Hi.
1.) Yes you can uncover almost any source code written in Delphi. Other languages too but not so easy.
Radikal there are tools especially for Delphi Decompiling with 90% success, returning the code as you wrote it.
2.) NeoLite is an obsolete tool. There are other updated with today needs, tools.
Tools that can compress and encrypt, embedding antidumping ,antidebug and checksum verification.
The most common tool for this job is Aspack and Asprotect (which is extremely difficult to crack).
Asprotect offers:
# compression of the application
# encryption of the application <---------------
# counteraction to dumping application memory with the tool like ProcDump. <---------------
# application integrity check <---------------
# counteraction to debuggers and disassemblers <---------------
# counteraction to memory patching <---------------
# API for interaction between application and protection routines <---------------
Also offers:
# creation and verification of registration keys using public keys encryption algorithms
# keeping of the database and checkup of "stolen" (illegal) registration keys
# possibility to create evaluation (trial) versions,
that limit application functions based on evaluation time and the number of runs left
# expose nag-screens
# generating of registration keys, based on the specific computer system.
--------------------------
Other tools are:
Free:
UPack, Mew, UPX, Packman, exe32pack, EZIP, PE-PaCK, FSG, CExe, PE Diminisher
Among them the best and most common are UPX, Pe-PAck, FSG and lately PackMan.
--------------------------
And commercial packers:
Commercial packers
NSPack 2.3, eXPressor 1.2.0.1, Thinstall 2.526, PECompact 2.5, PEBundle 3.20, AS-Pack, Petite, NeoLite 2.0,
Shrinker 3.4, PKLite32 1.11, WWPack32 1.20
Among them the best are:
PECompact Petite AS-Pack and As-Protect.
--------------------------
Encrypting your code doesnt make you safe !
Old packers like NeoLite (March 29, 1999) can be unpacked within seconds, leaving your source ready for
disassembling or/and decompiling.
Your goal should be never to let the cracker understand what is your packer.
There are allready software that scan exe and dll to find what the name of the packer or the language that
was written. If you dont compress your app a message will appear saying: "Written with Delphi Ver x.x"
This means that your app has no protection against decompiling or disassembling !
Find a packer that there isnt any unpacker available. (For commercial packers there are ready made unpackers !)
Except for AsProtect.
New packers (not commercial) like PackMan (27.II.2005) can not be identified !
So the average cracker cannot find any unpacker.
He has to do all the job which will disourage him.
--------------------------
If you want links you can google for the name. Or ask me.
Hope this helps :)
CodedK.
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by: RadikalQ3Posted on 2005-09-11 at 02:23:43ID: 14858582
Hi!
>1. Is it true that reverse engineering tools can crack an exe file and discover the source code?
No, this is false.
This is valid for any interpreted or precompiled languajes like the old Clipper, but with Delphi not.
Tools like Soft-ice and other debuggers, are capable of dissasembly the machine code and shows it as assembly source code: no functions, no variables nothing similar to the high level languaje source code.
>2. By checking the previous experts' advice, I found that Neo-Lite was suggested, but checking it always go to mcafee.com instead and there is not such product listed. Did it kill by mcafee?
I dont know neo-lite but... there are several exe-packers for compress (and crypt) your executable.
For example, UPX: http://upx.sourceforge.net
A cracker can use your debugger, dissasambling the code loaded in memory, but he cant (or its very difficult) make a loader & crack for your program because he must understand the packer manner of load & decompress the program for to be able to modify.