Software iLok - recover licences from scrapped PC

[Burillo]

OK, "problems" may have been too strong a word. "trade-offs" is more accurate.

[cron]

Thanks for all your replies. Looks like I need the bloody hardware iLok
(and I have no hope of recovering that lost activation, it would seem.)

It is worth checking with the plug-in vendor. I accidentally bought a soft iLok plug-in (Plugin Boutique just said it was "C/R protection" in the store) and asked around here about it. Most people said that AIR will give you a second license if your activation is lost, so that was enough to for me to keep it. I didn't see the problems that soft iLok users had coming with Windows 10 updates on the other hand, but I've always been able to deactivate and reactivate before big Win 10 updates land by keeping an eye on release dates.

BTW, i miss the "heads up" from the people that always claimed that iLok has been cracked now, so there's no more point for companies to use it. Wonder what happened to that. I guess they stuffed the security hole in the meantime, so there's no more mentioning it.

I've been keeping up with this as I'm interested (but not skilled) in computer security and copy protection and the like. As far as I know, only plugs offering the software iLok option were broken (claimed to be "48 hours work"), and only a very small number were released publicly as proof on one day. Kinda like "we've broken this and here's the proof, we are the best in the scene, we've done iLok and we're moving on to the next thing now". I don't think these guys are particularly interested in giving people outside their 'scene' free plugs to use, they just want to be seen as more skilled than rival groups. They were only ever interested in the protection, not the plug-ins.

edit: Robotmonkey tells me the above is actually bollocks. See below.

[sprnva]

Did you use both activations for Little AlterBoy 5?

Soundtoys allow 2 activations for their plugins so you might still have one left.

[Pytchblend]

Yes, I've used both activations and one is currently working here, fortunately. I just wanted to call the other back in case my hard drive fails.

[Melkor]

BTW, i miss the "heads up" from the people that always claimed that iLok has been cracked now, so there's no more point for companies to use it. Wonder what happened to that. I guess they stuffed the security hole in the meantime, so there's no more mentioning it.

The Russian sites are absolutely festooned with ilok2 snapped plugins.

If I was a dev that paid big bickies for ilok2 security, and I found it snapped on a Russian site..

Eventide is one example. Why do they just accept this?
Do pace settle matters like this, or just release ikok4 and enjoy another "cycle"?

[UltimateOutsider]

If I was a dev that paid big bickies for ilok2 security, and I found it snapped on a Russian site..

Eventide is one example. Why do they just accept this?
Do pace settle matters like this, or just release ikok4 and enjoy another "cycle"?

There is no such thing as uncrackable copy protection. Many software vendors will tell you that DRM is most important during the first few weeks/months after a product release when the biggest potential wave of sales happens. Publishers assume their products will get cracked/leaked eventually, they just invest in DRM to delay the inevitable and to inhibit casual piracy.

[chk071]

Yeah. It also seems to be quickly forgotten that iLok WASN'T cracked before that. And obviously isn't cracked after that either.

[cron]

Yeah. It also seems to be quickly forgotten that iLok WASN'T cracked before that.

Yeah, protection that stays uncracked for several years is a massive success. It's no secret that I dislike iLok as a hobbyist (the dongle is the price of another plug-in, the software version seems extremely risky if your computer fails), but I have to give them credit for that.

[robotmonkey]

BTW, i miss the "heads up" from the people that always claimed that iLok has been cracked now, so there's no more point for companies to use it. Wonder what happened to that. I guess they stuffed the security hole in the meantime, so there's no more mentioning it.

There's absolutely no change in that. New versions of cracked ilok plugins are released constantly. For example the PSP plugins that were moved to ilok were cracked the following day. So no point in being smug about owning an ilok.

[robotmonkey]

As far as I know, only plugs offering the software iLok option were broken (claimed to be "48 hours work"), and only a very small number were released publicly as proof on one day. Kinda like "we've broken this and here's the proof, we are the best in the scene, we've done iLok and we're moving on to the next thing now". I don't think these guys are particularly interested in giving people outside their 'scene' free plugs to use, they just want to be seen as more skilled than rival groups. They were only ever interested in the protection, not the plug-ins.

That is just patently false information. If you are interested in software security and drm, you should get better sources.

Pretty much every plugin using ilok has been cracked and released. No difference whatsoever in weather it used soft or hardware ilok. Some of the released plugins have never even had soft ilok option.

[robotmonkey]

Yeah. It also seems to be quickly forgotten that iLok WASN'T cracked before that.

Yeah, protection that stays uncracked for several years is a massive success. It's no secret that I dislike iLok as a hobbyist (the dongle is the price of another plug-in, the software version seems extremely risky if your computer fails), but I have to give them credit for that.

Even though iLok deserves the credit for how long it was holding on, it was probably more to do with the changes in the release scene than the inherent superiority of iLok.

[Burillo]

yep, more-or-less skilled crackers (think those who did the Syncrosoft dongle emulator) disappeared from the scene a long time ago, only kiddies remain. i wonder who those new guys are.

[cron]

As far as I know, only plugs offering the software iLok option were broken (claimed to be "48 hours work"), and only a very small number were released publicly as proof on one day. Kinda like "we've broken this and here's the proof, we are the best in the scene, we've done iLok and we're moving on to the next thing now". I don't think these guys are particularly interested in giving people outside their 'scene' free plugs to use, they just want to be seen as more skilled than rival groups. They were only ever interested in the protection, not the plug-ins.

That is just patently false information. If you are interested in software security and drm, you should get better sources.

Pretty much every plugin using ilok has been cracked and released. No difference whatsoever in weather it used soft or hardware ilok. Some of the released plugins have never even had soft ilok option.

Oh man, really? Damn. I guess I just saw the initial day-1 flood followed by nothing for a week, then stopped paying attention and assumed the best. The buzz at the time seemed to indicate all the day-1 releases had a soft iLok option, but frankly I don't even trust my memory on that now.

Quite embarrassing that. Probably one of my larger KVR clangers. Apologies for the duff info, and thanks for the correction.

[Gamma-UT]

Quite embarrassing that. Probably one of my larger KVR clangers. Apologies for the duff info, and thanks for the correction.

Not necessarily. We're not talking about the most honest members of society here. If something is advertised as a 'crack', it doesn't mean the payload contains anything related to the original product. Without running a virtual machine and preferably on a firewalled physical machine, you'd be insane to check inside half of that stuff. A better indication of what actually got cracked (short of donning the protective suit) is buzz on the forums that surround that community.

[chk071]

So no point in being smug about owning an ilok.

Okey dokey, my fellow iLok hater dude. BTW, i'm quite impressed about your knowledge of warez, and all that. Let me guess, you did extensive studies in that field, because it was such a interesting topic for you. Amiright?