legal to run nulled version?
 

Would it be legal if I ran a nulled version of vbulletin? (even though I payed)

If you have a license you can run a nulled version, allthough it's not something I'd do if I were you, as the nulled versions can have security risks.

ok. yeah, I was wondering about that.. the only reason was cause it had all these hacks from here preinstalled, and im kinda lazy... Ill test it first.. if it has problems ill remove it

Be aware that you'll most likely realize security risks only after you get hacked.

I'd go with the safe version if I were you ;)

ok.. I was just gonna use it to see what all the hacks did that i havent installed yet. Ill do that thing where i set up a pass protected dir, play with the hacks, delete it, and install the ones I like :)

I think i know about which version you are talking, probably the one created by Wimpie for a site i will not mention.

That version [b]does have[b] serious security issues that you will not find in a non-pirat version.

Also keep in mind that you should never load more hacks then you really need, since each hack you add could mean another security risk or a possible performance issue.

Good luck! :)

rofl at marco's [b] xD.

~Curt

oh noes a moderator made a mistake, quick someone. :p

Wouldn't be his first. ;)

Lol, and it won't be my last either.

Meh, I decided not to...

You'll thank yourself for it. You never know what sort of backdoors the null groups leave in the scripts themselves, with files from the members area you know you are safe.

Why run a null anyway? Just set up a test board and install the hacks there to get a feel for how they work. You not only get to preview them but you install them yourself, meaning you're less likely to mess up installation on your site.

What exactly is a "nulled" board?

It's an illegal copy of vBulletin being handed out free.

I must say cyberxp9, you have guts to run a illegal version of vBullein. You might get a email from vBulletin's Anti-Piracy Team... I really suggest getting a copy from the Members Area.

It refers to a warez version of vBulletin. They generally come with removed license/customer numbers, removed version number check, and plenty of backdoors placed by the people that release them.

Not to mentiond nearly all of them have the installation scripts wide open.

Actually it would be against your liscence to run the warez board since your liscence gives you an explicite right to run the run the forum you downloaded that is tied into that liscence.

It would only be against your licence agreement if you didn't declare the URL in your members area ;)

Satan

i already ++++ing said im not gonna install it

It's not correct to say they have "plenty backdoors". They can have backdoors which can be dangerous, but those i've been able to see hadn't any. Anyway, we are all ok to say that theses versions are illegal :)

Or you didn't find them.

Trust me, most of them have backdoors, and i can know because i have been studying for some time.

That's strongly possible ;-) I've just use Araxis Merge to compare files and only things changed seem to be the identification. Other explaination : the hacker was honest lol ;D

A little question : where does these nullified versions come from ? :ninja:

What the hell is nulled version? Or are you trying to say... illegal copy of vB?

nulled versions are usually "provided" by lucious real owners (licensed) that wants to help their friends to have a free version of a paid script like vB. they are usually found in P2P networks, anonymous ftps, and private clubs... (and we even find licensed versions flooding the networks lately!)

you can easily find nulled/nullified versions of any kind of php/cgi etc scripts on gnutella - just do a search with your prefered p2p client, you will have some surprises how people are malicious.. ;?) you can even find versions of vBulletin that were never released... let's say vB 4.1 was found last month... even 4.0 was never put on a table, so this was forcefully a virus or something...

and even big corporations have tried lately to flood these p2p networks... Microsoft is well known to have provided parts of the Windows NT sourcecode some years back... just to give them a peak on the market...

and usually, nullified (named to be a null version because all securities are broken) and nulled versions are distributed anonymously, but lately, we found that some vB coders distributed some enhanced versions of the script... this is widely seen, phpBB and IPB had the same problems in the last years.

these nullified version always have their license verification process broken, that's the main point of these activities usually... the harder the code is to break, the more we see them on the market... challenge for the hackers.

spywares, backdoors, java verifs, encoded or not, these kids always play the game to break these systems that were built just to go against their own actions... no nullifiers, no need to spyfix!

That was a response to Reeve of shinra, and actually has nothing to do with you running or not running a nulled version...

In future read more carefully before attempting to insult people ;)

Satan

i think that the discussion is now expanded much wider than your first question, i hope this was understood by you... this forum is a place for sharing information, and most of the time, someone else will run and ask a different question regarding the first situation and things branch to some other discussion (when it's not overtaken!)

While you can remove the version checking feature from vBulletin, downloading the software from any site other than www.vBulletin.com is piracy and can cause legal problems for you down the road. Pre-modded versions of the software are large security risks and as a vBulletin owner, you should make all modifications yourself or have someone you trust do so. The security risk to your site and your member's information is very high right now. Since Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime and can have financial impacts on an individual for years, this is not something you should encourage by using insecure software sources.

not exactly>_> a nulled version just removes the call home functionality which is used to check the most recent version and the license. thats about it.

It's just as legal to run a nulled version as it is to drive a stolen car.

Meaning that it is ok, as long as you have a drivers license?

Not hardly.

You need insurance too ;)

a friend of mine was using a nulled version and now i am moving the sql over to my server and its coming up with errors how can i fix this error..... its vb 3.6.4 and mine is 3.6.5 sql versions might have been different but i dont know

Maybe I missed something here, but are you asking for help with a nulled version ?

A nulled version is by definition a security risk because no honest person has a need to make or install one. If you want to have 'pre-hacks' versions then one could simply create an install that installed multiple hacks at once, and test it on a clean board. This would be legal, perhaps even valuable, and accomplish ultimately the same stated purpose of a pre-hacked board. They don't do this because either 1) They don't have the skills, or 2) They are only giving lip service to the 'pre-hacked' idea as a way to justify theft and possibly worse. Either way, you have a security risk.

WYSIWYG doesnt work when you type in BBCODE :P

Colin, how can removing callbacks and callhomes cuase security holes, its removing code that doesnt effect the forums, if anything it reduces the risk =/

You aren't asking me, but tough, I'm answering anyway :) If you removed it yourself, on your own board, then you might have a point. But if you let someone else remove it, or you remove it and redistribute it, then you definitely have created a security risk because an illegal act has already been committed - and a criminal is not someone you should trust security to.

Yes, but your not so bright if you download the script from a warez site as it aint exactly trusted...

Haha I had quite a laugh reading this...

Is he licensed, paul?