Exetools and exe-scene

[jonwil]

One thing I notice is that there is almost no information in public about reverse engineering the protection systems commonly used for current commercial products (those that arent simply product specific custom jobs).
For example, there is basically NO information around about the modern versions of Securom (either the dvd-based check or the newer "product activation tied to the hardware" check.

[LaBBa]

the scene is not dead .
it's still alive but much smaller then it use to be.
this is due to ppl that are much more older and stop to crack because they
are not seeing the need to do it anymore . the persones that are still active in the scene are trying to save the scene by removing the need for any leech ratio that once was to keep talented ppl in the scene.

about the protections:
there is a simple rule about any protection:
"If it can run fully once, it can run like this all the time"
it doesn't metter how much they will invest in developing new complex protections there is still this rule and they know it.
the only protections that the cracking of it is still in private are the CD protections.
about all other protections they are usually public or just not that updated but you can still lern from them to continue on your own.

Regards,
LaBBa.

[quosego]

One thing I notice is that there is almost no information in public about reverse engineering the protection systems commonly used for current commercial products (those that arent simply product specific custom jobs).

Pretty much all is documented including securom, read the paper from ARteam then fill in the blanks.. (Since there are a few.) There are automatic unpackers and papers for almost all protectors, if there are not then well the protector is rare or niche..

There are no simple guides to securom due to the simple fact that it is unlikely newbie reversers will succeed with any length of tutorial. There's a to much "gimme tut to learn because else it's impossible" mentality. Tuts are to help you a bit on the way, you must connect the dots yourself. That's how you become a good cracker. You can't follow one tut and expect to be able to crack all programs protected with that tut.. You must adapt yourself.