On Friday 29 August 2008 08:59 am, Michael Morin wrote:
> > Another approach to the problem is to strictly separate code from data 
(and 
> > store all variables and the like separate from the code), then put the 
code 
> > into ROM or similar.
> > 
> > Randy Kramer
> 
> Even that's not effective.  ROM dumps are not difficult to obtain, ROM 
> chips are not difficult to replace with flash chips or even an interface 
> to your PC.  You also can't really do that with a Ruby program either.

Well, you're write--I guess what I should have qualified it by saying 
something about without physical access to your hardware, which I assume 
would be the case for cases of online/remote cracking (to avoid use of the 
word "hacking").

> The only semi-effective way I've seen to do this is with gaming 
> consoles.  The Xbox will only run signed code.  This is problematic 
> though, only people with the correct keys can produce code that will run 
> on the Xbox (which Microsoft charges large sums of money for) and it was 
> still cracked (at least the first Xbox was).

I hadn't thought of that, but with good encryption, it sounds fairly effective 
(ignoring the drawback you point out).

Randy Kramer
-- 
"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I created a video 
instead."--with apologies to Cicero, et.al.