Published: 13 Aug 2024

Code Obfuscation: Protecting Software from Unauthorized Reverse-Engineering

Code obfuscation is a method of software protection designed to prevent illegal reverse-engineering.

Key Functions of Software Protection Techniques:

* Detecting unauthorized attempts to decode or modify software
* Protecting against such attempts
* Altering software to ensure that functionality degrades in an undetectable manner if the protection mechanism fails

Skater .NET Obfuscator:

Skater .NET obfuscator provides decryption protection through various techniques, including:

* Renaming assembly members with meaningless names
* Encrypting string values
* Modifying code instructions to make disassembled code non-recompilable

Obfuscation Methods:

Member Name Obfuscation:

* Makes it difficult to reverse-engineer assembly code by obfuscating member names.
* Scrambles names of classes, methods, variables, and other assembly members.
* Selective obfuscation of public members is possible to restrict external access.

Executable Obfuscation:

* For executable files, all member names can be obfuscated, including public members.
* Certain Skater settings can generate names that prevent recompilation.

Library Obfuscation:

* It is recommended not to obfuscate public members in DLL libraries as they are intended for use in external code.