No-Code Mobile App Obfuscation in minutes
This Knowledge Base article provides detailed information on Appdome’s no-code mobile app obfuscation, including detailed step-by-step instructions on how to implement TOTALCode Obfuscation in any iOS or Android app in seconds – no coding required.
About Mobile App Obfuscation
In recent years, decompilers have reached a maturity level that allows recovering source code back from mobile apps with ease. Obfuscation has become a well established preventive measure developers use against static reverse engineering attempts.
What sets various obfuscation solutions apart is several things:
- Ease of use
This can range from using specialized compilers to post-build tools. - Performance
Some obfuscation methods incur a performance penalty, while others do not impact performance at all. - Reference threat level
Since eventually all defenses can be broken, which indicates how good a defense is the amount of work, expertise, and time expected to break the defense.
To understand what TOTALCode™ Obfuscation means, we must understand two things:
- What does code mean in the context of an application?
- What is obfuscation?
The goal of obfuscation is to make the app harder to reverse engineer, understand, model, and derive meaning from the app or code.
What is Code?
Code is any form of information that executes business logic.
So for example, the part of a navigation application that computes the faster route between two points is code. In this example, this is a part of the application that’s inherent to its function. You might say that this is what makes your application stand out among all other navigation applications. And as such, you might want to protect that code.
Another example would be a mobile banking application, where the code is in charge of assembling the correct requests to the bank’s servers to request a list of all transactions.
For different platforms, and in different circumstances, what we just defined as code will be contained in different forms in the application. Mobile app obfuscation helps you keep your code secure and private.
Code location in iOS apps
- In native apps, the code is part of the application executable (C/C++/Objective-C/Swift)
- For hybrid apps such as Cordova or React Native apps, ‘code’ is in the form of Javascript, CSS, or HTML5 and usually is stored inside the app
- In Xamarin apps. which are written in C#, code is located in DLL files
Code location in Android apps:
- DEX files for compiled Java code (Java/Kotlin)
- Native code (C/C++)
- Javascript code
- DLL files for Xamarin Android apps (C#)
What is Mobile app Obfuscation?
Obfuscation is the process of taking code, and transforming in a way that makes it difficult or infeasible for an attacker to understand, but still functions correctly.
Common techniques range from things as complex as changing the build tools to emit convoluted machine code to modifying names/labels in the code to make them unintelligible to the human eye.
However, not all forms of mobile app obfuscation are sufficient or even applicable to all types of code.
For example, modifying names and eliminating format in Javascript code (a process called minification) is not extremely effective as the code basically remains a text file, and multiple tools can easily reverse the build and compile process and turn machine or intermediate code back into source code.
Encrypting Javascript/DLL is a more effective way to secure that code. Of course, this requires a mechanism that would still allow encrypted files to function.
Alternatively, compile-time obfuscation is meaningless for an executable that already exists.
Applying Appdome’s binary code obfuscation will be more effective.
Appdome’s TOTALCode™ Obfuscation is intelligent and capable enough to match the correct form of obfuscation to the type of code that needs obfuscation.
Obfuscating Mobile Apps using TOTALCode Obfuscation
Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to obfuscate any iOS and Android app in seconds by adding Appdome TOTALCode Obfuscation to any app in seconds without touching source code.
Upload a Mobile App to Your Account
Please follow these steps to add a mobile app to your Appdome account.
If you don’t have an Appdome account, click here to create an account.
From the Build tab, choose the Security tab
- Binary Code Obfuscation
Obfuscating mobile apps modifies the application’s binary code to make it unrecognizable to reverse-engineering tools. - Flow Relocation
Modify the application’s compiled code by hiding the logical flow of the code to make reverse engineering an arduous task, without impacting how the app functions. - Non-Native Code Obfuscation
For applications that were developed using a non-native framework such as React-Native, Cordova, or Xamarin, Appdome obfuscates the non-native code. It’s worth noting that obfuscating non-native code is simply not achievable through manual code changes. This makes appdome the only solution on the market that can obfuscate non-native mobile apps comprehensively and effectively. - Strip Debug Information
Eliminate all descriptive information from the application’s binaries. This information usually includes identifiers (variable and function names) and source code names/line numbers.
Such information generally gets left inside the app after the build process. - Encrypt Strings and Resources
Every application contains (embedded in its code) various string constants such as URLs, tokens, names of files, and so forth. These are a lucrative target for attackers as it gives them a very firm foot-hold on what a specific piece of code is responsible for, not to mention that some strings are valuable information in the own right (such as authentication tokens).
Appdome located those strings and additional resources, encrypts them, and makes sure they can only be accessed by the application itself. Naturally, if the application has been tampered with, Appdome will not allow access to those strings, thereby foiling attack attempts.
After Obfuscating Mobile Apps on Appdome
After you have added TOTALCode Obfuscation to any Mobile App on Appdome, there are a few additional steps needed to complete your mobile integration project.
Add Context™ to the Appdome-Built App
Appdome is a full-featured mobile integration platform. Within Context™, Appdome users can brand the app, including adding a favicon to denote the new service added to the app.
For more information on the range of options available in Context™, please read this knowledge base article.
Sign the TOTALCode protected Appdome-Built App (Required)
To deploy an Appdome-Built app, it must be signed. Signing the iOS app and Signing an Android app is easy using Appdome. Alternatively, you can use Private Signing, download your unsigned app, and sign locally using your signing methods.
Deploy the Appdome-Built App to a Mobile Device
Once you have signed your Appdome-Built app, you can download it to deploy it using your distribution method of choice. For more information on deploying your Appdome-Built apps, please read this knowledge base.
That is it. You’ve seen how easy it is to start obfuscating mobile apps.
How Do I Learn More?
If you are interested in obfuscating mobile apps, we suggest checking out ONEShield.
Also, we have a brochure on TOTALCode obfuscation.
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support@appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
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