Simultaneous tamper-proofing and anti-piracy protection of software

• US 8,239,967 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McMichael, Lonny Dean, Khoo, Boo Boon, Sabella, Vito Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUIRGUIS, MICHAEL M
• Application Number:
  US12/014,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20090183263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 726/30, 726/33, 719/313
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code

Abstract

Simultaneous tamper-proofing and anti-piracy protection of software is provided by splitting applications into two parts: an application, and an application launcher. The application is subject to the tamper-proofing protections deployed by a networked service, while the application launcher is subject to anti-piracy protections. To ensure that the application benefits from the anti-piracy protection of the application launcher, the application and application launcher share a trusted challenge-response relationship. The application includes a challenger library for issuing challenges to the application launcher, and the application launcher includes a responder library for responding to such challenges.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium that is not a transient signal, the computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions, comprising:

instructions for a software application launcher that includes anti-piracy protection;

instructions for a corresponding software application that includes tamper proofing protection;

instructions for generating a plurality of challenges from said software application to said software application launcher to ensure that said software application benefits from the anti-piracy protection in said software application launcher, each of said plurality of challenges being generated at a different time during the execution of said software application with tamper proofing protection in operation;

instructions for generating a corresponding plurality of responses to said plurality of challenges, the plurality of responses directed at proving that anti-piracy protection is operating in said software application launcher while said tamper proofing protection is operating in said software application; and

instructions for disabling said software application when a correct response is not timely received from said software application launcher.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said anti-piracy protection comprises instructions for anti-lift protection.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said instructions for generating a plurality of challenges comprise instructions for using a challenger library.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein said instructions for generating said corresponding plurality of responses to said plurality of challenges comprise instructions for using a responder library that is different than the challenger library.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, said software application launcher further comprising instructions for establishing a conduit between a first binary corresponding to the responder library and a second binary corresponding to the challenger library.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, said instructions for generating a plurality of challenges comprising customized inner frame instructions that are unique to said software application.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said instructions for generating said corresponding plurality of responses comprise instructions for generating at least one incorrect response.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said software application is a video game application.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said video game application interoperates with an online gaming service.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein said online gaming service provides anti-debugging and module authentication tamper-proofing protections.

11. A computer readable storage medium that is not a signal, the computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for a software development kit, comprising:

at least one library comprising challenger functions and responder functions;

said at least one library configurable for integrating into a software application that includes tamper proofing protection, wherein said software application with said at least one library integrated thereto, is operative to generate and transmit challenges to a corresponding software application launcher that includes anti-piracy protection; and

said at least one library further configurable for integrating into said software application launcher, wherein said software application launcher with said at least one library integrated thereto, is operative to generate responses to said challenges, the responses directed at proving to said software application that anti-piracy protection is operating in said software application launcher while tamper proofing protection is in operation in said software application.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said library in said launcher is configured to establish communications with said library in said software application by establishing a conduit for communication with said library in said software application.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said instructions for integrating said at least one library into said software application comprise instructions for utilizing an outer frame, base frame, and inner frame.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said at least one library in said software application launcher comprises instructions for generating at least one incorrect response.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions for establishing a shared secret between said challenger library and said responder library.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said software application is a video game application.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said video game application interoperates with an online gaming service.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein said online gaming service provides anti-debugging and module authentication tamper-proofing protections.

19. A method for simultaneous tamper-proofing and anti-piracy protection of software, comprising:

providing a networked service that interacts with software applications, said networked service requiring tamper-proofing protections for said software applications, said tamper-proofing protections comprising one or more of anti-debugger protection and module authentication protection;

distributing a Software Development Kit (SDK) for developing an application that interacts with said networked service, said application including tamper proofing protection;

said SDK comprising at least one library that is configurable for integration into an application launcher that includes anti-piracy protection; and

said at least one library comprising challenger functions for insertion into said application, and responder functions for insertion into said application launcher, the challenger and responder functions operable to ensure that said anti-piracy protection is operating in said application launcher while said tamper proofing protection is operating in said application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said at least one library is unique to said SDK.