Password without a file

[Vysakh P Pillai]

Usually when we make password protected programes,we store the password
encrypted in a file.But this doesnot provide enough security and
portability.

Is there any way to store the password as a part of the .exe itself in
such a way that if a password change take place at runtime it gets
changed permenantly as if it was stored in an external file.

[Metaosp]

On Sun, 2006-02-12 at 16:33 -0800, Vysakh P Pillai wrote:

Usually when we make password protected programes,we store the password
encrypted in a file.But this doesnot provide enough security and
portability.

Is there any way to store the password as a part of the .exe itself in
such a way that if a password change take place at runtime it gets
changed permenantly as if it was stored in an external file.

I don't know how to achieve this, but I am curious how would this
improve security? You make things a little bit more obscure, but as far
as security is concerned, it seems to be equally good (and bad) as store
it in a separate file.

Change .exe itself would have other problem, for example people allowed
to execute a file might not allowed to change it. Also the solution
would be much less portable between OS.
--
Metaosp

[Zara]

On 12 Feb 2006 16:33:52 -0800, "Vysakh P Pillai"
<vy**********@g mail.com> wrote:

Usually when we make password protected programes,we store the password
encrypted in a file.But this doesnot provide enough security and
portability.

Is there any way to store the password as a part of the .exe itself in
such a way that if a password change take place at runtime it gets
changed permenantly as if it was stored in an external file.

What you are proposing is completely insecure.

- If the password is within the executable, then it may be reverse
engineered by a (malicious) user of the executable

- If the executable may modify itself, then a (malicoious) user of the
executable may modify it.

So, if the user is malicious, you have got a serious security threat.

[Tomás]

Vysakh P Pillai posted:

Usually when we make password protected programes,we store the password
encrypted in a file.But this doesnot provide enough security and
portability.

Is there any way to store the password as a part of the .exe itself in
such a way that if a password change take place at runtime it gets
changed permenantly as if it was stored in an external file.

State the executable's platform. Microsoft Windows?

If so, then look up the functions:

LockResource
LoadResource
UpdateResource

Don't reply to this post, as I won't go further off-topic.

-Tomás

[Jacek Dziedzic]

Vysakh P Pillai wrote:

Usually when we make password protected programes,we store the password
encrypted in a file.But this doesnot provide enough security and
portability.

Is there any way to store the password as a part of the .exe itself in
such a way that if a password change take place at runtime it gets
changed permenantly as if it was stored in an external file.

What's your C++ question?

- J.