Dvorak on Windows Genuine Advantage

PadRacerExtreme writes "Vista includes the much maligned 'Genuine Advantage' layer inside, which ensures that your copy of the OS is legit. If you're running a non-validated copy you get no upgrades, no security protection, nothing. That's all well and good, but what happens if a cracker tweaks that Genuine Advantage layer for its own good? Dvorak sees a huge problem, just waiting to happen. What's the vulnerability?" From the article: "I suspect the policeman [WGA] will actually be hacked before the OS. It might actually be easier for the pirates to create a fake cop that constantly authenticates fake versions of Vista than it will be to create a Vista imitation that can pretend to be a legitimate version. There is some irony to that idea. But that's none of my concern. I'm more worried about some joker creating a virus or exploit that turns the good cop into a bad cop, and I can only imagine the destruction and hassle that will ensue."

sweet

[Anonymous Coward]

i cant wait to apply this to my hax0red copy of vista!

Dvorak? What does he know about computers?

[Anonymous Coward]

The guy writes some symphonies back in the late 1800s, then in the early 1900s designs a keyboard that nobody except a few nerds can type on, and NOW he's criticizing Windows?!?!
Not only is this guy old, he should be commenting on things like piano typewriters or something like that...

TDz.

Who Polices the Policeman?

[w0d3h0us3]

It happened in a committee inside Microsoft when someone came up with the brilliant idea of essentially creating a virtual policeman to watch over the operating system to make sure it has the right "papers." This is an interesting idea, but who watches and authenticates the policeman?

I got it! "Windows Genuine Advantage Genuine Advantage."

Re:Who Polices the Policeman?

[Volante3192]

WGA = WGA's Genuine Advantage... ...some GNU freaks are gonna dock me for that one, but it's SO worth it.

News Alert

[Anonymous Coward]

Viruses can cause windows based computers to be unable to function properly, access windows update, or lock out the user.
More news at 11.

Is there a front coming through?

[SuperMog2002]

Woah! Someone check the weather, 'cause it's gonna be a cold day down in you know where. Dvorak just said something that makes sense! Of course, it's the same chain of thought that's been going on for weeks here at Slashdot, so it may not be his own original reasoning. But nonetheless, that's the first article of his I've read in longer than I can remember that didn't make me want to highlight all the flaws in his reasoning and send them along with proof of their idiocy to his editors.

Re:Dvorak? What does he know about computers?

[revery]

he should be commenting on things like piano typewriters

It looks like you're composing a letter in the key of G, would you like some help?

Re:Sadly

[not-enough-info]

What's to prevent you from using another box's authentication? Just forward the auth to another un-cracked box that you control. Note here that even a signed/encrypted diffie-hellman exchange won't work because you control the un-cracked box. Also, if WGA is using a system hash for verification, you can pass the hash from your clean system also.

Re:I particularly like this bit:

[teh_chrizzle]

I never received a reply, and they never received my business! I'm not taking any chances with my eyes, I'll stick with glasses.

glasses are nothing more than tiny little windows.

Re:Dvorak? What does he know about computers?

[Grishnakh]

These aren't all the same Dvorak. The composer was Antonin Dvorak, John's grandfather. The keyboard designer was Dr. August Dvorak, his father. Unfortunately, this family line of geniuses stopped cold there, with poor Johnny being an idiot child and getting into journalism, making a successful career somehow of writing moronic columns in computer publications for 25 years.

Screenshot

[badpazzword]

This copy of Windows is not genuine.

You may be victim of software counterfeiting. This copy of Windows is not genuine and is not elegible to receive the full range of upgrades and product support from Microsoft.

Click Get Genuine now to get more information and resolve this issue.

[ Get Genuine [paypal.com] ] [ Resolve Later ]

Re:Validating

[risk one]

Maybe they'll forget to pay their domain name fee some year. Then we'll have them...

Please Don't Feed the Dvorak

[__aawdrj2992]

The guy is a troll who writes his "articles" by stringing as many buzzwords as possible into one paragraph. Pretty soon he'll be telling us that Vista will run on a Mactel as a browser-based application but only for those who subscribe to Verizon FiOS, is Google in on this and how will this affect Net Neutrality?