Tag: rant

Hacking resources for fun and no profit, part 1

kao

In this article I'll show how I made VMWare Workstation 15 awesome again using a little-known Resource Hacker feature called "scripting".

But first, a bit of background..

Upgrade of VMWare

People who know me know that I prefer stable, tried-and-true solutions. Be it my primary operating system, the tools I'm using or things I eat for breakfast. Once I know that something is good, I don't want to change it.

So, for a long time I was using VMWare Workstation 10. It just worked. But as the new versions of Windows came out, they started requiring hypervisor to support some specific features. Otherwise it just won't work. For example, to be able to install Windows 10 1803, you will need VMWare 14.x. To install Windows 10 1903, you will need VMWare 15.x.

And so, after a long time of holding out, I decided to upgrade.
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Changes in the blog

kao

My last posts about Unity3D/Mono protections gained a lot of attention. Unfortunately, they gained the wrong kind of attention and low quality comments. So, I decided to make changes in a way these posts are made.

This is a place to describe HOW the protection works.

I have no agenda against game authors or any of the Android MOD teams. They just happen to use interesting protection mechanisms. And I like to take protections apart and describe HOW they work. So, the posts will be even more focused on HOW the protection works and how it can be defeated. Sometimes I'll make some code snippets available. But in any case, you will have to do your work to defeat the protection.

This is NOT a place for script-kiddies.

I made a big mistake releasing compiled executable. It attracts crowds of asian kids who are only able to drop DLL on the compiled executable and complain that it did not magically fix everything. They have absolutely no interest in how the protection actually works.

To fix that, there will be no more ready-made tools. If you care about the protection, my blog has all the information you need to make your own tool. But if you need a ready-made, compiled tool, go somewhere else.

This is NOT a place for crack requests.

Yes, I'm always interested in new and innovative protections. If you tell me about such protection, I will be very happy. When I get some free time, I will look at it. If it's interesting enough, I will write about it.

But I will not crack the protection for you. And most certainly I will not do it on your schedule. So, don't bug me about that.

I work on this blog in my free time.

My free time is limited. I will read all comments and all emails. Someday. When I have free time.

So, do NOT bump your comments or your emails. If you haven't received a reply, your message was stupid and I decided to ignore it. Or perhaps I just haven't had time to read it and respond to it.

You need to do your homework.

I got plenty of comments like "how do I use your tool?" or "I can't open file in dnSpy. Help!!!111".

First, read the bloody posts, they explain how my tools work and what the limitations are. Second, use Google. Third, read "How to Report Bugs Effectively". I can't magically solve all your problems - I need to see the actual file first.


I hate using ban-hammer. So, first time you do something stupid, I will warn you. But if you continue doing that, I'll ban you. As simple as that.

Thank you for reading to the end, I really appreciate that. Please enjoy your stay here.

About City of Atlanta and ransomware

kao

I just read the article on ZDNet: "Atlanta projected to spend at least $2.6 million on ransomware recovery". Yes, you read it right - $2'600'000 to clean up the Atlanta city network from ransomware. And, of course, taxpayers will pay the bill. 🙂

Dear City of Atlanta, this situation will not magically resolve itself. Your IT guys must take the responsibility for this failure. Fire your CIO. Fire your entire IT staff. Sue them all for the damages. And let them rot in prison for a few years for gross negligence.

You hold an architect accountable for making your house blueprints right. You hold the builders accountable for building your house right and your doctor for taking a proper care of you.

IT guys are not special snowflakes, they don't do magic, and they must be held accountable for their (in-)actions just like everyone else. Only then we'll see some improvements in security.

 
But I'm sure City of Atlanta knows better. After all, they decided $600'000 on advisory services from Ernst & Young on how to handle security incidents. That's a money well spent! </irony>