Overcoming Trial Version Software Cracking Using a Hybridized Self-Modifying Technique

Abstract

Information exchange has become an essential component in modern society. Vendors provide content to consumers, while consumers exchange information using e-mail, peer-to-peer systems, social networks, or other network applications. We rely on embedded software in our cars, the domotics, built into our homes, and other electronic devices on a daily basis. Obviously, all these applications rely on the correct functioning of software and hardware components. Often, software which is the driving force of computer hardware are usually subjected to cracking, a condition whereby hackers bypassing the registration and payments options on a software product to remove copyright protection safeguards or to turn a demo version of software into a fully functioning version by manipulating information such as the serial number, hardware key, dates, etc., without actually paying for the software. In this paper, we proposed a hybridized self-modifying technique for checking against cracking. Our technique combines obfuscation and hashing mechanisms to resist attackers from cracking software. The key idea is to hide the code using hashing by transforming it such that it becomes more difficult to understand the original source code and using obfuscation to resist software reverse engineering. The result shows that our technique is able to block hackers and thus prevent code cracking.