If you use the cracked version of any computer program and there are bugs, you will have to resolve them yourself. This is because the crackers that developed the modified software do not typically have a customer support system.

Loss of Revenue for Software Developers

The more you use cracked software, the more you reward the crackers who destroy legally created computer programs. Cracked software leads to revenue loss for software developers, and investments in the software industry may gradually reduce.

The Never-Ending Battle Between Crackers and Developers

Using cracked software comes has severe consequences. Many crackers hide different malware on their cracked program and distribute it, aiming to collect sensitive information from users.

And as software developers create new security measures to prevent copyright infringement, crackers almost always seem up to the task, creating new ways to bypass these measures and violate the license rights of software owners.