Towards Checking Tampering of Software

Measuring integrity of software after deployment is important to ensure that software is not tampered with. Software tampering problem manifests itself in different ways: (i) done by an attacker to harm the user/system (e.g., infection by virus), and (ii) done by the user himself to use the software in ways that the creator of software did not intend/permit (e.g., tamper the software to bypass checks for subscription). In either case, software tampering can result in a great loss to resources, reputation, etc. and is a serious problem that demands robust solutions. Software providers would want to measure integrity of their software and also the environment in which it executes. This would help to ensure that the user does not tamper with the software so as to use it in unintended ways. For example, unlocking certain restricted features in a demo version. In Kosar, Christodorescu, & Iverson (2003), authors present a mechanism to bypass license checks usABSTRACT