Windows 7 OEM Master Key Leaked, Can Activate Any OEM Build

[Nucleus]

MSDN Genuine Windows Blog article seems to confirm that the leaked OEM key will be WGA blaclisted...

Published Thursday, July 30, 2009 11:45 PM by alexkoc

Windows 7 OEM Product Key Leak

Yesterday we were alerted to reports of a leak of a special product key issued to an OEM partner of ours. The key is for use with Windows 7 Ultimate RTM product that is meant to be pre-installed by the OEM on new PCs to be shipped later this year. As such, the use of this key requires having a PC from the manufacturer it was issued to. We've worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating their copy of Windows 7. At the same time we will seek to alert customers who are using the leaked key that they are running a non-genuine copy of Windows. It's important to note that no PCs will be sold that will use this key.

Windows 7 already includes an improved ability to detect hacks, also known as activation exploits, and alert customers who are using a pirated copy. There is a hack that is said to enable, when paired with the leaked key, a system to install and use a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. Both the hack and the key are indications that a copy of Windows may not be genuine. The Windows Activation Technologies included in Windows 7 are designed to handle situations such as this one, and customers using these tools and methods should expect Windows to detect them.

Our primary goal is to protect users from becoming unknowing victims, because customers who use pirated software are at greater risk of being exposed to malware as well as identity theft. Someone asked me recently - and I think it's worth noting here -- whether we treat all exploits equally in responding to new ones we see. Our objective isn't to stop every "mad scientist" that's out there from dabbling; our aim is to protect our customers from commercialized counterfeit software that impacts our customers' confidence in knowing they got what they paid for. That will continue to be our focus as we continue to evolve our anti-piracy platforms, and respond to new threats that we see emerge in the future.

Source - MSDN Genuine Windows Blog

[peat moss]

Saw this today , Orbit and Hazar .


7Loader for windows 7 Release 5

Updated to RELEASE 5, Note your bios does not need to have slic 2.1 or support slic 2.1 for loader

[Nucleus]

For now this is obviously going to be a game of catchup, MS vs Hackers. When OEM's start shipping loads of boxes with Win 7 pre-installed and 2.1 SLIC data in BIOS the situation may ease.

Afaik all of the present Win 7 Ultimate activators use the same leaked OEM key (to date they're all Ultimate Edition only). MS have now announced it will be WGA blacklisted.

Having auto updates on and running any WGA checks is obviously a no no, with the current activators.

[SonsOfLiberty]

It won't happen until Windows Update is for Windows 7, which will not be until August.

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/forumdisplay.php?f=16

[iLOVENZB]

For now this is obviously going to be a game of catchup, MS vs Hackers...

It always has been, ever since they introduced the activation method in XP.

Considering the amount of leaks, I wouldn't be surprised it someone from MS would help with circumventing the activation.