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WD MCU - No more...

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Doomer

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 2nd, 2026, 15:40

Joined: September 29th, 2005, 12:02
Posts: 3587
Location: Chicago

fzabkar wrote:

Please excuse ignorant me for asking the obvious question, would @einstein9, or his researchers, not have tested this claim by modifying the copy of the key?

indeed it would be very interesting to know

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unknown

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 2nd, 2026, 16:17

Joined: October 21st, 2007, 8:48
Posts: 1726

Doomer wrote:

unknown wrote:

That means there's no constant keys located in the FW to compare with the one created randomly in MCU?. If I understand well.

If the keys would have been constant there would be no point using original MCU, any MCU would work.

I see, thank you.

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einstein9

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 3:58

Joined: May 13th, 2010, 11:17
Posts: 2845
Location: Kuwait

pepe wrote:

even without ROM?

this is totally diff. scenario

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einstein9

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 4:07

Joined: May 13th, 2010, 11:17
Posts: 2845
Location: Kuwait

Doomer wrote:

einstein9 wrote:

When drive powers ON drive reads & compares both if match will carry on booting

This is very doubtful.
At least I have never seen any comparison.

Then do you have another opinion about this?

I said: When drive powers ON it compares both keys the one on drive SA with the MCU if both match then data will be decrypted if not matching data will be encrypted.
and i link this statement with the enc. pattern when we try diff. donor PCBs (means diff. keys) with the same drive. try it, compare it and then you will understand my point here.

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pepe

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 4:25

Joined: October 3rd, 2005, 0:40
Posts: 4806
Location: Hungary

I doubt it does any comparison.
Data is decrypted using the MCU key even if it is not native. Decryption will be wrong of course, so data is garbage in this case, but still decrypted.
and as you say, you get different decrypted data with different mcus, this lines up with my interpretation.

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fzabkar

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 6:11

Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 17199
Location: Australia

@einstein9, if there is a copy of the key in the SA, then why do you need the patient MCU at all? Just install the donor PCB + donor MCU + patient adaptives on the patient HDA, recover the key from the SA, and then write the key to the donor MCU, or decrypt in software.

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einstein9

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 6:36

Joined: May 13th, 2010, 11:17
Posts: 2845
Location: Kuwait

pepe wrote:

I tested it myself, writing Native Key to donor MCU ----> drive worked normal as native mcu/pcb (procedure takes time)

@fzabkar

"if there is a copy of the key in the SA, then why do you need the patient MCU at all? Just install the donor PCB + donor MCU + patient adaptives on the patient HDA, recover the key from the SA, and then write the key to the donor MCU, or decrypt in software."

Just install the (donor PCB + donor MCU) which are ONE + patient adaptives which is ROM here
donor PCB/MCU has Diff. key here.

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The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once. By: Albert Einstein

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fzabkar

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 7:17

Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 17199
Location: Australia

einstein9 wrote:

Just install the (donor PCB + donor MCU) which are ONE + patient adaptives which is ROM here
donor PCB/MCU has Diff. key here.

Yes, of course, that's what I meant. But you didn't answer my question. If you can extract a copy of the patient's MCU key from the patient's SA, why do you need the patient's MCU?

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einstein9

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 7:48

Joined: May 13th, 2010, 11:17
Posts: 2845
Location: Kuwait

fzabkar wrote:

einstein9 wrote:

Just install the (donor PCB + donor MCU) which are ONE + patient adaptives which is ROM here
donor PCB/MCU has Diff. key here.

Yes, of course, that's what I meant. But you didn't answer my question. If you can extract a copy of the patient's MCU key from the patient's SA, why do you need the patient's MCU?

In another form, if you write native ROM to another SATA PCB data is encrypted why?

because PCB MCU KEY & HDD KEY are not the same.

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pepe

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: September 3rd, 2026, 9:55

Joined: October 3rd, 2005, 0:40
Posts: 4806
Location: Hungary

"in another form"???
if it is there, what prevents you from decoding it and use it with the donor mcu?

or you don't want to talk about it, that's perfectly understandable as well, just say so.

