cb2util v1.1 - compile your own CodeBreaker "cheats" files and more

[misfire]

NOTE: The latest release is cb2util version 1.3, see
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f19/cb2u...tml#post654834 (cb2util v1.1 - compile your own CodeBreaker "cheats" files and more)


I proudly present version 1.1 of the CodeBreaker PS2 File Utility.

The changes are:

v1.1 (Dec 21 2010)
------------------

 * Added support for "cheats" files:
   - compile your own "cheats" file which can be copied to mc0:/PCB/cheats
   - extract (and decrypt) all cheats from those files

 * Reworked command line interface (CLI).

 * Added automated tests.

 * Improved build system and added CMake listfile.

The most anticipated feature is the ability to create your own "cheats" file that can be used with CodeBreaker in just a few steps:

1. create a text file containing your cheats; the format is described in the README
2. invoke cb2util to compile the text file to a "cheats" file
3. use your favorite method to transfer the file to mc0:/PCB/cheats
4. start CodeBreaker to see your cheats ready to be used

GitHub project page:
https://github.com/misfire/cb2util

Download Windows and Linux builds:
https://github.com/misfire/cb2util/downloads

Quick link to README:
https://github.com/misfire/cb2util/blob/master/README

[/toto67]

great work, thanx a bunch !!!

real free hackers are never retired.

[uchihasasuke000]

trully awesome thanks ps2 slim can now download cheats then add to cheat.file

[erbse68]

Thank you very much. Really a great Tool.

[scontra]

I'm very excited. Thanks misfire!

[amp2006]

i am So Happy .lol

[dlanor]

@misfire:
I made a few experiments today using the cb2util 'cheats -d' command, and found that some of the cheats I had entered into CodeBreaker myself came out wrong.

The command I used for the test was similar to "cb2util cheats -d cheats > cheats.txt"
(slightly different as it was part of batch file taking arguments)

Here follows an example of the type of error I got, for a 'Disgaea 1 (UK)' cheat code for getting max game-money at pressing a button combo

I originally entered this cheat as:

L3+Sq => Max HL
E0027FFD 002599C2
2029E040 4E729FFF
2029E044 00000918

But in the decrypted cheats.txt file this came out as:

L3+Sq => Max HL
EA46C329 6DDEA2BD
2AE4BBA2 4E729FFF
2AE4B7A2 00000918

So even though cheats for other games in that cheats.txt file did come out using proper 'raw' form, those cheats (like this one) that I had originally entered in proper 'raw' form all came out in the unencrypted but obfuscated CodeBreaker form. But even that is not valid.

At first I thought it might be valid obfuscated code, but when I entered it into normal code converters, they all agreed on spitting out the following 'raw' conversion, which is pure garbage:

L3+Sq => Max HL
E0C26FEC 154F1E12
20995DD7 4E729FFF
20955DD7 00000918

This is absurdly wrong in several ways, the most obvious one being the claimed size of the conditional clause being C2, meaning 194 code lines to follow...

Fortunately CodeBreaker uses symmetrical obfuscation, so I was able to get the proper conversion done by configuring the converters to use the badly obfuscated code from my cheats.txt file as if it were raw, and produce new output code in the obfuscated CodeBreaker format, which effectively removed the obfuscation and produced output identical to the topmost of my 'code' sections above.

Conclusion:
Apparently CodeBreaker stores codes in at least three different forms for the 'cheats' file.
One form for fully encrypted codes, another for the merely obfuscated codes, and a third form for genuinely 'raw' codes. But it seems that the current version of your program does not yet account for all these forms, and always attempts to de-obfuscate my codes, even though they are not obfuscated...

I think that only a minor change to the program should be needed to eliminate this problem.

Best regards: dlanor

[misfire]

@dlanor

The problem is that "cb2util cheats -d" tries to decrypt all codes, even if they are raw. Leave out the "-d" and you should get the original codes from your CodeBreaker.

Anyway, thanks for the hint. I guess I can add a check of sorts.

[dlanor]

@dlanor

The problem is that "cb2util cheats -d" tries to decrypt all codes, even if they are raw. Leave out the "-d" and you should get the original codes from your CodeBreaker.

I don't see how that is useful in maintaining a code collection for hundreds of games, inconsistently using these three modes. I want the cheats I added myself to be included with all the others, and maintained by identical methods as the others.

Also, your program must already keep track of two different 'encryption' modes, as we have both fully encrypted cheats and merely obfuscated cheats in the original cheat code database included in the CodeBreaker program file, and thence saved to MC. (These being 'the others' I referred to in the previous paragraph.)

Now if your program, which already keeps track of those two storage modes, is also enhanced to keep track of the 'raw' storage mode for the decrypt command, then your program can be used to remove all unwanted encryption, by first using its 'cheats -d' command, followed by its 'cheats -c' command, to recompile the cheats file in 100% 'raw' form.

IMO this would be ideal for simple import/export of raw cheats without having to use the "*.cbc" file method (which never has worked for me anyway).

Best regards: dlanor

[misfire]

@dlanor

What you're calling "storage mode" is the encryption scheme being used.

The codes of a game can be

• encrypted with CB v1 encryption
• encrypted with CB v7 encryption (Beefcode...)
• unencrypted aka raw

You can learn more about the encryption schemes and how to toggle them here:
https://github.com/misfire/CB2crypt/...eadme.txt#L132

I totally agree that the -d switch isn't that useful when your code database has mixed content, i.e. encrypted and decrypted codes. The feature only makes sense when you extract the codes from a freshly installed CB, which contains encrypted codes only. Actually, the -d option was inherited from the "cbc" command. CBC files only store a single game and you can easily tell if the codes are raw or not.

While cb2util can decrypt all CB codes, it is not easy to detect which codes to decrypt and which codes are already in raw format.

Let's assume you have the following codes in a "cheats" file:

"Game 1 - raw codes"
Enable Code (Must Be On)
9029BEAC 0C0A9225
Infinite Time
201F6024 00000000
Max Pro Points
2096F5B8 000000BE

"Game 2 - v1 encrypted codes"
Enable Code (Must Be On)
9A545CC6 188CBCFB
Infinite Time
2A973DBD 00000000
Max Pro Points
2A03B60A 000000BE

"Game 3 - v7 encrypted codes"
Enable Code (Must Be On)
B4336FA9 4DFEFB79
D08F3A49 00078A53
Infinite Time
3818DDE5 E72B2B16
Max Pro Points
973E0B2A A7D4AF10

"Game 4 - v1 and v7 encrypted codes"
Enable Code (Must Be On)
9A545CC6 188CBCFB
Infinite Time
2A973DBD 00000000
Max Pro Points
B4336FA9 4DFEFB79
973E0B2A A7D4AF10

See the problem?

I guess I could detect the encryption scheme with some heuristics...

But to be fair I have to add that it's not really the job of cb2util to handle such cases. The -d option merely exists for convenience. You should use a good text editor and CB2crypt to maintain your code database, and only fire up cb2util to import existing codes (in your case w/o -d) or compile new ones.

UPDATE: It may also be a good idea to check how CB decides whether a code is encrypted or not.