Pocket Mechanic contains malicious code! - Page 2

JStein · 02-04-2005, 08:59 AM

Notice that Anton denies the allegations. He chose his wording very carefully and didn't directly deny that PM would hard-reset your device. Though he says

Quote:

2. An entry of an invalid serial number won't cause the device to hard-reset. Everybody can check this pretty easily.

he does not say that it would not be possible, under circumstances, that PM hard-resets your device.

Read my previous post. When you enter an illegal serial in PM 1.49 or 1.50, it won't hard-reset your device, as stated by Anton. However, if you are using the particular illegal serial in PM 1.49 which has been then blacklisted in 1.50, running 1.50 with the old serial already installed and still in place in your registry will definitely hard-reset your PDA! Anton, why don't you admit this?

spinosum · 02-04-2005, 09:35 AM

Wow... getting heated up here! Reading the thread over at Anton's website, the guy (or gal?) "ddoodle22" has a point : "people who can heal, can kill!!"

My friends have all remove PM from their PDA already!

Alexander Turcic · 02-05-2005, 07:01 AM

I personally went to Anton's forum and asked two very specific questions, which he has been avoiding to answer throughout several pages.

Quote:

Anton, just to clearify this and to avoid any misunderstanding: can you guarantee that there is not - and has never been - any malicious code in Pocket Mechanic that would under any circumstances hard-reset my device without a warning?

and

Quote:

Thank you I am going to write about this positive development on our frontpage. Does this also apply to version 1.50, which was the version under discussion?

Although still "just" soft proof (I decided to remove Tad's disassembly in this thread which some people might even consider hard proof), I am pretty much convinced that what has been said about Pocket Mechanic 1.50 was true. It contains code that could hard reset your device if you were using a pirated serial. Although I am absolutely not supporting software piracy, I don't think wiping out someone's PDA is any better.

Alexander Turcic · 02-05-2005, 07:10 AM

I found these interesting links in Spanish:
http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools
http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl...language_tools
http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl...language_tools

Looks like Tomov was not alone with his idea of hard-resetting PDAs... "Frank Garci'a (Ctitanic) , the author of the well-known Tweaks2k2 openly comments those that he and a supposed group of developer friends has considered for their creations, recognizing the creation of versions with malicious code to distribute it later conscientiously by the habitual sites "warez" like measurement to concienciar of the necessity to use legally registered versions."

Alexander Turcic · 02-05-2005, 07:15 AM

Since I was convinced that Tad's disassembly snippet did not contain any proprietary code nor code relevant to the key engine of Pocket Mechanic, I decided to undelete his post.

Update: Mr Tomov contacted me and "kindly reminded" me to remove the disassembly code again. Although I don't see how this code violates any copyright laws, since it is essentially equivalent to the public domain c snippet from the first post in this thread, I honor his request and remove it. I don't have the time nor will do fight legal wars with any software developer.

Updated 2: While the code itself might not cause a problem per se, it could help a potential cracker to locate the license checking feature of Pocket Mechanic. This is why Anton asked me to remove it, and I appreciate his time to explain it that me.

Bob Russell · 02-05-2005, 12:50 PM

This whole thing is a shame. Yes, pirating is bad, but I think targeting registration codes for hard resets is a terrible response. I hope it turns out that this is not what is being done.

If there are specific registrations that are being targeted, there are other alternatives.... like making them invalid and using false error messages after they are used (as suggested by someone before.)

Wasn't there some kind of similar uproar when the recording industry was trying to fight downloaders by putting malicious code on their PCs? I'm pretty sure the overwhelming result was a clear decision and legal consensus that this was not an activity protected by law, and it was not pursued further. Sounds kind of like this case, except the author seems to be digging his heals in rather than backing off. Maybe he's trying to wait it out, believing that the complaints will never turn into a legal battle and people will just "learn to live with it". But the short snippits we've heard from him make it seem pretty clear that his software should be avoided and he is taking a hard line on the topic.
.... I hope I'm wrong.

Colin Dunstan · 02-07-2005, 02:04 PM

I think this is sooooo sad. Are developers already that desperate that they have to take these kinds of extreme measures? I know Think2k2 once had a similar destroying code (or was it a fake keygen released by the developer?, don't remember).

I know Tomov has the reputation of a great PPC software developer. I am not sure what he was thinking when he was implementing this code, but I am sure he has now learned his lesson. As far as I know, Pocket Mechanic 1.51 doesn't hard-reset any devices anymore.

Better stay clean and safe!

TadW · 02-07-2005, 02:08 PM

I am somewhat surprised what a wave of frustration I called with my initial post throughout the entire PPC community on the Web; and yet, I am glad that most people think the way I do: although piracy IS bad, it can never be as bad that it would justify Tomov's actions.

Morpheus is right, Anton learned his lesson, and as far as I can tell, Pocket Mechanic 1.51 doesn't kill your PDA anymore (don't take my word for it though!!).

