Albatross18 Hacking Information

[CIAduck]

LAST UPDATE: 05/07/08

I've been doing a ton of research on the topic over the past few weeks because it perks my interest. I'm new to the whole game hacking scene, and thought I'd share with you the information I've gathered thus far about hacking Albatross18.

I don't remember exactly who wrote it, and I can no longer find the posts. But I would credit the following information to R20, lilHacker, and faceofdevil.

-The most recent Gameguard revision would seem to mask the ProjectG.exe memory addresses, in a different location than they really are, making it so that a UCE (I tested it with L. Spiro's MHS) will not be able to edit the real memory addresses to the game.

-The current ProjectG.exe has been unpacked by faceofdevil and others, and can be hexed.

-Hexing is currently the easier way to hack alba18 with caddy stats and other things.

Here is information I've come across myself in the past few days. Some of it came from the MPCforums and the rest I found out for myself.

-Moonlight Engine 1152 will supposedly bypass gameguard, however, it doesn't play nice with dual core's like mine, so I get the BSOD. Even so, It may also get you to the point that MHS got me, where all the memory addresses are static or dummies.

-A 64-bit application cannot currently be detected by gameguard as it is a 32-bit process. This led me to the idea that maybe you could use Linux or some other kernal with Wine (A windows emulator for Linux) to try and hack Albatross18. You may also get your hands on a 64-bit processor and windows (I have them, just haven't tested it.) and use a UCE that is 64-bit.

-I have not found a 64-bit UCE, you would probably have to make one by modifying the CheatEngine (CE) source.

UPDATE:
-Linux can run Albatross18 with Wine, but GameGuard fails to initialize and ProjectG.exe terminates.

Anyone willing to help me unpack and patch the ProjectG.exe is more then welcome! I'm sure I could figure it out, but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing with this (i.e. it's my first time hexing.) I could really use the help, thanks.

That is all the information I have right now, I hope this helps someone to have it all in one place, and any help that anyone might offer me as to getting started on making my own hacks would be much appreciated.

I am a CS student in college, so coding/reading is no issue for me, but it would be nice if someone could give me a little nudge in the right direction.

Thanks.

New Info/Thoughts:
I thought I may be able to run two instances of Albatross18 and play two accounts on one computer. Sadly even with two installed instances of the game, I cannot "dual=box" the game. It may be possible in linux if you could run it in two different instances of wine, but I still have to work on that.

[Burned Your]

Although this does not interest me as I knew this, but it is handy for new user's to look at before downloading a file to make sure it has this so it is complatible with the current GameGaurd patch.

-Burned

[CIAduck]

That is true. I hope this information can help someone out. I certainly spent alot of time looking for it, and so it is really nice to have it all in one place.

I'm still trying to get my Linux system to act how I want it (Anyone know anything about GRUB and Windows Boot Loader?).
I will start experimenting with it soon!
I should have a few neat tricks, and maybe I will be able to make a personal Cheat Engine for Linux, because I cant find one. It should be relatively easy because all the CE source code is free online.

I will update the OP when I get more info.

[CIAduck]

UPDATE: While it is possible to play Albatross18 in linux (see: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]) It is not possible to play it without hexing the ProjectG.exe.

I can get it to start up in linux using Wine, but GameGuard fails to initialize, and I get the really big error in Korean saying that I can't play and the game will shut down.

UPDATED OP

[Yamitsu]

Originally Posted by CIAduck

...I'm still trying to get my Linux system to act how I want it (Anyone know anything about GRUB and Windows Boot Loader?)...

I'm using Linux so maybe I will be able to help You somehow
What do You want to know about GRUB??? I guess You know it's bootloader that starts operating systems with choose of Your Kernel (if You have installed 2 Kernels You can choose which one to start) and eventually Windows if You have one (I still have this...thing :/ )
Oh also I have Wine too, so If You need any help, say it :) I will try to help :)

I checked this second ago and oh my there are some steps from Wine side to run it O_O game patched GameGuard patched (30 files) displayed rectangle and while later there was standard image for season 3 and that korean error...
Let's see what console say

fixme:reg:GetNativeSystemInfo (0x7675e4) using GetSystemInfo()
fixme:toolhelp:CreateToolhelp32Snapshot Unimplemented: heap list snapshot
fixme:thread:NtSetInformationThread info class 17 not supported yet
fixme:debugstr:CheckRemoteDebuggerPresent (0xffffffff)->(0x7cb3d9): Stub!
wine: Unhandled page fault on read access to 0x8e2514ce at address 0x7db211 (thread 0009), starting debugger...
Unhandled exception: page fault on read access to 0x8e2514ce in 32-bit code (0x007db211).

I think that fragment can be helpfull somehow especially first line - I guess Gameguard is trying to get info about operating system and some other info so maybe if we will trick him that this is Windows and do something about Tray icon than we can succed :)

[darkmini]

we dont care about stupid linux we want hacks dude .. btw linux suck hard

[Yamitsu]

If You are too...<counts to 10000 in mind> If You can't see that there is discussion about hacking then leave that topic and allow inteligent people work...

[lilHacker]

Hack such as pang hack are server sided, that's why you need to unpack projectG.exe and hex it. However, the difficult part is to bypass the patcher, to make it run with the hacked projectG.exe

By that, I mean if you have a hacked client, when you start the patcher, it re-download a new one.

- aoshimura (I think I spelt it right) for providing the pang hack informations
- faceofdevil for giving me information

Crystal Engine might work on dual core, bypass 1100, haven't try.

[Yamitsu]

I have very good news :)
Since Wine 1.0 RC1 came out and I installed it Albatross18 runs much better (of course still can't run game but there is some steps made)
What is going OK
- runs to patcher screen
- patches if needed
- pressing start launches GameGuard patching if needed
- splash screen appears already (didn't appeared before...You know that big one saved in HDD as PangyaSetup.bmp)
in console I get "some" debugger things calling to GameMon.des so I think I can say this
Hacking a bit ProjectG/GameMon or waiting for better Wine can finally break that stupid GameGuard security check and we will be able to play all games there :)
I think it is possible because SilkRoad is protected by GG and there are test results on WineHQ that it is working very good :)
So maybe we can do some work there to run it by our own for now

[aoshimura]

this is really interesting info, but unpack-hack and pack again is harder than it sounds, also i dont think that there's any hack possible with an engine.
nice post its really informative.