Cracked software is a common delivery method for malware. Since Petrel requires high-level system permissions, a compromised version can lead to: : Locking your entire geological database.
: Students and researchers can often access Petrel through university partnerships with SLB's University Software Program.
The websites hosting "crack patches" or "license generators" for high-end engineering utilities are notorious vectors for malware. Because Petrel requires deep administrative privileges to run its database environments (like Ocean frameworks), a crack file essentially hands over full system access to unknown third parties.