Alexander Turcic · 02-08-2005, 05:39 AM

Perhaps in an effort to gain the trust of Pocket PC users again, Mr Tomov has issued a 30% discount on all of his products via PalmGear and Handango for a limited time:

PocketGear: pg5679432
Handango: 1AE7D2F

Btw, Pocket Mechanic 1.52 is out with various improvements, according to the programmer.

doctorow · 02-09-2005, 03:01 AM

30% won't help to return my confidence.

lesliefranke · 02-17-2005, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander

Perhaps in an effort to gain the trust of Pocket PC users again, Mr Tomov has issued a 30% discount on all of his products via PalmGear and Handango for a limited time:

PocketGear: pg5679432
Handango: 1AE7D2F

Btw, Pocket Mechanic 1.52 is out with various improvements, according to the programmer.

Is it safe to say that Pocket Mechanic 1.52 doesn't hard-reset the device?

Alexander Turcic · 02-18-2005, 01:57 PM

I am not sure if it is 100% safe, but it was confirmed by several people that since 1.51 PM would not hard reset your device anymore with known blacklisted serial numbers. And I think Anton is wise enough not to repeat his mistake.

spinosum · 05-06-2005, 10:10 AM

Lately my friend who downloaded the latest keygen/crack for the Resco Pic Viewer v5.30, had his PPC hard reset after he executed and exit the program!!! So please be informed that Anton Tomov has actually given a brilliant but cruel idea to the Resco developers to follow his footsteps!

TadW · 05-06-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spinosum

Lately my friend who downloaded the latest keygen/crack for the Resco Pic Viewer v5.30, had his PPC hard reset after he executed and exit the program!!! So please be informed that Anton Tomov has actually given a brilliant but cruel idea to the Resco developers to follow his footsteps!

Cannot confirm that. After your post I analyzed the binaries but couldn't find anything that would trigger a similar code as the one that was used by Tomov. Perhaps something else was in the memory of your friend's PPC that caused the reset?

drtesdell@earth · 05-06-2005, 10:20 PM

Hi Folks,

Well, as a new iPAC owner, with about $1400. now invested in my PCC and software and smart card and extended battery, I am now not feeling real great about having this "Pocket Mechanic" utility!

I have another program that does some of the same things...called MemMaid and MemMaidClener. But wonder if since I have this registered now if I am safe or still at risk?

OK, my MAIN question is around uninstalls. We all know how uninstalling from a regular PC using Windows XP or somethng similar can be incomplete and leave "straggler" files in the registry and all, sometimes not causing ny problems, and sometimes making for a real mess right away or down the road.

Anyone have any utility they like that seeks out empty files, unlinked files, and other things, that is safe and user-friendly, but useful to make sure to not only keep a clean PCC and keep up the speed and programs working well, but also keep as much free space as possible? They have many of these for regular PC's. Norton makes some and several other companies, so I would be surprised if they there were not ones for PCC's as well. I have had 4-5 uninstalls recently where it said "Uninstall unsuccessful" -- it couldn't delete all the files, even though I made sure they were closed and not running when I started the uninstall process.

Thanks for any suggestions or help on this. I just got my iPAC for DUMMIES book today, and actually it's not bad...alot of hints and tricks and stuff my manual doesn't explain, not to mention many other things the manual leaves out as most manuals do. In case you need to know for your recomendation of an uninstall or clean up utility, I have an iPAC hx2755.

Thanks very much, and hope you alll have a great weekend!

circawdm

05-06-2005, 10:10 AM	#28
spinosum Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In This Galaxy... Device: Dell x50v	Beware: Resco Pic Viewer 530 also causes hard reset! Lately my friend who downloaded the latest keygen/crack for the Resco Pic Viewer v5.30, had his PPC hard reset after he executed and exit the program!!! So please be informed that Anton Tomov has actually given a brilliant but cruel idea to the Resco developers to follow his footsteps!

05-06-2005, 10:20 PM	#30
drtesdell@earth Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 12 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Des Moines, IA Device: iPAC hx2755	Ewwww... OK, Anyone know of a GOOD Uninstall Progrm or "Cleanup" Utility Program?? Hi Folks, Well, as a new iPAC owner, with about $1400. now invested in my PCC and software and smart card and extended battery, I am now not feeling real great about having this "Pocket Mechanic" utility! I have another program that does some of the same things...called MemMaid and MemMaidClener. But wonder if since I have this registered now if I am safe or still at risk? OK, my MAIN question is around uninstalls. We all know how uninstalling from a regular PC using Windows XP or somethng similar can be incomplete and leave "straggler" files in the registry and all, sometimes not causing ny problems, and sometimes making for a real mess right away or down the road. Anyone have any utility they like that seeks out empty files, unlinked files, and other things, that is safe and user-friendly, but useful to make sure to not only keep a clean PCC and keep up the speed and programs working well, but also keep as much free space as possible? They have many of these for regular PC's. Norton makes some and several other companies, so I would be surprised if they there were not ones for PCC's as well. I have had 4-5 uninstalls recently where it said "Uninstall unsuccessful" -- it couldn't delete all the files, even though I made sure they were closed and not running when I started the uninstall process. Thanks for any suggestions or help on this. I just got my iPAC for DUMMIES book today, and actually it's not bad...alot of hints and tricks and stuff my manual doesn't explain, not to mention many other things the manual leaves out as most manuals do. In case you need to know for your recomendation of an uninstall or clean up utility, I have an iPAC hx2755. Thanks very much, and hope you alll have a great weekend! circawdm

