Beginner's anti-piracy: is there a unique unchangeable GUID for every hardware device?

[Navigateur]

Is "Driver key" or "Device Instance Path" unique for every single
device? Are they "un-spoofable" by the hardware manufacturer or by
someone using the hardware? I want an ID that the hardware
manufacturer cannot duplicate in other devices or be
manipulated manually by anybody.

Does this exist?
Can it be made to exist?

I need this for anti-piracy.
Any ideas?

[Maxim S. Shatskih]

Post by Navigateur
Is "Driver key" or "Device Instance Path" unique for every single
device? Are they "un-spoofable" by the hardware manufacturer or by
someone using the hardware? I want an ID that the hardware
manufacturer cannot duplicate

Usually, USB serial numbers are really unique, but, if the HW vendor wants - they can duplicate them.

[Navigateur]

Ok so what's my solution?
How do I make a software work only with "authorised" devices?

btw are you saying "Driver key" is not unique for every device? Or is
that what you mean by USB serial number, and is duplicatable? Or are
they different things?

Thanks N

On Sep 9, 1:37 pm, "Maxim S. Shatskih"

Post by Maxim S. Shatskih

Post by Navigateur
Is "Driver key" or "Device Instance Path" unique for every single
device? Are they "un-spoofable" by the hardware manufacturer or by
someone using the hardware? I want an ID that the hardware
manufacturer cannot duplicate

Usually, USB serial numbers are really unique, but, if the HW vendor wants - they can duplicate them.
--
Maxim S. Shatskih
Windows DDK MVP

[Don Burn]

Well the normal approach for this is to go to one of the many firms that
offer solutions for copy protection. If you want to roll your own, you
are in for a challenging time, about the best you can do is require a
USB key from a reputable vendor that has serial numbers. Yes in theory
someone can reprogram the key, but at some point you have to ask is it
worth protecting against.


Don Burn (MVP, Windows DKD)
Windows Filesystem and Driver Consulting
Website: http://www.windrvr.com
Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/WinDrvr

Post by Navigateur
Ok so what's my solution?
How do I make a software work only with "authorised" devices?
btw are you saying "Driver key" is not unique for every device? Or is
that what you mean by USB serial number, and is duplicatable? Or are
they different things?
Thanks N
On Sep 9, 1:37 pm, "Maxim S. Shatskih"

Post by Maxim S. Shatskih

Post by Navigateur
Is "Driver key" or "Device Instance Path" unique for every single
device? Are they "un-spoofable" by the hardware manufacturer or by
someone using the hardware? I want an ID that the hardware
manufacturer cannot duplicate

Usually, USB serial numbers are really unique, but, if the HW vendor wants - they can duplicate them.
--
Maxim S. Shatskih
Windows DDK MVP

[Maxim S. Shatskih]

Post by Navigateur
How do I make a software work only with "authorised" devices?

If you want to protect against _device vendor_ - then sorry, the task is unsolvable.

[Navigateur]

Thanks for your reply.
Can you please tell me if the USB serial number be easily queried upon
device plug-in?

If I do only online authorisation, so that the software only installs
without questions if the device has a non-repeated authorised USB
serial number, but if somebody subsequently tries to install the
software with the same device USB serial number in future, they have
to type in a "reauthorisation code" that was automatically generated
and shown to the first person (and stored in a local file on their
computer so they can look it up), different upon each successful
authorisation... so they can still install their device on multiple
computers (i.e. using a "reauth" code that changes every time they do
so).

Would this work?
Can you tell me if USB serial numbers are written by the manufacturer
and can be anything?
And so, I can just ask them to supply me their list of serial numbers
and let my software check the plugged-in device against it, yes?

Many thanks,
N

On Sep 10, 3:34 pm, "Maxim S. Shatskih"

Post by Maxim S. Shatskih

Post by Navigateur
How do I make a software work only with "authorised" devices?

If you want to protect against _device vendor_ - then sorry, the task is unsolvable.
--
Maxim S. Shatskih
Windows DDK MVP

[Maxim S. Shatskih]

Post by Navigateur
Can you tell me if USB serial numbers are written by the manufacturer
and can be anything?

Yes. Any string with some length limit.

[Dee Earley]

Post by Maxim S. Shatskih

Post by Navigateur
Can you tell me if USB serial numbers are written by the manufacturer
and can be anything?

Yes. Any string with some length limit.

Note that not all devices have them.

[Manny]

Post by Navigateur
Is "Driver key" or "Device Instance Path" unique for every single
device? Are they "un-spoofable" by the hardware manufacturer or by
someone using the hardware? I want an ID that the hardware
manufacturer cannot duplicate in other devices or be
manipulated manually by anybody.
Does this exist?
Can it be made to exist?
I need this for anti-piracy.
Any ideas?

The only device that I know to have a unique ID are network cards with
the MAC address and the CPU with it's ID which as you know may be
turned off.
For USB device, you would have to 'fingerprint' them in some ways.
Unless your company also makes the device itself of course.

[Maxim S. Shatskih]

Post by Manny
For USB device, you would have to 'fingerprint' them in some ways.

Most (but not all) USB devices, except keyboards and mice, have the unique ID in them.

Surely there are major exceptions from this rule, even Wi-Fi adapters which have the unique MAC (as any Ethernet) but _do not have the USB-level unique ID_.