Method of software protection using a random code generator
US6463538B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 8, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 16, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/125
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The computer-based software protection systems are provided using methods that improve the protection of vendor's software against unauthorized use. A code generator generates randomized protection code, which is then used to protect the application software. Because the code is unique for each protected software, potential crackers have to analyze and crack every instance of the protection, so that generic hack is almost impossible. Some embodiments of the present invention also randomize license verification module, add and randomize a specific anti-hacking code, and randomize the protection code execution sequence(s). The same embodiments can also select which instructions and how many instructions are randomized. Moreover, these embodiments select where the data is being stored, in which register, memory address and stack position, and also randomize variable offsets. Other embodiments of the present invention are used for interpreted code.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.