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02-04-2005, 09:35 AM	#17
spinosum Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: In This Galaxy... Device: Dell x50v	Wow... getting heated up here! Reading the thread over at Anton's website, the guy (or gal?) "ddoodle22" has a point : "people who can heal, can kill!!" My friends have all remove PM from their PDA already!

02-05-2005, 07:10 AM	#19
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I found these interesting links in Spanish: http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl...language_tools http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl...language_tools Looks like Tomov was not alone with his idea of hard-resetting PDAs... "Frank Garci'a (Ctitanic) , the author of the well-known Tweaks2k2 openly comments those that he and a supposed group of developer friends has considered for their creations, recognizing the creation of versions with malicious code to distribute it later conscientiously by the habitual sites "warez" like measurement to concienciar of the necessity to use legally registered versions."

02-05-2005, 07:15 AM	#20
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Since I was convinced that Tad's disassembly snippet did not contain any proprietary code nor code relevant to the key engine of Pocket Mechanic, I decided to undelete his post. Update: Mr Tomov contacted me and "kindly reminded" me to remove the disassembly code again. Although I don't see how this code violates any copyright laws, since it is essentially equivalent to the public domain c snippet from the first post in this thread, I honor his request and remove it. I don't have the time nor will do fight legal wars with any software developer. Updated 2: While the code itself might not cause a problem per se, it could help a potential cracker to locate the license checking feature of Pocket Mechanic. This is why Anton asked me to remove it, and I appreciate his time to explain it that me.

02-05-2005, 12:50 PM	#21
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	This whole thing is a shame. Yes, pirating is bad, but I think targeting registration codes for hard resets is a terrible response. I hope it turns out that this is not what is being done. If there are specific registrations that are being targeted, there are other alternatives.... like making them invalid and using false error messages after they are used (as suggested by someone before.) Wasn't there some kind of similar uproar when the recording industry was trying to fight downloaders by putting malicious code on their PCs? I'm pretty sure the overwhelming result was a clear decision and legal consensus that this was not an activity protected by law, and it was not pursued further. Sounds kind of like this case, except the author seems to be digging his heals in rather than backing off. Maybe he's trying to wait it out, believing that the complaints will never turn into a legal battle and people will just "learn to live with it". But the short snippits we've heard from him make it seem pretty clear that his software should be avoided and he is taking a hard line on the topic. .... I hope I'm wrong.

02-07-2005, 02:04 PM	#22
Colin Dunstan Is papyrophobic! Posts: 1,926 Karma: 1009999 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: USA Device: Dell Axim	I think this is sooooo sad. Are developers already that desperate that they have to take these kinds of extreme measures? I know Think2k2 once had a similar destroying code (or was it a fake keygen released by the developer?, don't remember). I know Tomov has the reputation of a great PPC software developer. I am not sure what he was thinking when he was implementing this code, but I am sure he has now learned his lesson. As far as I know, Pocket Mechanic 1.51 doesn't hard-reset any devices anymore. Better stay clean and safe!

02-07-2005, 02:08 PM	#23
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	I am somewhat surprised what a wave of frustration I called with my initial post throughout the entire PPC community on the Web; and yet, I am glad that most people think the way I do: although piracy IS bad, it can never be as bad that it would justify Tomov's actions. Morpheus is right, Anton learned his lesson, and as far as I can tell, Pocket Mechanic 1.51 doesn't kill your PDA anymore (don't take my word for it though!!).

02-08-2005, 05:39 AM	#24
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Perhaps in an effort to gain the trust of Pocket PC users again, Mr Tomov has issued a 30% discount on all of his products via PalmGear and Handango for a limited time: PocketGear: pg5679432 Handango: 1AE7D2F Btw, Pocket Mechanic 1.52 is out with various improvements, according to the programmer.

02-09-2005, 03:01 AM	#25
doctorow Guru Posts: 914 Karma: 3410461 Join Date: May 2004 Device: Kindle Touch	30% won't help to return my confidence.

02-18-2005, 01:57 PM	#27
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I am not sure if it is 100% safe, but it was confirmed by several people that since 1.51 PM would not hard reset your device anymore with known blacklisted serial numbers. And I think Anton is wise enough not to repeat his mistake.