Starting with client version 1.12 the user can enter a PIN which is hashed and sent to the server. This post details how the client calculates the hash for World of Warcraft 1.12 and provides replication values in order to test your own implementation.

Background

The server may send a PIN grid seed and PIN salt in CMD_AUTH_LOGON_CHALLENGE_Server ^wiki if it chooses. The client may send the PIN salt and client PIN hash in CMD_AUTH_LOGON_PROOF_Client ^wiki in the field just after the client proof.

Figure 1 shows the PIN window during login.

The client does not require the server to prove that expected key matches like it does for the primary authentication check.

This will work for all versions after 1.12.

The PIN the client enters can either be a static (it never changes) or be time based, the client just sends the digits entered by the user.

PINs can be between 4 and 10 digits long.

The implementation is the same for the server and client. They will both calculate a hash for the entered digits and the server will then compare the two hashes for equality.

The grid of the PIN can be randomized with the PIN grid seed sent by the server. This will move the locations of the numbers so that they are no longer in order. So instead of the keypad being 1, 2, 3, ..., it could be 9, 2, 5, .... Figure 2 shows the randomized PIN window.

Implementation details

The algorithm goes through the following steps:

• Get the PIN from the client or database.
• Use the PIN grid seed to randomize the grid.
• Apply the randomized grid to the PIN.
• Convert PIN to ASCII by adding 0x30 (48) to every value.
• The PIN is SHA1 hashed twice along with server and client salts.

The PIN is in the form of a byte array of at least 4 bytes and at most 10 bytes, where every byte is a single digit of the PIN. So a PIN of 1, 2, 3, 4 would be an array of [1, 2, 3, 4].

Main Algorithm

This function ties everything together.

• pin is the digits of the PIN code as a byte array.
• pin_grid_seed is the PIN grid seed.
• server_salt is the salt sent by the server.
• client_salt is the salt sent by the client.
• % is the modulus operator.
• + is array concatenation.
• SHA1 is the SHA1 hash function.

function calculate_hash
    argument pin: array of bytes
    argument pin_grid_seed: u32
    argument server_salt: array of 16 bytes
    argument client_salt: array of 16 bytes
    returns array of 20 bytes

    remapped_pin_grid = remap_pin_grid(pin_grid_seed)

    randomized_grid = randomize_grid(pin, remapped_pin_grid)

    # Convert to ASCII
    for b in randomized_grid:
        b += 0x30

    first_hash = SHA1(server_salt + randomized_grid)

    return SHA1(client_salt + first_hash)

Implementations

• Rust (wow_srp)
• C++ (Ember)

Verification values

• regression

Remap PIN Grid

This function converts the PIN grid seed into a remapped array.

• pin_grid_seed is sent by the server in CMD_AUTH_LOGON_CHALLENGE_Server.
• % is the modulus operator.

function remap_pin_grid
    argument pin_grid_seed: u32
    returns array of 10 bytes

    grid = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
    remapped_grid = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

    # Go backwards
    for i in 10..0:
        remainder = pin_grid_seed % i
        pin_grid_seed = pin_grid_seed / i
        remapped_grid[i] = grid[i]

        copy_size = i - remainder - 1

        for j in 0..copy_size:
            grid[remainder + j] = grid[remainder + i + 1]

    return remapped_grid

Implementations

• Rust (wow_srp)
• C++ (Ember)

Verification values

• remap_regression

Randomize Grid

This function converts the PIN grid seed into a remapped array.

• pin_grid_seed is sent by the server in CMD_AUTH_LOGON_CHALLENGE_Server.
• % is the modulus operator.

function randomize_grid
    argument bytes: array of bytes
    argument remapped_pin_grid: array of 10 bytes
    returns array of bytes

    randomized_grid = array of 10 bytes

    
    for i, byte in enumerate(bytes):
        remapped_value = index of byte value from remapped_pin_grid
        randomized_grid[i] = remapped_value

    return randomized_grid

Implementations

• Rust (wow_srp)
• C++ (Ember)

Verification values

• convert_regression