KMSpico clarified: KMS does not “kill Microsoft”

Hack tools allow users to activate software without the purchase of a key. Hack tools are used to root devices to remove restrictions that prevent users from downloading apps from other markets. Hack tools are often used interchangeably with crack tool and rooting program. 

These tools are sought by many people in order to gain more control of their devices or for the convenience of using the software. We’ll be focusing on KMSPico, a hack tool that can be trusted to activate pirated Microsoft products kmspico

What is KMSPico? 

KMSPico, also known as KMS Pico or KMSPICO, uses an unofficial key managing services (KMS), server to activate Microsoft Products. However, many hack tools do the same. These are Malwarebytes’ detections of such tools. 

  • RiskWare.AutoKMS 
  • AutoKMS.HackTool.Patcher.DDS 
  • RiskWare.KMS 
  • HackTool.KMS 
  • HackTool.Agent.KMS 
  • HackTool.IdleKMS 
  • HackTool.AutoKMS 
  • HackTool.WinActivator 

KMSPico is a popular tool for activating Windows and Office Suite software. It has millions of users worldwide and many endorsers. It also appears to have many “official websites”, which is quite funny. 

You can search for “official KMSpico website” using your favorite search engine to find thousands of results. These include pages of warnings from different portals not to download KMSPico malware from Website A or B. They are right. 

Any KMSPico official website that you find in your search results are undoubtedly fake. This leaves people questioning, or possibly believing, that KMSPico is a legend. However, this tool is not mythical. The latest version, 10.2.0 is available only from , a members-only forum that was posted nearly a decade ago. 

What is the secret to it? 

Understanding how KMSPico works is key. 

KMS is a legal way to activate Windows licenses on client computers, particularly en masse (volume activation). A Microsoft document is available on creating an KMS activation host . 

KMS clients connect to the activation host, which holds the host key that the client uses to activate. After KMS clients have been validated, the Microsoft product that they use for activation contacts the server 180 days (or 6 months) to keep its validity. A KMS setup is not possible for large organizations that have Volume License (VL), Microsoft products. 

This is the vulnerability that KMSPico seeks to exploit. It simply changes the key from a generic VL code to change a user’s Microsoft retail version to a “Volume Licensed” version by installing it onto their client computers. KMSPico changes the default KMS server into an unofficial KMS Server created by the hack tool’s creator. 

It is important to note that if the KMSPico developers decides to kill their server, then their users would not have an activated copy of their Microsoft product. 

We don’t recommend it 

Hack tools are considered riskware. This is software that can pose a risk to your computer or device. A legitimate copy of the software might be packaged with adware or malware named after popular software. This is what happens with KMSPico. 

KMSPico’s use violates Microsoft’s ToS (terms and conditions) for its products. 

The 2021 State of Malware Report revealed that hack tools were a problem for both enterprise and consumer clients over the past two years. 

KMS hack tools have been ranked among the top threats for both consumers and businesses (with a 2118 percent growth) – perhaps this is the most important data. This was due to the drastic change in work life caused by many people moving to a Work-from-Home (WFH), set up during the COVID-19 epidemic. Employers and employees alike have resorted to cracking Microsoft products. 

Finally, in terms of software updates and patching, it is possible that KMSPico blocks any active Microsoft product from “calling back home.” This would prevent these products from receiving updates or patches. KMSPico users would then be left with extremely vulnerable Microsoft software. 

Does Malwarebytes detect KMSPico? 

Yes. Yes. We can detect components that are part of the same tool set. You can expect Malwarebytes to detect components from the same toolset.