How Alex’s algorithm might work (2)

< >

Now let’s speculate on how bold Alex could have exploited this algorithm.

Decompilation
The first step is to get to know the exact parameters of the algorithm (parameters a, c and m). This is the easy part, as these parameters are written in every slot machine. Alex just had to read the binary code from the cabinet memory and decompile it. This is a task which any specialist in microelectronics can do if he is equipped with the proper tools.

But knowing just the a, c and m parameters alone isn’t enough. With the decompilation, you can actually read the parameters of all PRNG algorithms – even the cryptographically secure ones. To be able to predict and exploit the RNG sequence in a real slot machine placed in a casino, you’ll also need to know something else – the current RNG seed value.