30
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by brownmustardminion@lemmy.ml to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

I noticed a lot of game repacks provide the installation files, but then require you to get a "free activation" to actually play the game.

What exactly is going on here under the hood and why can't the crack provider supply a traditional crack or keygen?

EDIT: This seems to be specific to Denuvo games. I'm going down the rabbit hole and people are forced to queue up for what I'm assuming is the equivalent of a serial key? that ties directly to their steam account....which seems like a great way to get your steam account banned.

Requirements to download the discord server's proprietary game launcher and bypass all security features on your PC.

Seems insanely sketchy and overcomplicated. Am I completely misunderstanding this?

all 13 comments
sorted by: hot top new old
[-] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

If you're looking at a group that is requiring their launcher, don't walk away, run. There are groups doing this that are legit (or as legit as piracy gets) and the only thing you download from them is a txt with a token inside. It's not bound to your Steam account and yes, it's specific to games with the dreaded malware baked in. The system these people are using is to simply trick the Denuvo into thinking you're supposed to have the game.

[-] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 12 points 3 months ago

This, but also remember that never touching games with that sort of crap, on principle, is an option as well.

[-] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 months ago

Always. Fuck Denuvo.

[-] Buffalobuffalo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 3 months ago
[-] brownmustardminion@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 months ago

It absolutely does and I'm not remotely interested in trying, but I'm also curious. There's large communities and major repackers involved.

I'm hoping somebody from this community has an experience with that community they can share.

[-] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

From your description, 99% certainty this is a scam that installs some kind of malware along with whatever unlocks the ... crack.

Could make you part of a botnet, could be a rootkit, could scan for ids and PID and steal your identity, hijack your accounts, could install a BTC miner, etc etc.

You're right, there is no reason whatsoever to need a crack to connect to anything else.

Maybe for DRM spoofing purposes it might involve a step where you set up a kind of local fake approximation of a DRM server to do a fake authentication to, something like that, or persistently running a spoofed fake authentication server, but there's 0 reason for that to not be entirely local and self contained.

Functionally, this is a cracker org doing their own DRM, by hijacking an actual DRM.

Which... is astoundingly ironic, but I've seen similar shit amongst various cheat engine / hack developer groups, scam crypto games, various GTAV/RDR2 modding communities, etc.

If you did even just join the Discord server, nuke that that Discord account asap.

[-] D06M4@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 months ago

Removing/disabling DRM should never require online activation. Delete and block whichever sites are spreading this.

[-] TheFogan@programming.dev 7 points 3 months ago

I'm assuming just they don't have access or want to take a side, or reliability for it. IE the groups making the cracks don't want the added legal risks of providing the actual game files themselves. So if joe makes the crack but doesn't want to risk sending the software, then that means it's up to someone else to provide the software without the crack.

[-] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago

I’m going down the rabbit hole and people are forced to queue up for what I’m assuming is the equivalent of a serial key?

Not quite. A serial key is permanent, it lasts forever, although some software did try to use online and update services to identify bad serials this was trivial to block, because it's essentially trying to backpedal a valid key into an invalid one. It only needs to be valid once, then you make sure to block anything that invalidates it afterwards (usually blocking the update servers at the DNS level), job done.

That's different from a token. Tokens use something along the lines of at least rolling-code type security, similar to how your car keys or garage door opener keep generating new codes so someone with a scanner can't just record the code it uses once and then have that be copied and replayed over and over again indefinitely. The trick with a token like this is that you need to keep updating it or it becomes invalid after some timeframe or number of uses. Hence the online activation. That's required to get your next token or set of tokens.

[-] brownmustardminion@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago

Okay. That clears up quite a bit.

[-] nivellian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago

Is this what you're talking about that discord server that provides offline activation but you must not update your windows and dodi repacked the game files but linked to their discord? I completely forgot about them cause it's ridiculous to queue for offline token activation. I think I'd rather risk using hypervisor than begging in a discord.

this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
30 points (100.0% liked)

Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ

69334 readers
20 users here now

⚓ Dedicated to the discussion of digital piracy, including ethical problems and legal advancements.

Rules • Full Version

1. Posts must be related to the discussion of digital piracy

2. Don't request invites, trade, sell, or self-promote

3. Don't request or link to specific pirated titles, including DMs

4. Don't submit low-quality posts, be entitled, or harass others



Loot, Pillage, & Plunder

We heartily recommend visiting the free port of freemediaheckyeah (aka FMHY) while you sail the high seas, for all the freshest links the ocean has to offer.

📜 c/Piracy Wiki (Community Edition):

🏴‍☠️ Other communities

FUCK ADOBE!

Torrenting/P2P:

Gaming:


💰 Please help cover server costs.

Ko-Fi Liberapay
Ko-fi Liberapay

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS