LLWM & IR-Mark: Integrating Software Watermarks into an LLVM-based Framework

Novac D, Eichler C, Philippsen M (2021)


Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2021

Publisher: ACM

City/Town: New York

Pages Range: 35-41

Conference Proceedings Title: Checkmate '21: Proceedings of the 2021 Research on offensive and defensive techniques in the Context of Man At The End (MATE) Attacks

Event location: Republic of Korea KR

ISBN: 978-1-4503-8552-7

DOI: 10.1145/3465413.3488576

Abstract

While software protection mechanisms, such as DRM and online services, hinder the unrestrained duplication of games and applications, these mechanisms fail at protecting individual software components from reuse by intellectual property thieves. While conceptually watermarking can discourage software misuse and allows proof of ownership, embedding watermarks requires expert knowledge. This is why software watermarks are barely used.

This paper presents LLWM, an LLVM-based watermarking framework that automates the embedding of watermarks and thus enables the widespread use of watermarking. LLWM incorporates several (adapted) implementations of existing watermarking techniques and provides the foundation for IR-Mark, a new watermarking technique based on a modified register allocation. With LLWM, built upon LLVM and its compiler Clang, developers can use a watermark simply by compiling their codes, without the obstacle of having to understand and run existing methods and standalone tools.

With the methods included in LLWM, we offer a variety of choices for embedding techniques and evaluate and discuss their characteristics and resilience against common attacks.

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How to cite

APA:

Novac, D., Eichler, C., & Philippsen, M. (2021). LLWM & IR-Mark: Integrating Software Watermarks into an LLVM-based Framework. In Checkmate '21: Proceedings of the 2021 Research on offensive and defensive techniques in the Context of Man At The End (MATE) Attacks (pp. 35-41). Republic of Korea, KR: New York: ACM.

MLA:

Novac, Daniela, Christian Eichler, and Michael Philippsen. "LLWM & IR-Mark: Integrating Software Watermarks into an LLVM-based Framework." Proceedings of the ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS'21), Workshop on Offensive and Defensive Techniques in the Context of Man At The End (MATE) Attacks (Checkmate ’21), Republic of Korea New York: ACM, 2021. 35-41.

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