Software self-defense systems and methods
US7430670B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 2000 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 19, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/362
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for protecting a computer program from unauthorized analysis and modification. Obfuscation transformations can be applied to the computer program's local structure, control graph, and/or data structure to render the program more difficult to understand and/or modify. Tamper-resistance mechanisms can be incorporated into the computer program to detect attempts to tamper with the program's operation. Once an attempt to tamper with the computer program is detected, the computer program reports it to an external agent, ceases normal operation, and/or reverses any modifications made by the attempted tampering. The computer program can also be watermarked to facilitate identification of its owner. The obfuscation, tamper-resistance, and watermarking transformations can be applied to the computer program's source code, object code, or executable image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.