StarForce and Template:Infobox Korean name: Difference between pages

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:''For the video game, see [[Star Force]].''

<!-- Add cats and interwikis to the /doc subpage, not here! -->

</noinclude>

[[Image:Star force logo.gif|right|StarForce logo]]

'''StarForce''' is a software [[copy prevention]] brand by the '''Protection Technology''' company for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], which recently achieved Microsoft Certified Partner Level <ref>[http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=1074 StarForce achieved Microsoft Certified Partner Level]</ref>. Its main strength lies in wrapping [[executable]] and [[Dynamic-link library|DLL]] files using [[byte-code]], interpreted through its own [[virtual machine]].

Although StarForce is said to be very difficult to [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineer]],{{Fact|date=May 2007}} games using the protection scheme are still being copied and [[crack]]ed. The difficulty of making cracks is highly dependent on which StarForce version has been implemented however, and how many times the protection routine is used within the game [[executable]] by the developer.

== Known protection strategies ==

StarForce is believed to operate by measuring the physical angle between the first and last written sector on the [[CD-ROM|CD]]. {{Fact|date=May 2007}} This hardware signature is identical on all copies pressed from the [[gold master]] but is currently difficult to reproduce when [[Optical disc authoring|burning]] a duplicate disc.

Versions of StarForce prior to 4.0 blocked the use of [[Small Computer System Interface|SCSI]] optical drives when [[Integrated Drive Electronics|IDE]] drives are also present in the system, since most optical drive [[emulator]]s currently work by simulating SCSI drives. StarForce, however, authenticated discs from a SCSI optical disc drive if there are no IDE optical disc drives installed in the system; a weak point, since a system with the IDE optical drives unplugged can run the protected program from a mounted CD or [[DVD-ROM|DVD]] image.

== StarForce family==

Currently known official designations of StarForce include:

;StarForce Pro 3

:Requires a "disk key" to be entered when the software is installed. This key is the same for all copies of the game, as it encodes the nature of the protection scheme as present on the master; this disk key is different from -- and thus should not be mistaken with -- the "Serial Number" which games traditionally use for online gameplay.

;StarForce Keyless<ref>[http://www.star-force.com/solutions/papers/Whitepaper_Keyless.pdf StarForce Keyless Protection]</ref>

:Added optional feature of StarForce 3.x PRO. No disk key is required to be entered, since it is stored on the disk.

;StarForce 3.5<ref>[http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=586 StarForce copy protection to support the x64 bit user community]</ref>

:Added support for [[64-bit]] [[operating systems|systems]]. StarForce-protected software that works on 64-bit Windows can be identified by the presence of a <tt>.x64</tt> file in the software's install directory. Earlier versions would reboot the system or simply refuse to run the application on such systems.

;StarForce FrontLine 4.0<ref>[http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=1066 StarForce FrontLine Driver passed "CERTIFIED FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA" tests.]</ref>

:Fully supports [[64-bit]] applications.

:Fully supports Windows Vista 32/64 bit.<ref>[http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=862 StarForce FrontLine 4.0 – dramatic improvements in copy protection system!]</ref>

:The first version of StarForce to pass [[WHQL Testing]] and be "Certified for Microsoft Windows Vista" <!-- what about older versions of Windows? -->.

;StarForce FrontLine 4.7<ref>[http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=1028 StarForce FrontLine 4.7 – new version of StarForce DRM system.]</ref>

:Seems it is just an evolution of 4.0. No additional information available.

;StarForce Frontline 5.0 <ref name="sf5">{{cite web|url=http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=83&id=1072|title=StarForce FrontLine 5.0 – evolution in copy protection!|work=Official press release|date=[[2007-05-23]]|accessdate=2007-07-10}}</ref>

:Provides a user interface for driver removal

:Allows for the deactivation and reactivation of online-authenticated applications

Protection Technology no longer provide software updates for [[end-user (computer science)|end-users]] <!-- they used to...must be a source somewhere -->, that could, for example, enable 64-bit or Vista support for older versions of the protection. For this developers are required to create [[Patch (computing)|patches]] specific to their product(s).

