Code Obfuscation for the C/C++ Language

TL;DR

This paper presents the development of a source code obfuscator for C and C++ to protect proprietary software when sharing with third parties, highlighting challenges and solutions encountered.

Contribution

It introduces a novel source code obfuscator for C/C++ implemented in Nim, addressing a gap in existing obfuscation tools focused on source code distribution.

Findings

Successfully implemented a C/C++ source code obfuscator

Identified key challenges in source code obfuscation

Demonstrated effectiveness in protecting proprietary code

Abstract

Obfuscation is the action of making something unintelligible. In software development, this action can be applied to source code or binary applications. The aim of this dissertation was to implement a tool for the obfuscation of C and C++ source code. The motivation was to allow proprietary code to be distributed to third-parties without risking a recreation of the intellectual property within it. While many obfuscators exist, they seldom focus on software that is distributed in source code form. This dissertation presents the challenges and successes that arose during the development of a C and C++ source code obfuscator using the Nim programming language.