Denuvo blocks hypervisor bypass used to crack 60+ games, in new obstacle for piracy

The hypervisor bypass circumvented the DRM in dozens of Denuvo games. With hackers struggling to crack many titles, it was a more straightforward alternative to implement. However, Irdeto has updated its protection in Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which could at least temporarily limit piracy.

On the October 6th Star Wars: Galactic Racer release date, some piracy supporters expected a working hypervisor bypass. Unfortunately for them, the only alternative to buying the Fuse Games project is streaming it on Amazon Luna. One member of a hacking group explained why defeating the anti-tamper software is taking longer than usual.

A minor setback?

Normally, the exploit disables a CPU flag that allows targeted Denuvo games to boot. In the futuristic racer, without the flag active, crashes result. Irdeto has likely modified the DRM to prevent the approach from succeeding.

While the company has scored a victory, pirates don’t believe the change will be difficult to overcome. The hypervisor bypass has been effective because it runs in a virtualization layer below the Windows OS. With a more permanent solution, Irdeto risks introducing security or compatibility issues to legitimate buyers.

An ongoing battle

Unless already cracked Denuvo-protected games are updated, the fix will also only impact upcoming releases. That said, the group responsible for popularizing the exploit disbanded. A lawsuit filed against fellow hacker voices38 influenced the decision. Even so, signs suggest another organization is continuing their work.

Despite the legal threats, voices38 recently returned. Unlike the bypass, the individual modifies executable files, essentially removing the DRM checks. Supporters favor this method because it doesn’t require turning off Windows security settings. On the other hand, it takes much longer to achieve.

Irdeto explained that its primary goal is to stop piracy when a new arrival launches and records the most sales. So far, Denuvo has been successful in the critical period following the Star Wars: Galactic Racer release date.