== StarForce 3.0 Reputation ==

StarForce has a reputation of being extremely difficult to reverse engineer,{{Fact|date=May 2007}} though most StarForce protected games are eventually been [[Software cracking|cracked]], or through other methods have their protection bypassed.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} Cracks are sometimes released a couple of days after the official release of the game, but some games survive months or years before being compromised: [[Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory]] held 422 days before being cracked,<ref name="splintercell-nfo">[http://www.nforce.nl/index.php?switchto=nfos&menu=quicknav&item=viewnfo&id=104992]</ref> and [[Pro Cycling Manager 2006]] has yet to be successfully broken. <ref>{{cite web | title=Pro Cycling Manager 2006 (c) Focus Home Interactive *READNFO* | url=http://www.nforce.nl/index.php?switchto=nfos&menu=quicknav&item=viewnfo&id=105359 | author=NFOrce Entertainment | date accessed=2007-05-31}}</ref>

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory's cracking involved the completely reverse-engineering of StarForce 3.0, and with the crack was released a vast array of documentation about how StarForce 3.0 works<ref>http://www.glop.org/files/rld-sfrt.rar</ref>. Alongside many technical details, it revealed how several resource-intensive procedures were implemented by StarForce, such as emulated [[virtual machine]] functions and [[opcodes]], while its checks were being carried out.{{fact|date=July 2007}}

===Driver installation===

StarForce 3.0 has received criticism for installing its own [[device driver]] onto computers along with the protected product or when the protected product is first run, which is generally not uninstalled along with the software ([[Peter Jackson's King Kong (video game)|Peter Jackson's King Kong]] being one exception). While Protection Technology [http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55 do provide a removal tool], it has yet to be advertised or provided to users anywhere within protected games<!-- unless anyone knows better? -->.

Further to this, the presence of StarForce drivers is rarely if ever revealed to users before or during installation.

====Lite/driverless====

StarForce 3.0 drivers are installed with certain older game demos, [[freeware]] and downloadable games, like [[TrackMania Nations]]. Their presence is intended to prevent crackers from using demo executables to help break retail executables (as the two will usually be quite similar), and can also help to prevent [[online cheating]].{{fact|date=July 2007}} In response to criticism over this, Protection Technologies now offer a new solution: a ''Lite'' version of StarForce is present, without drivers, which instead sees the game asking for the original CD every three days. The lite version is also used in all StarForce-protected demos and downloadable games, minus the requests for discs (or any connection requirement).

===Clients===

[[CDV]], [[Ubisoft]], [[Digital Jesters]] (now defunct), [[JoWooD]], [[Egosoft]], [[Codemasters]], [[Eagle Dynamics]] and [[Bohemia Interactive Studio]] have used StarForce 3.0 on some of their products.

However, Ubisoft and JoWooD announced in 2006 that the [[North America]]n version of their games would no longer use StarForce, citing "problems with StarForce's 3.0 software".<ref>http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149611</ref> CDV also announced that they were dropping StarForce for all future games in [[May]] [[2006]] in favor of the [[TAGES]] copy prevention system, citing customer complaints.<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=9446</ref>

===Community response===

Some gamers have advocated boycotts of games or publishers known to use StarForce.<ref name="boycottstarforce.net">{{cite web|title=Boycott StarForce.net|url=http://www.boycottstarforce.net/}}</ref> Ubisoft decided to investigate the extent of the StarForce boycott and ran a poll on their forums, the outcome of which was against the use of StarForce.<ref>http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1949621,00.asp</ref> As a result (along with a lawsuit<ref>http://eplaw.us/sf/UbisoftComplaint032406.pdf</ref> and general malcontent on the web{{fact|date=July 2007}}), in ''[[Heroes of Might and Magic V]]'' and [[GTR2]], StarForce 3.0 was replaced by [[SecuROM]]. It should be noted that forum users do not represent an accurate cross-section of gamers, and that there were no checks to prevent non-owners of Ubisoft games voting, or multiple votes being recorded from the same person, for either choice.

