Re: Unpack Files to memory and then run them (exe protector style)

Nemok wrote: 
Is it possible in anyway to load a file into memory and then run it
from there? I am working on a file compressor
(www.nemokprod.go.ro/nb.htm) that can compress and encrypt and save
multiple files as an exe file that can then run the compressed files
after unpacking them to a temp folder. The problem is that I have to
unpack the files to the hard-disk and then run them from there, making
them vulnerable to user that may try to get the original (unprotected)
files.

So the user shouldn't have access to the file operations in the
background. So I need to keep the original unpacked files hidden from
the user, until after they are opened by the unpacker and then deleted.
So users should have no kind of access to the files (should not see
them, open them, should not be able to modify or copy them) but the
unpacker should be able to run them. (that is why I think that the
memory is the best solution)

So is there any way to protect them, like unpacking them directly to
memory and then run them from there? Something like a virtual disk in
memory?


What you have described is basically refered to as a pack file and has
been used by game engines for a long time.  A basic description of a
system that uses this can be found here:

http://www.drizzle.com/~scottb/gdc/its-still-loading-paper.htm

What you need to do is memory map your compressed and encrypted files
into memory and use their content directly.  That may, or may not,
require some modifications to your application to be able to handle
memory pointers to file content instead of using fopen/CreateFile and
reading in the data yourself.

Murrgon
.