Android Question Has anyone used StarForce Android Protection software?

Widget said:

StarForce claims their "Android Protection" software can reduce hacking and illegal copying of Android apps. It is suppose to work on APK files. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience using it with B4A?

Here is their link:
http://www.star-force.com/products/starforce-android-protection/

TIA

Click to expand...

From the web site:

StarForce Android Protection protects mobile applications with binding to the configuration of a mobile device. It means that the program cannot be run on a device which differs from the one that stored in the system protection database. The number of activations available for user are defined by the developer's licensing.

Click to expand...

Either their protection is incompatible with a distribution via the Play Store (because you cannot know in advance the user device on which the app will be installed) or it is compatible but that requires that the device data are collected after the app is launched for the first time. This way, the app can request an approval (and maybe an additional bunch of data) from a server to be allowed to run. In this case, how can they prevent the APK from being copied to another device? Impossible. Whatever method is used to bind the app to an unique device, how do they prevent a hacker from modifying the code to remove their protection? It is not said anywhere, except the usual marketing bullshit ("StarForce Android Protection uses obfuscation, integrity checking and other methods of protection to prevent a successful decompilation"). Pigs will fly when an Android app will be impossible to decompile. And as I explain in my ProBundle pdf, you don't need to decompile to Java to modify an app.
I asked a free copy to know more.

Informatix said:

From the web site:

Either their protection is incompatible with a distribution via the Play Store (because you cannot know in advance the user device on which the app will be installed) or it is compatible but that requires that the device data are collected after the app is launched for the first time.

Click to expand...

They claim their technology is compatible with the Play Store so I am pretty sure it is the latter.

This way, the app can request an approval (and maybe an additional bunch of data) from a server to be allowed to run. In this case, how can they prevent the APK from being copied to another device?

Click to expand...

Perhaps their server sends a unique number (checksum?) to the device the first time the app is run and this checksum would be based on the hardware, software serial# and user's name/email. The device would have to on occasion check with their server to see if it is a valid copy of the software (hardware and serial# and User email matches).

Impossible. Whatever method is used to bind the app to an unique device, how do they prevent a hacker from modifying the code to remove their protection? It is not said anywhere, except the usual marketing bullshit ("StarForce Android Protection uses obfuscation, integrity checking and other methods of protection to prevent a successful decompilation"). Pigs will fly when an Android app won't be impossible to decompile. And as I explain in my ProBundle pdf, you don't need to decompile to Java to modify an app.

Click to expand...

I agree. I'm guessing but they might have wrapped their software (binary executable) around the user's APK so their software is what starts up and does the checking before it allows the user's APK to run. The APK would have to be encrypted when it is not running so the user can't hack it and then it is decrypted when the app is run. Or the APK is crippled in such a way that it can't run without first being called by their binary wrapper. Copy protecting Windows .exe files is hard enough. I can't imagine being able to do it with APK's.

I asked a free copy to know more.

Click to expand...

Great. Let us know what you discover. Have they discovered a diamond in the rough? Or simply packaged a lot of hot air in a fancy box?

I received the free copy of Protection Studio but it didn't work on my PC, so I let somebody else give a try.

Informatix said:

I received the free copy of Protection Studio but it didn't work on my PC, so I let somebody else give a try.

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on the problem you encountered when running it? (In case I get the same problem. I'm thinking of getting an eval copy too.)

Widget said:

Can you elaborate on the problem you encountered when running it? (In case I get the same problem. I'm thinking of getting an eval copy too.)

Click to expand...

The program crashes. I will try on another computer, with more rights, next week.