An Architecture for Software Obfuscation

Modern devices of all kinds are increasingly dependent upon software, and that software increasingly constitutes a distinct military assert and battlefield advantage. To protect that software, a layered defense in desirable. A key component of a defense-in-depth is obfuscation, which inhibits understanding of and subversion of software even when physical access to the code is obtained. Current obfuscation technology is generally ad-hoc, however, lacking power, system integration, and/or flexibility to adapt to future threats. We seek to devise an architecture for obfuscation based on traditional compiler technology. The compiler can provide a framework for devising and organizing multiple obfuscations, which can then be composed to work in concert. Furthermore, the use of an architecture facilitates modularity, allowing obfuscations to be easily swapped in and out, leading to a flexible and adaptable overall system. We expect that our approach can be the basis for an obfuscation infrastructure that can have wide applicability and long endurance.