uwd-oss
Open source alternative to the Universal Watermark Remover.
Introduction
This is a sequel to my Universal Watermark Remover reverse engineering writeup. I analyzed the closed source-software and developed my own open source version of it, which you can find here.
After I posted my reverse engineering article, the original developerof the universal watermark remover (@pr701) published the original software source code
How does it work?
This oss implementation of the Universal Watermark Remover uses an IAT hook now.
The original software utilizes COM-hijacking and DLL-Proxying to inject a DLL into the explorer and to persist on the system. The DLL, then hooks ExtTextOutW to suppress the display of the testsigning watermark.
For a deeper dive (especially for beginners), take a look at my reverse-engineering writeup.
Structure
uwd-oss/ - Contains the source of the DLL that hooks the display function
Installer\ GUI/ - Source code of the installer GUI created by @DartVanya
old/ - This is an old stage of the project, which is very buggy on some Windows versions and tried to implement the DLL proxy exactly like the original uwd.
GUI installer on AutoHotkey
Also open source, written on AHK v1.1
Installation / Removal
Download compiled standalone installer for your OS from the releases. The EXE is packed with UPX.
Installation
Run (accept UAC prompt if needed), click Install. Watermark should be gone.
Removal
Run (accept UAC prompt if needed), click Uninstall.
Features
- No need to restart Explorer or logoff.
- changes are applied immediately by inject/uninject dll into/from Explorer process and force redraw of the desktop
- Script acquire TrustedInstaller privileges when making changes to the registry
- Support both x64 and x86 (note: compiled x86 version cannot run on 64-bit OS)
Compability
Tested on Windows 11 23H2, removes Test Mode and Safe Mode watermarks.\ To run installer script from source, clone repo and run UWD-OSS.ahk from admin IDE or from "Run with UI Access" menu (AutoHotkey v1.1 should be installed).
Credit
Many thanks to @DartVanya for the GUI and for the improvements!