Re: Recovering the activation key from a Win2K installation

From: Bryan Allerdice (bryanat_private)
Date: Tue Jun 26 2001 - 07:34:40 PDT

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    I know this doesn't answer your question, and I hope someone gives this list
    the answer you want, but bear with me.
    
    As we all know, naughty students can get a working CDKEY from any number of
    websites in a matter of minutes.
    
    In my mind, the idea of securing your CDKEY is like keeping the key to your
    house on a string around your neck so nobody can steal it from you. If you
    have another key under the door mat, nobody needs the one safely hanging
    from your neck.
    
    BRYAN
    
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Juan M. Courcoul" <courcoulat_private>
    To: "Vuln-Dev" <VULN-DEVat_private>
    Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 1:28 PM
    Subject: Recovering the activation key from a Win2K installation
    
    
    > Please bear with me, as I only pretend to have a limited knowledge of
    > Windows internals enough to survive its use.
    >
    > A discussion arose as to the security of Windows 2000's activation key,
    > aka the CD or Product Key. A colleague who handles Win2K installations
    > insisted that once you have keyed in the 29-character string and
    > activated the OS during a full new install, it is unrecoverable and
    > hence safe to install in student labs, etc., without the risk of
    > compromising the corporate license. She went so far as to claim that
    > even a user with Administrator privileges couldn't get it back.
    >
    > My gut feeling is that this is bull and constitutes a prime example of
    > "assumed security thru ignorance".
    >
    > Would you kind Windows gurus please tell me who's got it right this time ?
    >
    > J. Courcoul
    



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