So I was just thinking, I know of a few different pieces of software (cheap and expensive) that have many vulnerabilities/flaws within its own code. For example, I know of a piece of a few different softwares that you can download a trial/basic version, and simply add/edit a file to make it the full version. Now, I am not saying that I use these vulnerabilities to my advantage, but I am just wondering, what does the FIRST community think about this? Is it ethical or even legal to use these vulnerabilities to your advantage to get free/cheaper software? Or is it just down right wrong?
The only question you should ask is would you have to pay for the full version? If the answer is yes, then hacking it to work for you is simply stealing. There is no grey line. It is either stealing or not.
Im not sure FIRST has a stance because this doesnt have anything to do with them. Obviusly the spirit of FIRST doesnt support stealing. Obviuosly its not legal to crack it and use it. That doesnt stop me from trying to reverse engineer regsitration systems. However I dont publicly publish the information or use the software. If you are reverse engineering it for learning then ok, but if you are doing it to get the software free then no. If you like the software pay for it or find an open source verion.
That was pretty much the spirit of my question/topic. Is it ethical to even try and do it? Obviously if I somehow find a way to crack one of these systems, I am not going to try it. But, if I somehow stumble upon a site that displays one of these flaws while searching for a tutorial on web design, is it OK to simply try it? I guess, what I mean. is even though it is considered stealing, is it illegal as it is a flaw that the company has produced?
Well, in my opinion reading a tutorial on how to work around a registration system is boring in my opinion and has not purpose other than to create and use and illegal copy.
Now if you were interested in using it as a learning process heres what you would do. Google “cheap dvd burning software” or something so you can find cheap $20 software to start with. Learn ASM. Through it into IDA Pro Demo and get working.
If you leave your front door open when you go to the store is it legal for me to come in your house and take your stuff even if I just want to “borrow” it?
The answer to all of your questions so far are NO, it is simply stealing. There is no gray area.