I'm in the process of writing a software package that will use the MAC address of the on-board LAN as a DRM tool. Thus fixing a copy to a single system. I already have something that works, but I don't know enough about Linux devices to know whether it can be fooled by a fake MAC address.
Can anyone suggest something that can be called by python code that can obtain the true MAC that lies underneath any fakery that maybe going on in the system.
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W. H. Heydt
- Posts: 12648
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:36 pm
- Location: Vallejo, CA (US)
Re: Using MAC address as DRM
MAC addresses aren't actually fixed.
(Note that this is--how to lock a software package down to a single Pi--has come up before. Doing this is non-trivial, and the MAC address won't work to do it.)
(Note that this is--how to lock a software package down to a single Pi--has come up before. Doing this is non-trivial, and the MAC address won't work to do it.)
Re: Using MAC address as DRM
The MAC can easily be faked. However the default MAC is generated from the Raspberry Pi Foundation's MAC address range prefix (b8:27:eb) and the last six digits of the Pi's unique serial number.
You'd be better off using the serial number.
You can extract the serial number from /proc/cpuinfo, but it is still possible to fake that entry. A better way to get at the serial number is to read it directly using the GPU Mailbox, which requires a little code. There should be some examples around somewhere. The Mailbox tag for "Get Board Serial Number" is 0x00010004. That might help the search.
You'd be better off using the serial number.
You can extract the serial number from /proc/cpuinfo, but it is still possible to fake that entry. A better way to get at the serial number is to read it directly using the GPU Mailbox, which requires a little code. There should be some examples around somewhere. The Mailbox tag for "Get Board Serial Number" is 0x00010004. That might help the search.
Re: Using MAC address as DRM
Greetings.
It might be I am wrong. I think DRM is lawer's job, programmer who is working hard helps little, if at all.
I think two factors help winning the copyright war:
1, How powerful the lawer team is.
2, How stupid the end-user is. (So they couldn't fake / soldering / reverse engerneering......)
One of the winning team I know is Nintendo, they would send people break into booth to stop someone selling a "completely new game built by hobbyists, but used Nintendo's character". And also, they sell game and console mostly to children.
To break such a platform, you need to build a hardware that even a child could use, which is quite difficult.
But look at those Pi users, they could soldering, they could program, they know math, they have passionate. So, I think you would better to spend more on lawers.
It might be I am wrong. I think DRM is lawer's job, programmer who is working hard helps little, if at all.
I think two factors help winning the copyright war:
1, How powerful the lawer team is.
2, How stupid the end-user is. (So they couldn't fake / soldering / reverse engerneering......)
One of the winning team I know is Nintendo, they would send people break into booth to stop someone selling a "completely new game built by hobbyists, but used Nintendo's character". And also, they sell game and console mostly to children.
To break such a platform, you need to build a hardware that even a child could use, which is quite difficult.
But look at those Pi users, they could soldering, they could program, they know math, they have passionate. So, I think you would better to spend more on lawers.