Where is the source?
 

Where does cracked software have it's origin? I am not talking about incidentally physical theft of a software package (containing disk/serial/manual), but if you want to make a cracked version you have to get your hands on the software in the first place. And I don't believe that they first buy the software, crack it and then give it to the rest for free (with or without trojans and viruses).
So where is the source of the cracked software (with our without iLok, dongles etc.):
Developer/Manufacturer - ?
Software Duplication and Packaging - ?
Distributor/Dealer - ?
End User - ?
peachh

Well, have you ever seen a .nfo file on a cracked piece of software? Everyone of them asks for new software (or music, video, etc.) suppliers.

Apparently, it works.

Yes, so who are the suppliers then? Do they use physically stolen software?
confoosed

Nope, not usually. Some software demos can be converted into full versions by means of a valid license key. Some copy protection schemes are simply reverse engineered without the need for a valid license key or serial number. (Notably the case if the crack consists of a keygen.) And then there's suppliers that properly purchase the product, sometimes fraudulently (say, with a stolen credit card) but often entirely legit. And then pass it on to one of the warez groups to have it cracked.

-- dj!

Developer/Manufacturer - ? could this be a possiblety confoosed
Software Duplication and Packaging - ? thats possible
Distributor/Dealer - ? i don't think so, they wouldn't be selling much, thats against thier own good
End User - ? very very possible

you can add another source, most of software manufacturers offer demo/tiral versions of their software on their sites

Why would they go through the hassle of that and draw attention to themselves?

Someone in the team with a clean slate buys the software - once. The rest figure out how to crack it and duplicate it indefinitely. It's not like they need the box or the paper manual or the dongle anyway. So yes, it costs them money - exactly once. The fact that their name appears next to the release is already a big honor since they can pride themselves on being the first (or the best, if a previous release wasn't properly cracked).

The alternative is that there's a leak in the company itself - either willingly (someone shares the source with the outside (the programmer) or the nearly finished product with the outside (a beta tester) or unwillingly (the server where the product resides is hacked).

Our software has been pirated, and in our case I know we can rule out everyone except the end user (in the broadest sense - since it includes people obtaining it fraudulently). In some cases, crackers obtain the software from suppliers who use stolen credit card details to purchase the software. In other cases, I have reason to believe people who have legitimately purchased the software then pass it on to the crackers - whether this is through a third party copying the software from their machine without their knowledge or a deliberate choice, I don't know.

a lot of cracked software leaks in the SW-manufacturing plants.. you know, where they put the 0 and 1 on DVD and CDs..

sometimes you can download demo's from manufacturers websites and those are beeing cracked.

also NFRs are leaking a lot.