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fzabkar

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 11:10

Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 17199
Location: Australia

einstein9 wrote:

I said: When drive powers ON it compares both keys the one on drive SA with the MCU if both match then data will be decrypted if not matching data will be encrypted.

If the comparison succeeds, the firmware will use the MCU key to decrypt the data.

If the comparison fails, the firmware will use the MCU key to decrypt the data.

What is the point of a comparison if the result is ignored?

If you can identify the code that executes the comparison, would it be possible to modify it so that it writes the key(s) to an accessible part of memory or ROM or SA?

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msmdatarecovery

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 15:26

Joined: May 9th, 2024, 14:00
Posts: 5
Location: india

einstein9 wrote:

Quick for you guys:

Suppose someone replaced the "native usb3 pcb" with another and he wrote native rom to it

Anyone knows how to tell if this pcb is for that drive? (in case if both pcbs have the same native ROM)

:!:

The PCB has a QR code. It contains something like the PCB serial number.
You can see this serial number in the second sector of module 8003. It can be seen among the many symbols in the right field.
Test this method on a working HDD to see for yourself.

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msmdatarecovery

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 15:29

Joined: May 9th, 2024, 14:00
Posts: 5
Location: india

einstein9 wrote:

samstown wrote:

Is there any update ?

Of course there is..

here is how the MCU unique code looks like..
close to figure out the equation with a shortcut to bypass :idea:

Also first sector of module 8003 has this unique MCU Code.

MSM DATA RECOVERY

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msmdatarecovery

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 15:34

Joined: May 9th, 2024, 14:00
Posts: 5
Location: india

pepe wrote:

even without ROM?

If we can access SA modules. Why not :?:

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fzabkar

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 15:42

Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 17199
Location: Australia

Thanks @msmdatarecovery.

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msmdatarecovery

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 16:20

Joined: May 9th, 2024, 14:00
Posts: 5
Location: india

fzabkar wrote:

Thanks @msmdatarecovery.

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fzabkar

Post subject: Re: WD MCU - No more...

Posted: Yesterday, 22:30

Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 17199
Location: Australia

None of these records seems random.

Charger

Code:

H1 2063 81      01121P4000000P
71BCFA13YEEKPC5
7I 2053 80 0780 40509H01001999 9506 0FBMT
8S 2053 80 0766 00003H02001999 9416 0OC00
9I 2053 80 0805 0070301809033D 8Y16 530B6
AL 2053 80 0845 001AASWEB38G9D 9611 32900
DH 2R53 80 0891 00000B43T000ZD 9728 35800
JI 2059 81 0008 B1A05ANNN05GNN 9604 A6091
KI 2053 81 0057 00003000042302 9424 BLKUE
MI 2096 80 0049 5B4BZXUCMBA21J 9510
MI 2096 80 0049 5B4BZXUWLBA21J 9509
ON 2053 80 0684 000AA19056303B 9517 00500
PI 2053 80 0767 00004TM0000000 9518 DAPN8
VI 2053 80 0770 00004SC0001210 9513 24245

SpyGlass3

Code:

H4 2063 81      06734W8000000W
74H14T11F99WWS9
37 2053 80 0262 000AA124040000 4723 08200
7I 2053 81 0201 000AAITH020000 4618 030DS
81 2053 80 0196 000AATDI010000 4527 38000
AM 2053 80 0845 001AADMEB00440 4829 05100
BZ 2053 80 0539 000AASWEB24G96 4613 04600
DC 2053 80 0729 00002000000000 4611 BJR00
JI 2059 80 0012 R5AADQFETADTJT 4910 03271
KI 2053 80 0176 713AET6A01XT1T 4904 284BR
MI 2096 80 0020 5GDBZXU1VBA33A 4911
MI 2096 80 0020 5GDBZXUTABA33A 4911
PI 2053 80 0169 000AASM0001210 4831 04321
VI 2053 80 0168 000AASM0001210 4831 21121

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