Kelsidavis-WoWee/docs/WARDEN_IMPLEMENTATION.md

Warden Implementation

Status: Complete WoW Version: 3.3.5a (build 12340)

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Overview

Warden is WoW's client integrity checking system. The server sends encrypted modules containing native x86 code; the client is expected to load and execute them, then return check results.

Wowee handles this via Unicorn Engine CPU emulation — the x86 module is executed directly in an emulated environment with Windows API hooks, without Wine or a Windows OS.

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Loading Pipeline (8 steps)

1. MD5       - Verify module checksum matches server challenge
2. RC4       - Decrypt module payload
3. RSA-2048  - Verify module signature (modulus extracted from WoW.exe at 0x005e3a03)
4. zlib      - Decompress module
5. Parse     - Read PE header (sections, relocations, imports)
6. Relocate  - Apply base relocations to load address
7. Bind      - Resolve imports (Windows API stubs + Warden callbacks)
8. Init      - Call module entry point via Unicorn Engine

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Unicorn Engine Execution

The module entry point is called inside an Unicorn x86 emulator with:

• Executable memory mapped at the module's load address
• A simulated stack
• Windows API interception for calls the module makes

Intercepted APIs include VirtualAlloc, GetTickCount, Sleep, ReadProcessMemory, and other common Warden targets. Each hook returns a plausible value without accessing real process memory.

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Module Cache

After the first load, modules are written to disk:

~/.local/share/wowee/warden_cache/<MD5>.wdn

The key for lookup is the MD5 of the encrypted module. On subsequent connections the cached decompressed module is loaded directly, skipping steps 1-4.

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Crypto Layer

Algorithm	Purpose
RC4	Encrypt/decrypt Warden traffic (separate in/out ciphers)
MD5	Module identity hash
SHA1	HMAC and check hashes
RSA-2048	Module signature verification

The RSA public modulus is extracted from WoW.exe (.rdata section at offset 0x005e3a03).

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Opcodes

• SMSG_WARDEN_DATA = 0x2E6 — server sends module + checks
• CMSG_WARDEN_DATA = 0x2E7 — client sends results

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Check Responses

Check type	Opcode	Notes
Module info	0x00	Returns module status
Hash check	0x01	File/memory hash validation
Lua check	0x02	Anti-addon detection
Timing check	0x04	Speedhack detection
Memory scan	0x05	Memory scan results

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Key Files

include/game/warden_module.hpp       - Module loader interface
src/game/warden_module.cpp           - 8-step pipeline
include/game/warden_emulator.hpp     - Emulator interface
src/game/warden_emulator.cpp         - Unicorn Engine executor + API hooks
include/game/warden_crypto.hpp       - Crypto interface
src/game/warden_crypto.cpp           - RC4 / key derivation
src/game/game_handler.cpp            - Packet handler (handleWardenData)

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Performance

• First check (cold, no cache): ~120ms
• Subsequent checks (cache hit): ~1-5ms

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Dependencies

Requires libunicorn-dev (Unicorn Engine). The client compiles without it but falls back to crypto-only mode (check responses are fabricated, not executed).

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References

• WoWDev Wiki - Warden
• WoWDev Wiki - SMSG_WARDEN_DATA
• TrinityCore Warden

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Last Updated: 2026-02-17