REMOVING SECURITY IN FXPRO 2.5 DOS APPLICATION 2

[Fadiikhan]

HI TO ALL EXPERTS,

​

I AM USING OLD FOXPRO DOS 2.5 SALES AND PURCHASE PROGRAM MY PROGRAMMER SET A SECURITY THAT ALLOW THE PROGRAM NOT TO WORK AFTER CHANGE THE YEAR IN DATE.IT SHOWS THE MESSAGE TO ENTER THE KEY TO RUN THE PROGRAM HOW CAN I REMOVE THE SECURITY FROM SOURCE CODE OR GENERATE KEY FROM MYSELF.

 

[Mike Lewis]

The original programmer presumably had a good reason for setting a security key. Before going any further, you should try to contact the programmer if he or she is still available.

Failing that, you could try running the program with RunAsDate from NirSoft. This would enable you to run the program as if it was an earlier year. But it's not clear if the utility works for DOS programs. And of course the program itself might not work correctly if it could not get the correct date.

Mike



__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Chris Miller]

Did you decompile an EXE?

If you have all source code and can't find the code that asks for input, are you even able to program in Foxpro?

Chriss

 

[GriffMG]

I'd be surprised if anyone here is going to tell you exactly how to do this - we have mostly been making a living
out of writing things in FP/VFP and normally protect things when they have a value, thus respect (generally) other peoples
wish to do the same.

Of course sometimes it's not the programmer doing it for themselves, I have a customer with an app that he is concerned
his own people will steal from his laptops when they move on to work for others in the same industry... as the developer
I have had his ex-people contact me trying to do just that...

So, don't be too disappointed if we're not much help in this case.



Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you. ​

 

[Chris Miller]

Griff,

lets for a moment believe the situation is this software was programmed for his company by an employed developer. So the software is his property, including sources.

Fadiikhan,

it seems the developer you may have fired or who moved to some other company has left some revenge. Or try to remember, did you aks for such a ssecurity mechanism in your software? I think, Fadiikhan, you have to deal with your developer about this. We can't judge what's fair in this case or not. It's a somewhat unfair move to leave a software with such a ransom locking mechanism, but you haave the sources. Maybe he's just telling you in a roundabout way, that you don't get far without a hired developer.

So, as you seem not to be a developer, hire one. Maybe that was his intention. If it wasn't simpy you to ask for the feature. Anyway, you now have to deal with this.

Maybe you still just got as far as decompiling a software you once bought but only licensed for a year. It just shows what many say about software securing mechanisms through encryption. Even if someone finds a decompiler and uses it, he still hasn't the knowledge of all the code, you have to work into it, if you're no devloper, you're lost. It's like being able to decrypt a text, but still don't understandit in its cleartext form.

Now even if I would like to help you for reasons of "in dubio pro reo", I couldn't. You have your good reasons to do what you do, but the code in question could be anywhere in the sources. The simple answer is: If you "speak" Foxpro" you sure could find an remove it, once you have the sources. But it might also be encapsulated in a DLL that's not done in Foxpro, too, to make it even less easy to crack.

Chriss

 

[Mike Lewis]

Which is why I suggested you start by contacting the original programmer.

He might have a had a good reason for putting this security device in the program. For example, you might have agreed to pay a yearly fee for using the software, rather than a one-off cost, and the security code is intended to enforce that. If that's the case, I doubt if anyone here will advise you on how to defeat it.

But if was acting maliciously, or if he intended to try to extort some extra money from you beyond what you agreed, then that's another matter.

At the very least, you should check your original contract with the programmer. This looks very much like a legal / contractual issue rather than a technical one.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[GriffMG]

I think regular posters could/should perhaps look back through the OPs posting history...

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you. ​

 

[Chris Miller]

Griff, you're right. And now I remember.

I think we estimated the status for this as a legal transfer of a software from an old to a new system. The final words on it were he needs a DOS emulator or a real DOS installed on the new system.

The advice back then was also to contadct the original developer. He seems to have worked remotely on a computer and made a halfways manual install recorded by video. If you can't follow these steps for your new system, because you don't have some root files that are seen to be copied into the old PC, then decompressed and used, then you can't repeat all that.

