What is «Warez»?

Warez (from wares, plural software - Software) is illegally distributed software that violates copyright, cracked and modified with the source code.

Usually, the code is modified so that it can be used for free or sold at a reduced cost. However, users of cracked modules and templates often receive various types of malicious software as a «bonus» - trojans, miners, hidden ads, and more. After all, crackers are not doing this just for fun; they aim to monetize their activities in some way.

Websites distributing cracked software often encode their files using the eval() function. You can read about the dangers of using this function in the official PHP documentation. Alternatively, they write unencoded code that may not seem threatening at first glance, but skilled handling can grant full access to the store and information.

How to distinguish platforms that distribute warez?

Unfortunately, warez owners are becoming increasingly audacious and try to profit from their visitors, taking advantage of their lack of knowledge. To do this, they make their websites look similar to legitimate platforms, making it very easy for inexperienced individuals to get confused among all these resources.

To understand that you've encountered a warez platform, it's not that difficult if you know its characteristic features:

• In the sections with add-ons, you see words like «nulled,» «cracked,» «without ioncube,» «joint purchase»;
• Presence of «subscriptions,» «VIP accounts,» and other mechanisms that provide access to all add-ons at once;
• You are required to perform some action to download a file (like, subscribe);
• Downloading add-ons is limited for those who have recently registered, but restrictions can be lifted for an additional fee;
• All add-ons are uploaded by multiple users, have a single author with the username «admin,» or have no authors at all;
• The download link for the add-on is placed under a spoiler, and you need to pay the administration to reveal it;
• «Group buys» are organized for add-ons, meaning a group purchase of a single add-on;
• After downloading the file, you find that it is password-protected, and to get the password, you need to pay the administration;
• The site copies the design or uses specific elements from official sites;
• Download links for add-ons lead to free file-sharing services, not the resource's own server.

Consequences of Using Warez:

• You support software thieves and motivate them to engage in such activities;
• You lose technical support;
• You often receive an outdated cracked or partially working module version;
• Your website becomes an easy target for hacking;
• Your site contains foreign code, unknown files, and links;
• Your users encounter intrusive ads;
• Spam is sent through your site in your name;
• All your current payment transactions and personal data can fall into the hands of fraudsters;
• Most importantly, this relates to ethics. By buying or downloading stolen modules and templates, you take away «bread» from developers, which can lead to a decrease in motivation to create legitimate free or affordable modules.

With Official Purchase, You Get:

• Guaranteed author support for the module or template in case of conflicts or errors;
• No viruses and backdoors - a guarantee of your business's stability;
• The ability to customize your store without unnecessary problems and checks;
• Free critical updates for future versions of the module or template;
• Help in developing new and useful solutions. Your support contributes to the creation of new modules and templates;
• You become a member of a large community and can get help with your store and other issues.