Kingdoms SecuRom discussion - forum rules only

Hasn't it already been cracked??

I mean, what is the point really?

Yes it's cracked already (although I didn't actually try using the crack).

More importantly I don't see a clear confirmation of SecuRom 7. The guy in the original post doesn't inspire much confidence in me. So if anyone has actual proof they should post it here.

Also there seems to be a general misunderstanding about the whole issue. Some people see "hidden" registry entries and go omg CA uses SecuRom, my computer is screwed. The real thread lies in the UAService7, that is allegedly being used to get ring 3 privileges from a non-administrative account. For XP users I guess it's not a big deal since it runs under administrative account by default and most people don't bother to change that. The threat lies in the ability of malicious programs to exploit the service and get administrative privileges. This threat exists for all system services, but if Microsoft can't sort out all their security issues, how can we trust Securom developer (is it Sony?) to do better, given that the program is not even removed properly after we are done with the game?

Originally Posted by MStumm

More importantly I don't see a clear confirmation of SecuRom 7. The guy in the original post doesn't inspire much confidence in me. So if anyone has actual proof they should post it here.

Completely understandable. Low post count in forums generally correlates negatively with a member's perceived credibility, and vice versa. But I have no reason to lie about something like this if the game's copy protection is just a simple disc check. Maybe someone will back me up on what I said about Kingdoms using Securom v7, but if you want to find out yourself:
1. Install Kingdoms
2. Run RootkitRevealer. It should list a registry entry "hkey_current_user\software\securom\!CAUTION! NEVER ...."
3. Check timestamp to see that it coincides with installation of Kingdoms. (If it does not match and is an earlier time, Securom v7 had already been installed by another game that uses it e.g., NWN2, Bioshock, Overlord)
4. Open registry editor and you find you can't remove the entry.

Posting the address of a certain site offering cracks is against the rules, but you will see it lists the protection used by Kingdoms as Securom v7 and the original M2TW as Safedisc v4.

If it would be so bad and evil, why would companies be using it?

I think it's all blown up.

HANG ON!

Can someone post a link to this other thread for me? (NVM: just noticed that Tafferboy gives the link)

I have no idea what SecuRom is, but it doesn't sound good, and havng just received my two copies of Kingdoms from Play yesterday I want to know before I install them on my PC's.

(I may just send them back, which will be damned annoying)

It's a copy/piracy prevention system (wiki)

From Wikipedia on SecuRom_v7

SecuROM v 7.x

Latest SecuROM Versions are all 7.x versions which are released and updated continuously.
SecuROM 7.x, if run under a non-admin user account, installs its own service called UAService7.exe — (ring 3), which works in ring 3 of the computer's operating system.
Securom has said: "it has been developed to enable users without Windows™ administrator rights the ability to access all SecuROM™ features"[1]

Known problems

* The version of SecuROM that comes with Armed Assault, S.T.A.L.K.E.R (European release only), Neverwinter Nights 2, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (patched to v1.04), Tomb Raider Anniversary (demo and full version), Overlord and Bioshock (demo and full version) prevents the game from running at all if Process Explorer, a free tool offered by Microsoft, has been run since the previous reboot, however a workaround for this Process Explorer v10.xx bug (v9.25 is not affected) can be found here[2].

* Certain games installed using SecuROM will prevent other select games from working correctly, and will continue to do so even after game is uninstalled.[citation needed]

BioShock game and Rootkit controversy

BioShock has been incorrectly accused of installing a Rootkit, as Securom is not a rootkit. An official announcement was even made stating that no rootkit is installed[3]. Users unfamiliar with computer security have taken to use a Microsoft tool known as RootkitRevealer, which flags issues on a computer that indicate areas needing additional scrutiny. Further scrutiny indicates that this flag was raised improperly on account of a null byte in a string of characters (a perfectly legal piece of data) being found in a registry entry. Null bytes in value strings are improperly interpreted by common registry visualization tools (RegEdit) as end-of-string characters; such tools then fail to display the whole string. This is a limitation of those tools, and not a problem in itself.

Bioshock/SecuROM also accesses the internet and attempts to bypass firewall permissions at some point during its installation, and installs files in a hidden directory[4] that cannot easily be deleted [5]. Users have stated that in order to install the game, their firewalls and antivirus programs needed to to be turned off and active virus monitoring services needed to be shut down with XP restarted with these programs and services properly disabled.[6]

...

Users have stated that in order to install the game, their firewalls and antivirus programs needed to to be turned off and active virus monitoring services needed to be shut down with XP restarted with these programs and services properly disabled.

From what I heard on .com loads of people didn't have problems installing, so this is not a real issue.

Originally Posted by sapi

Stay away from discussing cracks, as happened in the other thread, and this'll be fine...

Our rules on that are quite clear, however, and aren't something that I can change, or bend...

Originally Posted by AussieGiant

Hasn't it already been cracked??

I mean, what is the point really?

Originally Posted by Stig

If it would be so bad and evil, why would companies be using it?

I think it's all blown up.

I consider it an issue because of the way it works.

1.You get a bad download of update2. There have been a lot of them and a lot of bad uninstalls to go with it. Don't belive me, count the threads and the messages in the threads at TWC. 650 mb is one big download and if the phone company hiccups inthe middle you lose.

2. Securom or safedisc doesn't get removed from the registry on the uninstall. This one causes problems because the old install info is still being read by it and won't let you reinstall the game and/or updates. Too pervasive.

3.Securom and any other such malware Microsoft lets through must love Vista for all the hidden and read-only files the game puts in the adminstror folder totally unaware to the consumer.

With this combination and the game company keeping the buyers in the dark about these, no wonder the posts about it are angry.

Originally Posted by Tafferboy

Completely understandable. Low post count in forums generally correlates negatively with a member's perceived credibility, and vice versa. But I have no reason to lie about something like this if the game's copy protection is just a simple disc check. Maybe someone will back me up on what I said about Kingdoms using Securom v7, but if you want to find out yourself:
1. Install Kingdoms
2. Run RootkitRevealer. It should list a registry entry "hkey_current_user\software\securom\!CAUTION! NEVER ...."
3. Check timestamp to see that it coincides with installation of Kingdoms. (If it does not match and is an earlier time, Securom v7 had already been installed by another game that uses it e.g., NWN2, Bioshock, Overlord)
4. Open registry editor and you find you can't remove the entry.

Posting the address of a certain site offering cracks is against the rules, but you will see it lists the protection used by Kingdoms as Securom v7 and the original M2TW as Safedisc v4.

I just used regedit/find/safedisc and its registry on my machine is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/C07ft5Y dat says "SafeDisc RefCount". Its subfolders are Medieval2, RomeTW, RomeTW-BI, Simcity4, and Microsoft. Now who can you trust when Microsoft uses it?
Securom registry is the same as Tafferboy's. They have all their info as Hex-decimal of which I don't readily read.

No wonder computer resources go to hell when companies use them up for garbage like this. I could get back valuable memory and resources for this game if this was not on here and active.

SafeDisc and SecuRom are two different copy protection software types. SafeDisc isn't quite so bad.