from the couldn't-happen-to-a-nicer-product dept.
The developers at Denuvo have been in the news thanks to cracks against their notoriously tough digital rights management (DRM) tools, which are normally used to lock down video games from leaking online. On Sunday, the company faced a different kind of crack—not against a high-profile video game, however, but of its depository of private web-form messages. A significant number of these appear to come from game makers, with many requesting information about applying Denuvo's DRM to upcoming games.
The first proof of this leak appears to come from imageboard site 4chan, where an anonymous user posted a link to a log file hosted at the denuvo.com domain. This 11MB file (still online as of press time) apparently contains messages submitted via Denuvo's public contact form dating back to April 25, 2014. In fact, much of Denuvo's web database content appears to be entirely unsecured, with root directories for "fileadmin" and "logs" sitting in the open right now.
Combing the log file brings up countless spam messages, along with complaints, confused "why won't this game work" queries from apparent pirates, and even threats (an example: "for what you did to arkham knight I will find you and I will kill you and all of your loved ones, this I promise you CEO of this SHIT drm"). But since Denuvo's contact page does not contain a link to a private e-mail address—only a contact form and a phone number to the company's Austrian headquarters—the form appears to also have been used by many game developers and publishers.
The log, as hosted at Denuvo.com, contains queries with legitimate reply addresses at current game studios. Those include a requests from the following: 343 Industries, about applying Denuvo to upcoming Halo Wars games on PC; Microsoft, in a 2015 message describing Denuvo as something that would fit with "an upcoming initiative"; TaleWorlds, about adding DRM to the sequel to its Mount & Blade franchise; Harmonix Games, about scheduling an in-person meeting at this March's Game Developers Conference to talk DRM; Capcom, with multiple requests—one of which is described as a Windows 10 UWP release for 2016 (which could mean this past December's Dead Rising 4, which indeed shipped on UWP with Denuvo DRM); Ninja Theory, who sent a query about DRM for its upcoming adventure game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice; and many more.
Source:
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Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
Over the past few years, the name Voksi has become synonymous with game cracking, in particular when it comes to anti-Denuvo activities. This week the talented Bulgarian released a 90-minute video in which he reveals how he cracked V4 of the infamous anti-tamper technology. TorrentFreak caught up with him for the lowdown.
Source: https://torrentfreak.com/voksi-releases-detailed-denuvo-cracking-video-tutorial-180210/
Denuvo "is an anti-tamper technology and digital rights management (DRM) scheme developed by the Austrian company Denuvo Software Solutions GmbH".
Related: Denuvo Forgets to Secure Server, Leaks Years of Messages From Game Makers
More Powerful Denuvo DRM Cracked 10 Days After Release of PREY
'Rime' Creators Will Remove Anti-Tampering Code If It's Cracked
New "Out of Control" Denuvo Piracy Protection Cracked
Denuvo Accused of Using Unlicensed Software to Protect its Anti-Piracy Tool
Denuvo License Generator is Latest Circumvention Method
Denuvo-Free Devil May Cry 5 Reportedly Improves the Game's Performance by Up to 20FPS
It appears that Denuvo's anti-tamper tech has significant impact on Devil May Cry 5's performance, and a Denuvo-free .exe game file has now surfaced online.
The Devil May Cry 5 .exe file was actually released by Capcom following the game's release earlier today, but has now been pulled. However, the file can still be downloaded through the Steam console. Several users are reporting FPS improvements by up to 20FPS while using the Denuvo-free exe file.
Sound familiar? Devil May Cry 5 is the game AMD demoed running on a Radeon VII GPU at its CES 2019 keynote. I wonder if they were running it with DRM.
Average frame rates are only part of the story when it comes to a game's performance. Minimum frame rates, percentiles, etc. can measure frame stuttering. A significant boost in a game's performance can also increase minimum frame rates.
Related:
Denuvo Forgets to Secure Server, Leaks Years of Messages From Game Makers
More Powerful Denuvo DRM Cracked 10 Days After Release of PREY
'Rime' Creators Will Remove Anti-Tampering Code If It's Cracked
New "Out of Control" Denuvo Piracy Protection Cracked
Denuvo License Generator is Latest Circumvention Method
Voksi Releases Detailed Denuvo-Cracking Video Tutorial
DRM Software Company Takes Legal Action Against Cracker
Hitman 2's Denuvo Protection Cracked Three Days Before Launch
New 'Valeroa' Anti-Piracy System Cracked "In 20 Minutes"
Evidence Continues to Mount About How Bad Denuvo is for PC Gaming Performance
(Score: 3, Touché) by Celestial on Monday February 06 2017, @11:10PM
As someone who has been a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise for years but had to deal with the Denuvo-encumbered "Rise of the Tomb Raider" video game on the PC last year, I find this hilarious.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday February 07 2017, @12:00AM
"Hey, those DRM makers can't secure their web page" - news.
"Hey, let's read every message in this stolen database from a non-scumbagish private company" - not ethical.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @12:13AM
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/23561 [wikileaks.org]
The good thing is we know we do not need to worry about those pizza related maps!
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @12:42AM
What are you talking about? And did someone break into a building and physically steal a database?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:39AM
Glad to know you feel that way. I bet you wouldn't mind me releasing the nude pics of your teenage daughter for the Internet to gawk over.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @01:56PM
I bet you wouldn't mind me releasing the nude pics of your teenage daughter for the Internet to gawk over.
She beat you to the punch years ago.
But that's okay, me and my sister-wives support her budding polygamist ambitions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @05:37AM
"Hey, let's read every message in this stolen database from a non-scumbagish private company" - not ethical.
I would disagree with that. It's not ethical to publicly release this database, whether you personally choose to read it or not once it has been made public will not incur any additional harm to the company. It's the act of releasing previously protected information that is unethical, be it to yourself by reading someone's mail or by publishing it online like in this instance.
Not that I'll cry over a DRM manifacturer's woes, nor over the woes of people who put such cancer into their product.
(Score: 2) by Bogsnoticus on Tuesday February 07 2017, @06:47AM
> "non-scumbagish private company"
DRM only effectively punishes legitimate owners for being honest. Denuvo, being creators of a system designed to punish the honest, so not fall into the category of "non-scumbagish"
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 07 2017, @07:30AM
stolen database from a non-scumbagish private company" - not ethical.
But, oh, they are a scum-baggish company, if all they do is Denial of Rights Mischief. So stealing their database (security is their main job, right?) and publishing it for all and sundry to laugh at? Does it ever get better than this? Petards and hoisting? Irony meter broken beyond repair again! And as for those of you who want to suck up to "private property" or "Peter Thiel", do recognize you will have to leave your balls at the door. You can keep your gats, but, you know, just leave your balls. We want not assertion of rights here! Hey, look! Tons of money! Who needs balls when you could have tons of money! And all you have to do is leave your balls at the door, and . .. . . OH Shit!! tHE DNA Agreement kicked in! Holey shit, since I have no balls, any more, I am not able to resist a DNA! Peter Thiel is my friend! Every thing I do with him is completely consensual, since he as soooooo much money.
(/alt-definition: "non-scumbagish private company" = cumsucking whore. Glad we cleared that up!)
(Score: 1) by AssCork on Tuesday February 07 2017, @01:59PM
Your post is spectacularly hilarious when read as Robin Williams.
Just popped-out of a tight spot. Came out mostly clean, too.