How to crack EB's CrackMe #9 
 
 
 
by The snake 
 
  
 Target : vbcrackme9.zip
 Tools used : Notepad
                    Smartcheck 6.03
 
 I will not repeat about how to set smarcheck for our debbug, it is well (and more)
 described at Eternal bliss website.
 
About this serial routine
 
 Ok, first run SC, in the File/Open menu choose VBCrackMe9.exe, and with F5 run it.
 As we saw in the text file, we can't just type in the name and the code, so, i used
 Notepad as a text editor. Cut the name and click on the small square near the name
 box, and do the same for the code.
 i used name : the snake
          code  : 123456789
 All the info that SC gave us by now wasn't important, but from now, take a good look.
 Click on the 'register' button and look for this info :
  Text1.Text
  Text2.Text
  Text1.Text
  Text2.Text
  lstrcmp(LPSTR:00410650...)  <<<<  important line !!!

  Left mouse click on this line will show us this in the right window of Smartcheck :

  signed char * lpString1 = 004105A8
  |_ = "8h2 7n16k2"
  signed char * lpString2 = 004105E0
  |_ = "123456789"

 Well, at this point i can see that part of the "name format" is used in the real code :
 "xxx xxxx.." and i can see that some of the letters i typed in, are there as well.
 So, i'll try another name : "a b c d e" with code : 123456789
 and in SC i've got :

 signed char * lpString1 = 00410560
  |_ = "16 17 18 1 2"                              <<  same format as the name : "x x x x x"  !!!
  signed char * lpString2 = 004105F0
  |_ = "123456789"

 Hmmm, i think i got the idea, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th.... chars get some hardcoded value
 from like a translation-table in the prog.
 the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th ... chars are not changed, and used as they are in the code.
 To check it, type in name :
      "   a    b    c  d  e  f  g  h  i  j  k  l  m  n  o p  q  r  s  t  u  v   w   x   y  z"
  and you get in smarcheck as code:
      "5 16 17 18  1  2  3  4 5 6 7 8  9  10 2  3  4  5 6  7 8  9 10 11  3  4  5"

 attention : ' ' (blank) = 5..

 It looks like what i thought it will be, so i go for the final check :
 name : last try
 code  : 9a7t5t6y
 WOW, I got the "Great Work..." pop-up window...
 Job done...
  
Final Notes
 
This was my first VB6 crack, and first time using Smartcheck as well.

Thanks to Eternal Bliss for all the help he is giving us on the newbies forum, and for
 all other stuff like this crackme's.
 
The Sandman for all that he is doing for us, newbies.

Rhayader for helping me with Reverse Code Engineering and
useful tips


all my other essay's can be found here


Essay by:           The snake
Page Created: 13th June 1999