HiSTORY OF SEQUOiA CRACKiNG
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The last FULL working release was Sequoia 7 by H2O. It was protected by WIBU's
former dongle solution called WibuKey (released in 1989). After a while,
Sequoia adopted their next solution CodeMeter which supports modern
standard crypto like AES, ECC, RSA.
Sequoia 12.1.x was suddenly cracked by some groups. This is because the main
executable binaries were not protected by AxProtector. Anyway, some other
tools like DDP were still protected by AxProtector. These were missing in
Sequoia 12 crack releases as a result. The updates unfortunately had
AxProtector-ed executable. No cracks appeared after that.
Sequoia 13.0.x was once unpacked from AxProtector by someone. It didn't use
AxProtector's stolen-calls or resource-protection. DDP tools, LC1 plugin
weren't cracked.
Sequoia 15 was not using AxProtector. Only some others like DDP Player was
using AxProtector. Therefore, R2R's Protein Emulator was enough to make
main program working. What is interesting is that MAGIX hadn't performed
AxProtector in any updates in the end.
Since Sequoia 16, MAGIX used stronger option of AxProtector. It has more
complicated stolen-calls and resource-protection that weren't used before.
Anyway, the result is here - all has been done! All options and DDP Player are
available for you :)
THE BADNESS OF AXPROTECTOR
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Apart from the basic protection, AxProtector has several options to make
unpacking harder. However, those advanced protection is too selfish.
1.Win32 API Hooking
AxProtector overwrites some functions in kernel32.dll. Any calls for those
API (from 3rd party plugins too!) will be redirected to the AxProetctor's own
implementation.
2.Resource Protection
Resource Protection is also done by hooking Win32 API like LoadResource.
Some of the resource like Dialog, String are encrypted. They won't be
decrypted until program calls LoadResource for that resource. Some of the
resource related API are not supported by this protection.
Generally, regarding the compatibility with 3rd party plugins, those advanced
options are strongly prohibited. Overwriting code in shared DLL is just bad.
It's easy to imagine that they already had full of complainment from their
"professional" customers. We guess, that's the exact reason why MAGIX stopped
using AxProtector to some version of Sequoia from time to time. That would be
the fastest way to solve the issue!
Of course, after a hacker did the right things, pirated version will be much
stabler and faster.
CAN THEY PROTECT MORE?
----------------------
All MAGIX can do with CodeMeter is using cryptographic functions of CoreAPI,
or using IxProtector (dynamic code en/decryption). Oops, both are already
publicly defeated by R2R years ago :(
CodeMeter has license-lock option for the abuser, but that brings another
nightmare to the legit customers too.
KONG BUSTING JUST STARTED!
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Witches knows this King Kong had the younger brother.