New Activation Method Challenges Microsoft’s DRM
In a surprising turn of events, a hacking collective known as Massgrave has unveiled a groundbreaking method that many are dubbing the “largest breakthrough in Windows and Office piracy ever.” This innovative approach, termed the “TSforge Activation,” enables permanent activation of a wide range of Microsoft products while circumventing the company’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) system.
Massgrave, known for its previous successes in developing effective activation tools, has expanded its toolkit with the latest update to its Microsoft Activation Scripts (MAS) project. Introduced in 2024, this initiative aimed to dismantle Microsoft’s DRM protections entirely. The newly released MAS 3.0 update incorporates the TSforge Activation method, along with enhancements and patches for existing activation scripts.
According to Massgrave, TSforge represents one of the most potent activation exploits ever integrated into the MAS toolkit. In a recent blog post, the collective provided a detailed account of their discovery and development process, shedding light on the intricacies of Microsoft’s Windows activation protection system.
Microsoft’s modern DRM technology, referred to as the “Software Protection Platform” (SPP), is described as a complex framework comprising several components. Central to this system are two critical files: the “physical store” (data.dat) and the “token store” (tokens.dat). The TSforge method cleverly manipulates these files by injecting forged data, effectively bypassing all security checks and convincing the SPP to accept a counterfeit product key or confirmation ID as legitimate.
The TSforge activation method is compatible with Windows 7 and later versions, including Windows Server from 2008 R2 to 2025. Additionally, it supports Office versions ranging from 2013 to 2024, provided they are running on Windows 8 or newer.
Users can leverage this method to activate various add-ons for commercial Windows licenses, such as the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, applicable to select Windows 7 to 10 editions. Furthermore, it offers a pathway to extend Windows 10 updates through previously established techniques for Windows 7.
Within the MAS toolkit, multiple activation methods are available for newer Windows and Office releases. Interestingly, the developers of Massgrave have expressed admiration for Microsoft’s SPP, acknowledging it as a well-crafted and advanced DRM system that significantly outperforms the “poorly designed” DRM of Windows XP.
The collective positions the MAS toolkit as a popular open-source project hosted on GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft. They assert that no piracy is technically involved, framing it instead as an alternative activation method—one that, they claim, Microsoft support personnel might resort to when conventional methods fail.
