How Hackers Crack Software: A Step-by-Step Explanation
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and we do not encourage software cracking. The software ViceVersa Pro was used as an example in this article and we do not have intention of cracking it. If you find that a shareware is really helpful, you should purchase a license to support the author for them to continue improving it.
Software cracking can be unethical. Many use it to illegally reset a trial software (shareware) or turn it into an fully functional program without having to purchase the license.
On the other hand, there are people who do it to gain more knowledge through unpacking, debugging and analyzing the program. The cracks that are being released to the public are a proof of concept for a specific version and they don’t normally re-crack it again when a new version of the program is released.
Here’s a quick example on how software is cracked:
How to crack software
Here’s a basic method using an outdated patch. A patcher for ViceVersa Pro v2.5 build 2512 (July 3, 2013, by Nemo from SnD) won’t work on build 2513 due to version differences, showing “wrong filesize or already patched!”
- Search for, download, and install ViceVersa Pro v2.5 build 2512.
- Find and use
ViceVersa.Pro.2.5.build.2512.patch-SND.zipto patch the program. Tick “Make Backup” before applying. - Download dUP2, extract the RAR file, and run
dup2.exe. - Click Project > New.
- Fill in Patch Info (optional) or click Save. Tick “Run patch with administrator rights” to avoid issues.
- Right-click an empty space in dUP2, hover over Add, and select [Search and Replace Patch].
- Double-click [Search and Replace Patch] to open the Search and Replace Patch window.
- Click Compare Files.
- Select the original and patched file. The original file often has a .bak extension. Click Compare.
- Click OK to close the comparison popup. Select the Target File to patch and click Save. If too many patterns appear, you may have selected the wrong files.
- Click Project > Create Patch and save the patch file.
- Install ViceVersa Pro v2.5 build 2513. Copy your patch to the program folder, run it, and click Patch. You should see “File Patched! OK”.
- Open ViceVersa Pro and check the license status. It should now be licensed instead of an evaluation version.
It is possible that the software protection isn’t updated to prevent the patcher from working, but the patcher did not work with the latest version because the program was recompiled, moving the location of the bytes that the patcher supposed to change and failing the CRC32 check.
Remember, the method shown above will work if the software protection is unchanged and provided if you are still able to find the older version of the program which the old patch works on.
Final note: You may have noticed that the patcher created by dUP2 is being detected as a virus by some antivirus software but dUP2 program itself is not detected. Rest assured that both dUP2 and the patcher created by it are free from virus. Think about this, if dUP2 is capable of creating a virus, shouldn’t the antivirus have detected dUP2 as virus too?
Using a patch, key generator, or cracked files doesn’t make you a “software cracker.” True cracking means bypassing protections yourself, best learned through YouTube tutorials. The basic method above can also be useful in many instances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using cracked software poses significant security risks. Modified programs can be embedded with malware, spyware, or backdoors that may compromise your system. For example, a NUS study on pirated software commissioned by Microsoft Asia found that websites offering pirated software expose users to multiple security threats.
Yes, using cracked software is illegal in most jurisdictions because it violates copyright laws and licensing agreements. Legal actions against those caught using such software can result in severe penalties. For instance, Reprise Software’s overview of piracy penalties details how unauthorized use of software can lead to substantial fines and other legal consequences.
If you’re caught using pirated software, you could face legal consequences ranging from hefty fines and civil lawsuits to potential imprisonment. In the United States, penalties may include fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment for up to five years, as explained in Leppard Law’s discussion on copyright infringement penalties.
Software cracking techniques include:
Keygen Cracking: Using a key generator to produce valid serial keys.
Patch Cracking: Modifying executable code to disable copy protection.
Loader Cracking: Employing an external tool to bypass software protections.
Serial Number Cracking: Finding and distributing valid license numbers.
Please can this work with manycam 6.6.0 or could you help in cracking it and give a link to download it have search google for it but all i found are trojans and old versions
In a way, this is just ripping of code from other crackers who must have had invested a lot of their time in developing the patch (including learning the art). It would have been more educational for people to learn it the old way. Well whatever, for people wanting to use shortcuts, this trick may be damn useful.
BTW, I suggest updating the post to use the patcher from AT4RE as it supports more features.
This patch is all in one, means all program also can use this patch?
If I have a software program where no patch was ever created how can I design my own?
Thank You
very nice
Wow if you think this is hard you must be compleate noob I mean COME ON Read and try it I can ftp/telnet into most sites this is easy :) thanks for posting I made a private crack for ms10 wiht this method :) thanks again
Hey this tut is great. i was able to re-crack a program!
thanks for your article mr. raymond.. i found it very useful..
Hello, Raymond. I like this article i am going to try this. Thanks for this……..
Hi raymond its nice to meet this article! i want to crack some programs for my knowledge! thanks a lot!
hi raymond..
very nice article.
i have just pointed my 13 year old to this as i dont have much time to show him and he managed it first time>>>:)
hi
your idea is fantastic .thanks for posted
Thank you very much!
I think it’s very useful with me.
it is very useful and worth trying for
wow this is great!….
thanks a lot….
good
Hi thanks for this article i hope it would help me.
i’ve never actually met someone braggin around about cracking himself the newer version of some program nor i’ve thought about it. But this certainly is very useful, i’ll try it on some next update.
Thanks a bunch Ray
Hey Raymond,
Thank you very much for teaching this to me. I always keep finding cracks on the internet. But now I can make my own cracks ! :-)
Wow interesting, im glad i signed up to receive your blogs. Excellent information keep up the good work!!
wow thanx man
Thanks, Ray!
I’ve often wondered about how to do this.. very informative!
Hi Raymond, I love your tutorials they are so useful. Thank you for your hard work :)
Great mini tut thank for kepping us informed