.XAP Marketplace apps free (illegal) downloadable?

lagejan · Nov 10, 2010

According to WPcentral:

Sounds like an innocent blog that reviews apps right? Well the concerns from the Twitter posts is that not only does the site review apps but it also contains download links for the .xap file that is residing on Microsoft's servers.

Even if you download the .xap file, it's going to take some effort to get it installed to your Windows Phone 7.

You will need the developer tools and device that is unlocked for development. While the developer tools are free, you have to be a registered developer to get an unlocked device. You CAN however download the .xap and rename it as a .zip and look at the structure of the app, though we're 99% sure that the real "code" of the app is compiled/encoded/encrypted.

Not many will be able to do much with this downloadable file. That is unless you're a developer looking to download free apps from other developers. Still, one has to wonder why it's so easy for a third party site to provide download links to Marketplace apps.

They are talking about the website: http://winmobile7.apphab.com/
Kind of a strange site. They are offering free downloads of paid marketplace applications. Unless you are a developer, you can't do anything with it. But it's still strange...

Ren13B · Nov 10, 2010

This sounds like a good way to get in a lot of trouble. I would bet Microsoft can see what apps are installed when the phone checks for marketplace app updates even if you side load it as a developer.

efjay · Nov 10, 2010

And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.

Phone Titan · Nov 10, 2010

Hopefully Microsoft will look into that site and any similar sites.

We cant have developers loosing money because of these people.

Tone_ · Nov 10, 2010

I can't see where you download apps - if its real why not post a link on http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsphone7/threads ?

thesecondsfade · Nov 10, 2010

It says it's for free and trial versions. Isn't it pointless to provide download files anyway since you can only install apps via the Marketplace?

ckacey · Nov 10, 2010

****, they have my app on there, not happy

ckacey · Nov 10, 2010

my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place

I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)

RustyGrom · Nov 10, 2010

Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx

RustyGrom · Nov 10, 2010

ckacey said:
my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place

I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)

It looks like the site that had the links (http://winmobile7.apphab.com) took down the link to the XAPs but I bet the issue is still there. It was a pretty simple URL to the Microsoft server. You just had to know the application's GUID and you could download the XAP.

Smokexz · Nov 10, 2010

I don't see how this makes them free... you can easily see you need a registered dev device, I doubt it makes the app "free" because there is a fee you must pay.

N8ter · Nov 10, 2010

efjay said:
And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.

Microsoft can check your device and see if you have pirated software on it, just like they do for XBox live. They already have the infrastructure in place and if you pirate be prepared to have your phone banned from Marketplace, Zune, XBox Live, etc.

N8ter · Nov 10, 2010

RustyGrom said:
Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx

Any decent develper will Obfuscate the code. If they didn't, they were kind of asking for it since it's hot hard to intercept data being downloaded over WiFi, etc. The fact that it can only come from the market was never enough to stop people from getting their hands on the files downloaded from said market.

It's no different than any other platform that uses a VM architecture (Android, WP7, WM 6.x .NET CF, Java ME, etc.).

Tom Servo · Nov 10, 2010

I found my own app there. I don't however see a download link?

--edit: Nvm, should've read the thread to its end.

omegapointsingularity · Dec 18, 2010

What is the URL? To replace with GUID or XAP filename? Could always use archive.org.

matrixtuga · Nov 28, 2012

i guys!i have a mega pack xap installers with games and apps.
i poste for everyone previous.
sorry bad english...
cmpts

mikaelel · Nov 28, 2012

is a method to decrypt files xap
http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=34246750&postcount=3

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.XAP Marketplace apps free (illegal) downloadable?

lagejan

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Ren13B

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efjay

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Phone Titan

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Tone_

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thesecondsfade

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ckacey

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ckacey

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RustyGrom

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Smokexz

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N8ter

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N8ter

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omegapointsingularity

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