== Controversy ==

===Software===

====Driver security====

StarForce 3.0 (until August 2006) creates security problem when installed on a limited-access user account, as might be found on a corporate network. The [[access control list]] of the drivers are set such that any person with control over the computer, including those without administrative rights, is allowed to change the code that is run by the driver. Exploitation is simple: The user changes it <!-- what is "it"? -->to point at any arbitrarily chosen executable, which is executed with full system privileges on next reboot. This can be verified with the security tool "srvcheck2", which detects such potentially insecure driver configurations. <!-- is this an official tool? How does one get it? Does it resolve the issue or just flag it up? -->

===Company conduct===

====Boing Boing====

On [[January 30]], [[2006]], [[Boing Boing]], a popular [[Blog|weblog]], labeled StarForce as [[malware]], alleging several problems associated with the protection system, including [[disk drive]] performance degradation, weakening of [[operating system]] security and stability.<ref>http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/30/anticopying_malware_.html</ref>

A day later on [[January 31]], [[2006]] Boing Boing received an email from StarForce, threatening legal action and stating that the article was "full of insults, lies, false accusations and rumors".<ref>http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/31/starforce_threatens_.html</ref>

[[CNET]] also ran a similar story, and has received similar email.<ref>http://news.com.com/5208-7349-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=11535&messageID=86618&start=-184</ref> However, Protection Technologies has never [[Burden of proof (logical fallacy)|proven these claims are false]]. But well known [[Mark Russinovich]] took a look at StarForce protection and found "nothing overtly unstable" <ref>http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2263&PID=7842#7842 Mark Russinovich's look on StarForce</ref>

====Stardock====

On [[2006-03-05]], a StarForce employee posted a link to an unauthorised download source of ''[[Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords|Galactic Civilizations 2]]'', a game developed by [[StarDock]] which does not use mandatory copy protection, as a demonstration of what a lack of protection can lead to.<ref>http://www.galciv2.com/temp/starfo2.jpg</ref> StarForce later issued an apology for this act after it received a great deal of attention on the Internet.<ref>http://forums.galciv2.com/index.aspx?AID=107193</ref>

== See also ==

*[[SecuROM]]

*[[SafeDisc]]

*[[Extended Copy Protection]] ("XMP")

==References==

<div class="references-small">

<references />

</div>

==External links==

*[http://www.star-force.com Official site]

*[http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55 StarForce Drivers Removal Tool Location]

*[http://www.boycottstarforce.net/ Boycott StarForce .net] Boycott site with regional lists of StarForce protected games and detection methods. Also contains removal instructions and other information.

===News coverage===

*[http://www.firingsquad.com/features/starforce_interview/default.asp "StarForce Interview and Piracy Discussion"]: interview with Abbie Sommer of StarForce ([[FiringSquad]], [[August 18]], [[2004]])

*[http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/48427 "Irritation-Ware: Copy protection with a mean streak]", ([[Broadband Reports]], [[July 12]], [[2004]])

*[http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/06/11/1920245 "StarForce Copy Protection Causing User Ire"] ([[Slashdot]], [[June 11]], [[2004]])

*[http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/10/01/the_war_on_game_pirates/index.html The War on Game Pirates]

*[http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/30/anticopying_malware_.html Boing Boing's] article alleging StarForce is malware ([[31 January]] [[2006]]); [http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/31/starforce_threatens_.html StarForce's response]

*[http://news.com.com/5208-7349-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=11535&messageID=86205&start=-184 CNET article regarding StarForce]. [http://news.com.com/5208-7349-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=11535&messageID=86618&start=-184 StarForce response].

*[http://next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2445&Itemid=2 "Opinion: The Problem with Protection"] PC Gamer editor-in-chief Greg Vederman talks about his problems with StarForce

*[http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/Starforce-enforces-DRM-by-instant-reboot-without-warning.html StarForce enforces DRM by instant reboot (without warning)]

*[http://www.star-force.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=765 Computer Gaming World reports] that under certain circumstances, StarForce will cause Windows to access optical drives in Programmed input/output ([[PIO]]) mode.

*[http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060830/schadenfreude_01.shtml Schadenfreudian Slips: Copy Protection Racket] ([[Gamasutra]] feature by [[Schadenfreude Interactive]], [[August 30]], [[2006]]), featuring a parody of StarForce.

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