ScriptGuard: Helps Protect Compiled Scripts from Decompilation

[JoeWinograd]

Maybe I'll try UPX then.

Doesn't hurt to try it, but as I mentioned earlier, I've had terrible results over the years with it. Every so often I'll try UPX again, especially when there's been a new release, but the anti-virus/anti-malware programs always kill it. Once I found the sizing work-around for MPRESS, I've been happy with the results, although it gets very frustrating at times. I'm curious to hear how your tests go with UPX...and MPRESS. Please post back here to let us know. Regards, Joe

[jsong55]

UPX works! Guess I'll stick to it for now. About the AntiVirus, it's a false positive so just have to put on allow list. I sometimes encounter Windows Defender trying to remove it even without any compression

[JoeWinograd]

it's a false positive so just have to put on allow list

Yes, of course it's a false positive, and it's easy for you to whitelist, but if you distribute your programs to other users, it's problematic to get them to whitelist...that's extremely undesirable, especially when the false positive results in deletion of the executable.

[jsong55]

Good point but let's not discuss in this thread.. is there a thread to tackle that?

[JoeWinograd]

is there a thread to tackle that?

I don't know, but I think this is a fine place to discuss it. In TAC109's first post in this thread, he mentions MPRESS and UPX (in the ScriptGuard2 Restrictions section). Also, there are many other posts about compression/MPRESS/UPX during the almost four years since the thread began. That said, I've already posted most, if not all, of my relevant experience on the topic, but would be happy to keep brainstorming it here. Of course, if the author, TAC109, prefers to move discussion of this issue elsewhere, I'll certainly comply. Let's see if he gives us some direction on this. Regards, Joe

[TAC109]

All good information.

Cheers

[guest3456]

ScriptGuard2 is available with Ahk2Exe v1.1.34.04b or later and can be used with AutoHotkey v1.1 and v2. It is 32-bit and 64-bit compatible. It can also be used with AutoHotkey_H v2, provided that the 'Encrypt Source' parameter is set to '(none)' in the Ahk2Exe_H GUI.

which is the better method of protection? the builtin AHK_H encryption, or ScriptGuard2?

[jsong55]

I go with ScriptGuard as there are some differences in _H vs _L and I don't have time to modify too much code to adjust

[TAC109]

@guest3456
There is a disadvantage with AutoHotkey_H in that to change the password used, it is necessary to modify it in the AHK_H source and recompile to generate a new AutoHotkey_H executable.

With ScriptGuard a different random password key is automatically generated to encode the source, each time a script is compiled with Ahk2Exe. This makes ScriptGuard simple to use.

Cheers

[jsong55]

@TAC109 can we request a feature to use our own password? Say from a disposable ini file.

[TAC109]

@jsong55 Could you explain the reason for your request, please.

Cheers

[helloicanseeu]

i using scriptguard for a while, everything was fine, until today
i keep getting

image.png (16.9 KiB) Viewed 642 times

can only compile when i disable scriptguard, any idea?

[TAC109]

@helloicanseeu
It looks like you usually compile with a *.bin base file. Have you inadvertently tried to compile using a *.exe base file?

If you wish to continue to compile against an *.exe base file in future you will need to change the relevant ;@Ahk2Exe- lines in your script. (See the summary in the main ScriptGuard post for generalised code that covers both these base file situations.)

Cheers

[helloicanseeu]

@helloicanseeu
It looks like you usually compile with a *.bin base file. Have you inadvertently tried to compile using a *.exe base file?

If you wish to continue to compile against an *.exe base file in future you will need to change the relevant ;@Ahk2Exe- lines in your script. (See the summary in the main ScriptGuard post for generalised code that covers both these base file situations.)

Cheers

i looked at earlier posts and stumbled into version issues, the autohotkey updated itself somehow and that's why it didnt work.
i reinstalled an earlier ahk v1 version and could compile again, tyty for your tremendous effort.
these version issues break a lot of stuff, i remember in linux lol.

[TAC109]

@helloicanseeu
ScriptGuard should work with all recent versions of AutoHotkey v1.1 and v2, so I suspect that something else is going on here.

Could you please supply more details about the problem you experienced, including a screenshot of Ahk2Exe with parameters supplied, and the ;@Ahk2Exe- lines in the source that you tried to compile? This will enable me to troubleshoot this problem more fully.

Thanks for your help with this.