I said back then against your belief the video actually shows a DOS folder to be created. At least now your thread title confirms it's a DOS software.

Get real, deal with it on the legal route.

Chriss

 

[Chris Miller]

Maybe you even have a perpetual or non-expiring license by sales contract. Well, then you likely didn't copy it over or didn't find it on the old PC.
But then, again, this moving from an old to a new PC something you may or may not be allowed to do and that's a license issue that developer should deal with, by whatever your contract is.
Oh, and since the software is about sales, shouldn't you know the deal with sales contracts? Do you have one with this developer or not? I'm totally with Mike here.

Chriss

 

[Fadiikhan]

Yes i hav decompiled exe files of the program

 

[Fadiikhan]

My programmer was died last yaear

 

[vernpace]

This is a security issue. Security issues come in many flavors. Unfortunately, security is an afterthought with many software projects. For us, it is a priority that must be considered in all aspects of design and coding. Code reviews are an absoloute necessity. We have a critical project that uses a few 3rd party ActiveX controls - For the sake of security, we are negotiating the purchase (special license) of the code base of these controls so we can review.

The problem is that stake holders do not want to spend resources on security - as we see almost daily, some pay dearly for those mistakes.

 

[Chris Miller]

Sorry, but that doesn't compute. You had a programmer but need to decompile an EXE to get the source code?

Alone from the installation video you posted earlier, it doesn't seem like he worked for you, not even just in a home office, he'd not need to upload his work to your site, he'd have his remote desktop client in your network. You may have hired a programmer to work out this software or customizeit for you, that would still be plausible with the given outset. But this key input points out to me you just have a license.

As vernspace told in his example, you haven't invested enough, if you didn't get the soucrce code and documentation to be able to act in such a case as the death of the programmer. So if all else fails look for a new software.

Chriss

 

[Fadiikhan]

I AM UPLOADING IMAGES OF SOURCE CODE KINDLY HELP ME OUT.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Let's step back a bit.

You run a company that sells medical supplies. You have an application that is critical for your business. It is nearly 20 years old, and was designed for a platform which was already ten years out of date when it was written. The program contains some sort of security device that now prevent you from using it. You don't have the source code, and the original programmer has died.

Given all of that, I would suggest that you waste no more time trying to get this program to work, but start straight away to look for a replacement. Ideally, you will find an off-the-shelf package that meets your needs (presumably standard order entry, invoicing and perhaps sales ledger). If you have to commission a new program, make sure that the developer uses an up-to-date and well-known programming language and platform. And, above all, make sure that the contract gives you full rights of ownership in perpetuity, and that you get the source code so that, if necessary, another programmer can support it.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[vernpace]

I suggest you take Mike's advice.

 

[GriffMG]

Looking at the code presented, that wasn't decompiled - it's too readable in my opinion.

So the OP has the code but not the know-how to bypass the security.



Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you. ​

 

[Fadiikhan]

I have decompiled exe and its editable source code.

 

[GriffMG]

Well done, looks readable, good luck.

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you. ​

 

[Chris Miller]

What Mike says is sensible, especially it's less attacking. Also it reminds you that even getting a software working again, you won't be able to keep up with usual maintenance tasks, like implementing requirements. More than just your own improvement ideas but things like regulations and laws, taxes, etc.

Looking for a software able to at least cover 95% of your needs, you can profit from it being kept up to date, adding features by demand or even get them for free as they are an absolute must have and software which doesn't fulfill demands and regulations of your country will not survive for long.

Plus, you're really looking for a software that has many competing solutions, not something that special. I hear you saying this is really customized to your needs, you are used to it and it has advantages over anything you've seen on the market. But that'll just be a phase. I'm very sure you'll find features you didn't even think of even in an off-the-shelf package. And things might be solved different.

I see more advantages than disadvantages. Many ISVs may work with a distributor, that can't customize the software with your demands, but many distributors also own a softwate including sources and are able to hire developers to implement features on demand. I also did do such jobs for a software that was originally developed by someone who parted with the ISV. If a dsitributor offers such services you can assume they do have the full rights and can maintain that, even if developers are not employed and just hired on a pee-change basis. Which means this model has a longer lifetime than directly from the source, distributors don't just maintain one software package.

Chriss