Reverse Engineering hidden game cheat codes [Game Hacking 101]

Reverse Engineering the classic real time strategy game Age of Empires to understand how hacking functions have been implemented by game developers. Once we understand the hacks, we can binary patch the game and directly implement them too.
🎮 Game Hacking 101 Playlist ➝ • Game Hacking 101
👮 Fair use of copyrighted material in the context of Age of Empires (video game); en.wikipedia.o... / en.wikipedia.o...
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[@247CTF]

You: I hate this video 😠 Me: wololololo You: I love this video 🤗

[@MeariBamu]

Can this work for codemeter protect software?

[@alexandermorozov8593]

Ucluma?

[@InsiderPhD]

I love this, please make the next one soon! I really want to see how you write the exploit

[@247CTF]

🏗️ Will be finished in a few weeks 🏗️

[@amfm4087]

This video proves that sub count is independent of quality

[@247CTF]

Not sure which way to take this comment 🔥

[@varshneydevansh]

I saw Age of Empire and reverse engineering immediately subbed❤

[@_amih]

Subbed and shared. Quality work, keep them coming!

[@247CTF]

Welcome aboard!

[@harmonyinchaos6381]

thank you for your work mate, really appreciate it! also, your voice is incredibly soothing and perfect for explaining this stuff absolutely lovely

[@247CTF]

😂

[@jeanyveso.9645]

This is amazing! Thanks for the video. It could be great to do the same for AoE 2 or Empire Earth.

[@247CTF]

That would be cool!

[@angryman9333]

saw Reverse Engineering immediately subbed

[@m0rsmordre]

Missed your game hacking videos :(

[@247CTF]

New video is in the works on the game's protocol!

[@internationalekookdag2405]

this is kinda hard bro. Could you tell me more abt how u began with reverse engineering and what sources u followed to come to this level?

[@247CTF]

Agree, reversing is hard! I started learning about reversing by playing CTFs and reading challenge writeups (especially if I couldn't solve the problem). At the end of the day - reversing (for me) translates to a lot of time reading, failing and practicing.

[@internationalekookdag2405]

@@247CTFty i really appreciate this answer. See ya when im a pro ;)

[@247CTF]

@@internationalekookdag2405 awesome, come back when you are!

[@lucassteinmetz8168]

@@internationalekookdag2405 are you a pro yet?

[@zraie2455]

@@internationalekookdag2405where you at now

[@eneomaos33]

Can you make a video talking about assembly? You explain really well, but I've felt a bit lost.

[@247CTF]

Don't have the time to make new videos right now, maybe one day!

[@QWERTZ-NOOB]

Very interesting! Maybe you have heard that ubisoft has shut down The Crew 1, an always online racing game that has an integrated offline mode not available for normal players. Could the same or a similar method be used to make this offline mode available?

[@247CTF]

Maybe, depends what is on the server and if any data needs to be pulled down to play

[@darklord_656]

Waiting for more videos from this series

[@247CTF]

They are coming!

[@darklord_656]

@@247CTF 😍😍😍🥳🥳🥳👍👍👍

[@NoxernPL]

Nice video but I don't understand why the transposition table uses 4 byte values to store 2 char values with 2 null bytes, wouldn't it be easier to use cx instead of using ecx? Also why does the function use both ecx and edx to access these characters when it can be accessed by using cl and ch. Is this some form of code obfuscation or just a compiler quirk?

[@247CTF]

No idea, maybe the game supports Unicode in messages

[@ahmedlimam2241]

Such a good video Got any good resources to practice reverse engineering for a real world problem? with solution?

[@247CTF]

For a real world problem, no. There are a number of channels which reverse malware, could be a good place to start! For CTF style problems, you can try 247CTF.com

[@HK-sw3vi]

good shit bro, subbed

[@ashishmane15]

Reverse engineering love 😍

[@ibnsaltus]

if you continue with this pattern, you'll beat live over flow in no time

[@247CTF]

Thanks for the support!

[@mohiuddinwaresi6351]

Bro, how did you manage to put the entire program on a singlr graph? It is no easy task. Please enlighten us

[@Dan-rh8tn]

This is awesome ❤️ Thanks very much

[@247CTF]

No problem 👍

[@Ell1otC4ke]

MORE OF GAME HACKING PLEASE!

[@247CTF]

They're in the pipeline!

