From: "Beavis B. Thoopit" <beavis@bioanalytical.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 95 19:59:25 PST
To: andr0id@midwest.net (Jason Rentz)
Subject: Re: ex encrypted script
In-Reply-To: <199512212047.OAA19022@cdale1.midwest.net>
Message-ID: <199512220357.WAA02638@bioanalytical.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> >| Is there a way to encrypt a script yet still allow it to be runnable?  I
> >| know that the simple answer is to write it in C and compile it but I don't
> >| have the means of doing that at the moment.  (i.e. there is not compiler on
> >| the system)
> >| 
> >| I thought of a few simple protections but they all involve decrypting before
> >| running.
> >
> >	Ever hear of chmod?  chown?
> >Adam
> 
> The vendor also has superuser access..  chmod chown won't protect it.. :(

I once had to obfuscate an awk script.  "Cryptography is Economics."  My
job was to make it difficult for the enemy to steal the source.  There
was a license agreement...

The simple answer of "no" is right in the strong sense, but there are
tricks to make life difficult for the amateur attacker.

My approach was a self-decrypting program.  The "real" script was
encrypted within the body of the encasing script.  For increased
obfuscation, decrypt only small pieces at a time.