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Thread: Altering programs

  1. #1
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    Question Altering programs

    Hi folks, new guy around.Can anyone help me please?
    How can i alter a program's source code so it features or not whatever i choose?Is it possible to make a program install itself without any wizard,instantly upon download? Can i make an exe file identical to a file of another extension?Can i change the texts that appear on a program's window?I run windows by the way.
    I would really appreciate some help on those...Thanx!!!

  2. #2
    AO's Resident Redneck The Texan's Avatar
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    Re: Altering programs

    Originally posted here by miag01
    Hi folks, new guy around.Can anyone help me please?
    How can i alter a program's source code so it features or not whatever i choose?Is it possible to make a program install itself without any wizard,instantly upon download?
    Maybe its just me but your first post seems strangely almost exactly like what a hacker would want to know. Why would u even want a program to run instantly without an installer unless u wanted someone to have something on their system they didnt know about? Check the AO FAQ buddy.
    Git R Dun - Ty
    A tribe is wanted

  3. #3
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    Hi

    Sure you can do all of this and much more


    Question by example: alter a program's source code not to feature a password check.

    Simply change with a hex-editor 0F84 (jn) with 0F85 (jnz). There is only
    one small problem: which one of these thousands of jumps to change ...


    Question: make a program install itself without any wizard?

    Make sure that your self-developed program consists of one exe-only.
    The program then runs once you double-clicked it without any installation!
    Hence, it actually has "installed itself".


    Question: Can i make an exe file identical to a file of another extension?

    Rename startme.exe to startme.txt -> You now are able to open the exe with notepad!


    Question: Can i change the texts that appear on a program's window?

    Yep. Once you have opened startme.txt with notepad, you can alter the text
    shown in program's window.




    On a more serious note: I really love the ability (.NET, ...) to sign my libraries
    with my digital certificate. DLLs now cannot be easily substituted anymore!

    Cheers
    If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
    (Abraham Maslow, Psychologist, 1908-70)

  4. #4
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmmm,

    Pretty much as sec_ware has said. You need a programming editor, a compiler and knowledge of the programming language. I would also recommend a debugger.

    Is it possible to make a program install itself without any wizard,instantly upon download?
    I am not sure what you mean by that. Do you mean "install", or do you mean "run". There are lots of programs that run, but do not install (permanently) themselves. The general purposes of a "wizard" are:

    1. Obtain user interaction as to preferences, settings, acceptance of the EULA etc.
    2. Confirm that the installation was successful or not.
    3. Clean up temporary files etc.
    4. Allow for uninstallation.
    5. Show the user progress, so they don't get impatient and kill it.

    Can i make an exe file identical to a file of another extension?
    ............... No, it will still be an .exe and will look nothing like a .jpg, for example. Changing the name does not change the file's fundamental characteristics.

    To prove this take a file such as picture.jpg and remame it to picture.exe then double click on it.



  5. #5
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    Ahem...

    May I interfere in the matter???
    Well I would like to say something to you guys:
    @ The Texan : Well ... excatly speraking you might have called him a CRACKER at once...he is asking all such questions..like cracking programs and seems like he is intersted in trojaning some of his friends prpbably. I feel pity and sad when I see HACKERS being pointed as COMPUTER CRIMINALS...which they are not. Please use the right word.

    @ nihil : I think you are right to the point when you ask Install or RUN. On my part I think that it might be INSTALL...he is trying to figure out how to alter a program on a rempte computer (or add another one at startup) so that he is able to communicate thru the backdorr as and when he wishes to do....and that surely will need an INSTALL.

    And by his question of making a program identical to some other file of other extension....I think that pretty much resembles the question of rock_bill who asked how do non-exe files infect the PC...is he the same person??? And I think that nihil is right.

    @ sec_ware : can you explain me that what do you mean when you say "yes you can open a program in notepad by renaming it to a TXT file and opening it. I think this is an answer to the question like this : How do I look at the RAW executable code of a program..

