Greetings all.

My (nick)name is the Blackbird. Some of you may know me, some of you may not. I reversed (mainly: cracked) programs from 1998 until somewhere in 2001. In that time I had a website named "Cracking4Newbies" and was aimed to teach newbies how to crack starting from zero.

At a certain moment the TPA started their "Crackkiller project" and my site and most of its mirrors got shut down. As I stopped reversing in 2001 I didn't put any effort in keeping my site up.

Today I was talking to someone about reversing and I wanted to show him some old tutorials I wrote. So I searched Google and I found out that a previously shutdowned site of Cracking4Newbies had been unlocked. Yes, they didn't remove the site, just denied access. For some reason they unlocked it. In other words: my old C4N site is available again for any newbies around here.

Note that when I wrote my first essays I was pretty immature: I tried to write in that 'cool' cracker slang, I made a lot of spelling mistakes, I was pretty naïeve about a lot of things and sometimes the essay was just bad. However, even if they're a little outdated, many things of what I wrote can still be very useful for the newbie crackers/reversers out here, especially the 'newer' essays.

So, here's the URL: h**p://users.belgacom.net/blackb .... for as long as it lasts.

In case you're interested: I'm currently busy with serverside scripting (ASP, PHP, Coldfusion), graphics (Photoshop, 3D Studio Max) and lately I decided to start programming again (currently learning C# Builder). It has been a long time I did some reversing and when reading some posts on this board I'd really like to pick up reversing where I left it, if I only had the time... .

When writing this thread, the memory of meeting +Fravia en +Mallatia in Brussels crossing my mind, with Knotty getting drunk of the Belgian 'Kwak' beer. It was a fun time in which I learned a lot.... making it the ideal moment to say hi to Fravia, Mallatia, Neural Noise, Kwazy Webbit, Knotty Dread, tsehp, CD_Knight, _y, Lazarus, Nitrus, carpathia, warezpup, splaj, kayaker, all the guys from EVC, all the lads in #cracking4newbies and probably the many others I forgot.

Take care, and maybe cya until I start some new reversing project ;-)

sincerely,

The Blackbird

WB old friend

Good to see that you are still around. Reversing has changed a lot and yet still remains the same. You may be happy to see that cracking4newbies is still available on the RCE-CD. (See link below)

Regards, kugi

I remmember going to your site very often, think there was some IDA tutorial was real good...
Thanks for the site.

How can you forget to mention me?

*Errrr* memorygap... enlighten me

I am like you, no longer cracking. Prefer not to mention my handle. ;-)

A wild guess will definately enligtened you

As reversing is my nature I already visited your Code-Lock site, and read the big Code-Lock discussion on this board here and I saw "And to evlncrn8: Yes, I am very proud that I can crack VB very well, so well that at one point of time, some crackers think of me when they want to crack vb."

After reading this I knew that I know you, because I remember that there was someone cracking all VB programs at the time I was reversing. Can't come up with a nickname (which I wouldn't mention anyway, as you don't want your handle displayed here), but I remember

Greets Black B,

It is always nice when people come back for a visit

Woodmann

Hiya BlackB,

I remember well your site, still had it bookmarked until fairly recently actually then finally gave it up as lost for good, strange it got unlocked. Glad you winged your way back here, hope you can roost for a while and share your thoughts

Cheers,
Kayaker

Hey Kayaker

I don't even have my site on my harddisk. The darn thing (the Maxtor harddisk) crashed two times in one year. First crash in jan. 2003, so they gave me a brand new one. Second crash (of that new Maxtor!) in november 2003. Everything gone. There were files dating 1993 on it. Well, the least I can say: it hurts when you loose all your personal files. I now have a Western Digital. Hope this one lasts a little longer.

Anyway. I browsed the messageboard, read some threads. My impression is that many more applications are protected: no more easy Winzip-targets. On the other hand, those protected programs (almost) all work with ASProtect, PCGuard, etc... which work on the same base they worked back in 2000. They are improved, and more difficult to beat... but in the end it remains the same: hide softice, dump and rebuild IAT.

But no protection improvement without tool improvement. I downloaded IDA Pro 4.51, Softice Lite 3.1, Regmon, Filemon, Process explorer and I was pretty impressed. Especially with IDA. Seems like the guys at Datarescue stubbornly keep developing IDA as if their lives were depending on it. Ok, their lives DO depend on it, but they 'd make a lot more income if they developed other products. I mean, with all those leaks... these guys must be REAL stubborn en determined to keep developing this. I was really surprised to see this pretty new version leaked. What do they do now: brake into Datarescue HQ and steal a copy, or beat a customer until he gives his copy of IDA? I think Datarescue rather sees us dead by now.

I'll hang around for some time. I'm not running away that soon ;-) I don't think I'll do some reversing in the near future because I'm occupied by a lot of other things. I'll read threads however

To end I also like to mention that there are a lot of people doing a great job here. Real nice.

greetings

The Blackbird

w b

Yo, BlackB
ltns. I just got a note on RET board that you were back in town, as it were.
Thought I'd come by and say howdy
Nice to see you're still alive.

Welcome back,
Kwazy Webbit

Wow......

It really does bring me to see old names.

Well, well. I've been searching for you quite a few times mister BlackB. I'm glad to see you're back in action (or, well, that you're still alive and well for that matter :-)

Do you remember that long discussion we had in c4n back in...what was it, 1999? 2000 ? it was about the ethics of cracking...now that was a fun log. Do you still keep it by any chances ? I wouldnt mind a copy Now if it's on your website, excuse me in advance but it's just plain too late for me to go check right now

Glad to see you again.
neural noise

Newral ;-) It's indeed a long time. Glad to see you too. Alive and well, as I hope you to be too.

I remember the ethics discussion we had. I don't have it on my computer anymore, BUT it's right under your nose in de RCE-CD section at the bottom of this very page you're viewing now. There's a copy of my old site in a .zip file there. I 've reread the discussion last week. Funny to see how I was, only three years ago and how my view on things changed. You should also check the thread on datarescue.com (search on "blackb" where I praised IDA Pro as a cracker's tool and the comments of Pierre Vandevenne. I've reread that too last week. Man, I was naive by that time, and it gave me good laugh to see this past side of me back

Well, see you around...

The Blackbird

Well howdy, stranger! With my advancing age and decreasing brain cells, I'd almost forgotten you ... hmm, where am I?

Welcome back!
Vol

Now, I might be off a couple links but here:

http://its.mine.nu/html/re/essays/c4n-ethics1.html
http://its.mine.nu/html/re/essays/c4n-ethics2.html

from the WebbitHole (KwazyWebbit) at http://its.mine.nu/

Cheers,
J

thanks, those were the logs i was after :-)

BB, when are you planning to stop by c4n ?

nn

Howdy,

It is nice to see Volatility and neural

my pleasure to be here woodman :-)

later all!
nu

Well didn't they tell you, history repeats ... if you compare the tricks used on C=64, Amiga, ... they aren't that different than those used today.
It actually becomes easier... more advanced tools to work with and more 'standard' wrapper protections around. (and less game/program coders that add extra sneaky bits in their own code.. like you had in the good old days)

/me feeling nostalgic..

Welcome Back BlackB.
you just like me reads the forums from time to time and just having fun.
regards
-Ben