[@redcloak5230]

bro thank you so much I can watch these instead of cs420

[@247CTF]

Enjoy!

[@redcloak5230]

@@247CTF thank you please make more videos

[@247CTF]

Will do!

[@Andandonafronteira]

Very nice video mate keep up the good work , do ya recommend any resources to start learning how to reverse engineering because even so your video overall is well explain and understandable i still need to learn a lot lol

[@247CTF]

Reverse engineering is hard! I don't know of a single resource.. I suggest getting your hands dirty with some tools. For example, try and emulate what was done in this video and recreate the scripts to reverse the algorithm.

[@vati1011]

could you pls share the software whic is used in video? thanks so much.

[@247CTF]

What timestamp?

[@vati1011]

@@247CTF 6min30s, pls

[@247CTF]

@@vati1011 binary.ninja/

[@abeard1]

I love video as well as call music theme in background . Could you give name of track?

[@247CTF]

The track is from streambeats: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIObeZqaort3rbM

[@maciejszpyra]

Awesome stuff!!

[@247CTF]

Thanks!

[@norndev]

Is it possible to reverse engineer an old multiplayer game from like 2001 that has been offline for years to be able to bring a multiplayer server back, with little to no documentation?

[@247CTF]

Yes. Sounds like a tonne of work though.

[@norndev]

@@247CTF I bet, wouldn't know where to start. So many dead games I'd love to bring back private servers for, for a niche audience obviously.

[@MichaelPohoreski]

Which game?

[@norndev]

@@MichaelPohoreski I have quite a few in mind to be fair. Conquer online is a good old game although I know private servers already exist.

[@kotosif]

Can you show a bit more on how you use Binary Ninja? Not everyone is super familiar with the tool. Better yet would be to use a free alternative like Ghidra or Cutter

[@247CTF]

Binary ninja is free to use (at least it used to be..). In other videos I use ghidra, x64dbg, ollydbg, etc. Unfortunately, there is some assumed knowledge required to follow the content. I might put out more entry level content in the future!

[@DudeHugh]

Excellent video

[@247CTF]

Glad you liked it!

[@AEGISAOE]

try reverse aegis

[@hacklearndaily]

Please make more.

[@kritikusi-666]

What environment are you running this tool?

[@247CTF]

Windows XP ☠️

[@kritikusi-666]

@@247CTF what is so unique about this OS vs others in terms of running debugging tools that seek offsets?

[@247CTF]

Nothing at all, it's just a very old game which I couldn't get to play nice on newer versions of Windows!

[@kritikusi-666]

@@247CTF Thank you so much for your answers! I am getting into the debugging world, and always nice too see there is humble folks out there willing to help.

[@therokdabatherokdaba9269]

LOVE THIS SO MUCHHHHH

[@draknyte1]

Did anyone ever notice the obfuscated cheats were from the base game? (From ancient memory it seems to align)

[@khandarwilliam5439]

those graphics are nostalgic

[@247CTF]

wololo

[@SkSafowan]

Bro can you start from start ? I only know C++ and Python( a little bit ) what else I need to know ?

[@247CTF]

If you know C++ and debugging you can follow this video

[@MrDe0]

oh yeah, me and this game are in the same age 🤞😹

[@247CTF]

🕹️

[@mrmata7460]

yes more thanks bro

[@LowLevelLemmy]

I hate this video 😠 wololololo I love this video 🤗

[@247CTF]

Wolololol

[@akaez2807]

just wow!!

[@247CTF]

🥳

[@sieutruc]

thank for you interesting video, when i did it inversly, i get an error because the dictionary['A'] == dictionary['Q'] == '7868'

[@247CTF]

Hmm, yes I had the same error in my output too! Must have missed something in the assembly.. The function is kind enough to also encode everything you send it - so if you set a breakpoint on the function you can see what happens as an output when you send "QA" as an input!

[@neoXXquick]

I love it

[@priyanshukumarpu]

We want Moar videos

[@247CTF]

Will do!

[@acborgia1344]

11:04 why is it AUARRY and not QUARRY?

[@247CTF]

Well spotted! A bug in the deobfuscation script!

[@TheInnerSession]

pretty sure i cant just watch this with zero knowledge on anything lol.

[@247CTF]

Have to start somewhere!

[@GavenYurisich-nu5zn]

Team Olin

[@247CTF]

🤖

[@яотставал]

this is capitalism wtf

[@247CTF]

🤑