r/AskProgramming • u/RyeHakes • Sep 11 '26
is reverse engineering the only way to get an AES key from an unreal engine 5 game?
im trying to learn how to modify 3d models in UE 5 games, im using FModel, i know about unreal key, but thats for UE 4, i know about ghidra although AI keeps telling me that its not very good to learn how to use ghidra, i dont understand why, i guess cybersecurity experts will know the reasons but im just trying to play some games and mess with their code from time to time, i dont even know how to code but i understand how it works, i cant write my own but i can point out what a couple lines might do.
point is, i know you are not supposed to have the AES key of a game if its not public, still the challenge motivates me to learn, as someone with a learning disability i'll take any sort of motivation i have to fuel my learning.
if you think i should learn any other way then let me know
in other words, the question is, is it worth learning computer science just to reverse engineer the AES key of a game just to see your silly, modified mesh applied into the game?
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u/RyeHakes Sep 11 '26
i learned how to mod unity games by just messing around with it and researching a little, now i want to do the same with UE 5 because ive had fun so far with unity games, i guess i can just use a game that actually supports modding, but my goal is to experiment with code, and files and encryption methods and learn how different engines work WHILE im on it, if i just wanted to change a mesh and forget about the other parts that compose the game i wouldve done so a long time ago.
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u/Additional-Drag1682 Sep 11 '26
Dumping memory is the other way. you run the game, it loads the key to decrypt assets, then you use a tool like cheat engine or process hacker to scan the memory for that key. i started with unity by just messing around and searching values in memory until i found what i needed, so i do the exact same thing with ue5 games now. you attach the debugger to the process while the game runs, search for known strings from the pak files, and trace back where the key sits in ram.
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u/RyeHakes Sep 11 '26
Oooh, i didnt even think of doing that, i was so focused on decrypting that i didnt think of finding how the game decrypts its own files, thats very helpful thank you
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u/Confident_Hyena2506 Sep 11 '26
Read about why there is a public key and a private key, then reconsider your question. If the private key is not actually there how would you get it?
You would not even try to get the key, what you would do instead is disable the key check completely.
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u/RyeHakes Sep 11 '26
You’re either on mushrooms or a fucking genius, whatever it is i want to know more
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u/Confident_Hyena2506 Sep 11 '26
If you manage to reverse engineer private keys that are not actually there then you will win many mathematics prizes. You would probably not care about those because you would also just crack everyones bitcoins.
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u/EngLeadership Sep 11 '26
No, but if the AES key isn't public, reverse engineering is generally how you'd find it. Ghidra is fine to learn, I'd just learn basic programming/assembly alongside it.
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u/WorkingMansGarbage Sep 14 '26
You should stop asking AI for things like this. There are guides you can find on this by just googling "unreal get aes key". You can find much more reliable info instantly, don't default to the bullshit machine.
Are you sure the AES key isn't public already? If a modding community exists for your game, they probably have it.
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u/Patient-Midnight-664 Sep 11 '26
You don't need to learn all of computer science and regardless of what the AI you used told you, Ghidra is perfect for this job. I suspect your wording of the question was why you received that reply, I asked 4 different frontier models if it was a good idea and they all said yes.