    By the way... it was sometime ago I was tryingf to mount a drive in Linux and failing aeverytime when I opened my "My Pictures" folder of windows and saw that there were pictures in the folder with another extension...Linux opened them calling them JPG. So I think that Linux doesnt care for extensions but for SIGNATURES??? Am I right???
    "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

    - Albert Einstein

  6. #6
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    Hi

    jockey0109,

    I guess no-one here wants to "feed this bear" too much, hence those
    questions and remarks

    It is clear that the thread starter wants to modify the registry, install a service
    and/or register a module (to use a "generalised" wording) in such a way that "his"
    program (or backdoor, as you have pointed out) will be executed at restart or even
    live on the running system without user interaction. Certainly, this is possible.
    Now, I have choosen this paraphrase to avoid a discussion about "install" or "run"


    @ sec_ware : can you explain me that what do you mean when you say "yes you can open a program in notepad by renaming it to a TXT file and opening it. I think this is an answer to the question like this : How do I look at the RAW executable code of a program..

    In the essence, an executable is a file like any other - a bunch of bytes logically being
    together (physically, those bytes are distributed around the harddisk). The simplest
    way to open it via notepad is by renaming the .exe to .txt. You could also just use the
    "open"-command of notepad, choose "all files" and click on the .exe-file.

    However, since an executable is not really a .txt-file, you will mostly have "garbage".
    Still, the form-ressources are plain text, hence _could_ be modified (however, you have to be
    very careful by doing so).
    If you want to "modify" an executable, you should use appropriate tools, not notepad, but
    a hex-editor in its simplest form, or a disassembler/debugger for further analysis.

    Cheers
    If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
    (Abraham Maslow, Psychologist, 1908-70)

  7. #7
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    Dear sec_ware,

    I already know whatever you said. However thanks for repeating it for me.

    Now my point was not to explain me how to open an EXE file in notepad...I knew this simple technique. What I wanted to convey to you...was that perhaps you had misunderstood his question. As far as I think, what he is trying to ask is HOW can he make a file which is actually an EXE with another extension but still is able to be executed without user interference on the file.

    Anyway your answers are satisfying.

    PEACE

    Thanks.
    "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

    - Albert Einstein

  8. #8
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmm,

    As far as I think, what he is trying to ask is HOW can he make a file which is actually an EXE with another extension but still is able to be executed without user interference on the file.
    Well AFAIK that would be pretty difficult, as you would generally have to call or open a program to run it.

    If I were to send you something malicious over the network, why should I bother to disguise it as something else? It would arrive and run, and you wouldn't even see it?

    The concept is pretty old, as I can recall the Word Macro POC virus, and many others for MS office that followed it.

    More recently we have seen embedded executables. As long as there is a suitable association set up on the target machine, it will work, provided that the user enables it.

    The reason I questioned "run" as opposed to "install" is that we have seen malware that attacks over a network, and immediately runs. In so doing, it downloads and installs the payload, which may well be polymorphic and encrypted. The dropper is then deleted to avoid detection

    None of that would require user intervention, so there would be no need to disguise the true extension of the program.

    Obviously there are a number of counter measures such as only allowing users to run authorised applications. Sandboxes and blocking executables from coming or running over the network. Preventing users from running installation programs, and protecting the registry and startup.

  9. #9
    AO's Resident Redneck The Texan's Avatar
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    I didnt mean to jump to any conclusions and say automatically this guy/girl is doing this for bad purposes... I was just voicing what I thought the wording of his/her question sounded like too me.
    Git R Dun - Ty
    A tribe is wanted

  10. #10
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    Thanks nihil for ********ing.
    @The Texan : yeah I agree. he might be asking that for good purpose too...but the language and soo many questions at once usually dont point towards suchj a good idea. anyway its ok.
    "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

    - Albert Einstein

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