Working as a developer can be extremely frustrating because you spend so much time debugging code. This, however, is just part of what you must deal with. You don’t want anyone else to take advantage of all of your hard work after you spent hours building, debugging, and deploying your application. A coding principle known as code obfuscation is helpful when it comes to protecting your work. This article explains how to obfuscate code.
What is source code obfuscation?
Essentially,code obfuscation is deliberately hiding parts of source code from human view in order to make them illegible for humans, but seemingly undeniably useful to hackers who may try to exploit it. Software reverse-engineering can also be prevented with it.
It is important to note that, although obfuscation completely changes the source code, the application continues to function in an identical way.
Encryption and obfuscation are two different things. Encryption transforms data into a format that cannot be read by anyone else. Humans are made to have difficulty understanding data by obfuscation. Decrypting the encryption code before it is executed is always required, while de-obfuscating obfuscated code doesn’t require decrypting before execution.
How obfuscation works
Hence, this code is unintelligible as every part of the code builds upon another, resulting in an incomprehensible result. In this article, we will outline some methods of obfuscation that are utilized by companies.
- Rename Obfuscation:
In essence, renaming alters the method and variable names, making it more difficult for humans to comprehend. The execution behavior of programs remains the same, however. IOS, Android, and Java obfuscators commonly use this technique.
- String Encryption:
A string encryption procedure seeks to encrypt every string by which it is possible to understand, in contrast to renaming technology which simply modifies the variables or method names. (With this technique, there may be a slight performance penalty associated with decrypting strings at runtime.)
- Dummy Code Insertion:
Adding code to an executable is what this is about. In the case of reverse-engineered code, it is very difficult to analyze such a code using this technique. It must be noted that insertions don’t affect the executable of the program, nor does it affect its logic.
Advantages of code obfuscation
Let’s go through the various advantages of code obfuscation provides: –
1. Security
Security is one of the main advantages of obfuscated code. Code designed to be obscuring or cryptic is called obfuscated code. Using obfuscated code can be one of the best ways to protect your intellectual property. When you use obfuscated code, you are safeguarding your data, just as you are when you protect your flash drive with a password. The obfuscated version of your code will have to be unpacked before anyone can steal your original code. Code reverse-engineers will have a harder time understanding your code. The result is that you will be able to prevent casual hackers from exploiting your website, since they will not need to worry about deciphering the obfuscated code. The obfuscated code is not infallible, however, as some experts argue. The time and effort necessary to decipher your code would depend upon how desirable it is. Obfuscation is not necessary for the majority of users. Before modifying your code, take into account both sides’ advantages
2. Optimized Code
Obfuscated code can also enhance the performance of your original code in addition to providing extra security. Code language must be thoroughly understood before obfuscation can be performed. You may soon discover unnecessary information as you go over the code to be obfuscated. It is possible to obfuscate data using an obfuscation service. There are many free obfuscators available. You will be able to obfuscate your source code instantly by taking it from your original repository. In addition, this process often results in a more efficient code. A program used to obfuscate the data will eliminate all unnecessary metadata. In addition to eliminating the dead code and the redundant information, they will also fix any errors that arise. It is one of the major benefits of using obfuscated code that you are able to reduce your code down to only the most essential parts.
3. Track Illegal Copies
Furthermore, obfuscated code can assist you in determining who has copied your code; similar to the way DidTheyReadIt can identify what emails have been copied to which recipients. It is so easy to identify whenever any changes are made to code that is obfuscated for a specific project. Depending on the extent of the illegal copying, you might even be able to determine where the illegal copy originated if your code is supplied to multiple users. Having this feature available is a major advantage, particularly in the event that the integrity of your work is an issue.
- Secrecy
Code is obfuscated to hide valuable information. The advantage of this is that it protects code from attack and competition from legitimate organizations. The opposite is also true: malicious actors use this secrecy to conceal their code in obfuscation.
5. Efficiency
in any given program, for instance, removing the unused code will sometimes reduce the program’s size and make it use fewer resources.
Why use a code obfuscator?
We recommend making it more difficult for attackers to read the code and analyze your Android app once you have developed it (or any other app for that matter).
2. In order to secure your system and prevent attack by attackers, it is important to hide business logic and code so that they cannot tamper with and debug your app. (Their applications are often repackaged with malicious code inside.)
3. We can drastically reduce the size of our files by using code obfuscation, which can automatically reduce the download time as well. (An example is JavaScript.)
4. Since reverse engineering is becoming increasingly lucrative, it is your responsibility to prevent the practice.
7. It might not be ideal for a company to make their clients able to read applications they develop.
Final thoughts
Even though obfuscation makes reading and reversing a program more difficult, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. Considering the fact that code obfuscation masks the source code fairly well, it is important to reinforce the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect obfuscator that would guarantee maximum security. For certain cases in which security is crucial, it tends to be wise to use alternative technologies, such as varying encryption schemes and other measures.
