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•Re: Re: perl2exe - no more secrets

by merlyn (Sage)
on Feb 25, 2003 at 02:40 UTC ( [id://238335]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Re: perl2exe - no more secrets
in thread perl2exe - no more secrets

Comparing these two statements makes my head spin:
The encryption algorithm in Perl2Exe has been improved.
and
they don't guarantee any security of the source code
Why? Why? If it's just a bundler, let it be a bundler. It can never be really secure, because I can always single step the program to the point where you call the Perl interpreter's "eval" method with the now-decrypted source code.

This is looking more and more like snake oil. And since you somehow know it's been improved recently, I suspect you are an insider with the developers.

So, why did the developers bother to increase the security? Because XOR is something a customer base can understand, but "more security" isn't? Are you only reacting to the public outcry? Would you have fixed it if it didn't show up on bugtraq? Will you upgrade it even more when (not if) it gets broken again?

If it's truly secure, open up your methods to peer review.

Until then, I'll stand by my statement that perl2exe is snake oil, being sold to a naive public, and that's unethical to me.

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker
Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.

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Re: •Re: Re: perl2exe - no more secrets
by Anonymous Monk on Feb 25, 2003 at 17:49 UTC
    Why yes he is! Here is some select output from whois indigostar.com

    Found crsnic referral to whois.opensrs.net. ... Administrative Contact: Singh, Indy indy at indigostar.com ... Technical Contact: Singh, Indy indy at indigostar.com ...
Re: •Re: Re: perl2exe - no more secrets
by John M. Dlugosz (Monsignor) on Feb 28, 2003 at 21:55 UTC
    I think there's a point to (possibly trivially) cloaking something so it doesn't show up in "find in files" or other text searches, clog the disk text index with unneeded things, save accidental viewing by other people, etc.

    So my new take on it is to use ROT-13 for this "feature", so it's very clear that it's not supposed to be "encrypted" in any meaningful sence. It's more like turning a page face-down on the desk when you leave the cube, as opposed to locking it in the drawer. That's why ROT-13 was invented! That's its clearly defined purpose.

    —John

      Howdy!

      Absolutely. And if the vendor presented that feature in that light, we wouldn't be wrapped around the axle of weak (!) "encryption" "hiding" source code in a bundle. (did I use enough gratuitous punctuation there?)

      yours,
      Michael

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