ABAP Code Hide or encrypt or scramble

[Former Member]

Is there any way by which we can hide or encrypt or scramble ABAP program or function module from client?

Any method, will work for me

[Former Member]

Try entering

*@#@@[SAP] 

on the very first line of your code.

There is no easy way to get the code back, so make sure you make a backup before you do it.

Alternatively, here is a program I found online (I wasn't able to find any other solution. Some are saying that it is no longer possible):

PROGRAM ZHIDE NO STANDARD PAGE HEADING.
************************************************************************
* This program hides any ABAP's source code and protects it with a
* password in this source code.  So the first candidate to be hidden
* should be ZHIDE itself.
*
* After hiding, you can still run the abap (the load version is intact)
* but it cannot be displayed, edited, traced, transported or generated.
*
* If the ABAP is not hidden, the program hides it, if it is hidden, it
* unhides it.
*
* To execute this program, change the user name and password in this
* source code first.
************************************************************************
SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF BLOCK BLOCK.
SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF LINE.
SELECTION-SCREEN COMMENT 1(8) PWD.
SELECTION-SCREEN POSITION 35.
PARAMETERS: PASSWORD(8) MODIF ID AAA.
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF LINE.
PARAMETERS: PROGRAM(8).
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF BLOCK BLOCK.
*
AT SELECTION-SCREEN OUTPUT.
  LOOP AT SCREEN.
    IF SCREEN-GROUP1 = 'AAA'.
      SCREEN-INVISIBLE = '1'.
      MODIFY SCREEN.
    ENDIF.
  ENDLOOP.
*
INITIALIZATION.
  PWD = 'PASSWORD'.
*
START-OF-SELECTION.
  TABLES: TRDIR.
* User name and passsword check
  IF SY-UNAME <> 'SAP' OR PASSWORD <> 'PASSWORD'.
    WRITE: / 'Wrong password'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.
* SAP owned?
  IF NOT PROGRAM CP 'Z*' AND NOT PROGRAM CP 'Y*'.
    WRITE: / 'Do not hide original SAP programs!'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.
* Exists?
  SELECT SINGLE * FROM TRDIR WHERE NAME = PROGRAM.
  IF SY-SUBRC <> 0.
    WRITE: / 'Program does not exists!'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.
* Does it have a current generated version?
  DATA: F1 TYPE D, F3 TYPE D.
  DATA: F2 TYPE T, F4 TYPE T.
  EXEC SQL.
  SELECT UDAT, UTIME, SDAT, STIME INTO :F1, :F2, :F3, :F4 FROM D010LINF
                       WHERE PROG = :PROGRAM
  ENDEXEC.
  IF F1 < F3 OR ( F1 = F3 AND F2 < F4 ).
    WRITE: / 'The program has no recent generated version!'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.
* Compose a new program name
  DATA: NEW_NAME(8), I TYPE I, J TYPE I.
  NEW_NAME = PROGRAM.
  DO 8 TIMES.
    I = SY-INDEX - 1.
    NEW_NAME+I(1) = '_'.
* Search for acceptable program name variations
    J = 0.
    SELECT * FROM TRDIR WHERE NAME LIKE NEW_NAME.
      J = J + 1.
    ENDSELECT.
    IF J = 1.
      EXIT.
    ENDIF.
    NEW_NAME = PROGRAM.
  ENDDO.
* Cannot generate appropriate program name
  IF J > 1.
    WRITE: / 'Cannot generate appropriate program name'.
    EXIT.
  ENDIF.
* Check if it is already in d010s (already hidden)
  DATA: F5(8).
  EXEC SQL.
    SELECT PROG INTO :F5 FROM D010S WHERE PROG = :NEW_NAME
  ENDEXEC.
  IF F5 IS INITIAL.
* There is no such hidden program, hide it
    EXEC SQL.
      UPDATE D010S SET PROG = :NEW_NAME WHERE PROG = :PROGRAM
    ENDEXEC.
  ELSE.
* There is already a hidden program there, unhide it
    EXEC SQL.
      UPDATE D010S SET PROG = :PROGRAM WHERE PROG = :NEW_NAME
    ENDEXEC.
  ENDIF.


*** end of program

[Former Member]

These suggestions are valid for older version so it won't be valid. It's not useful

[Former Member]

The question didn't specify which platform you're on. I'm supposed to guess?

[VeselinaPeykova]

One can only hope that the system in question is patched so that *@# does not work anymore.

Here is why: 2198580 - Code injection vulnerability in ABAP.

As a humble consultant, I would be very much against the idea of using software by vendors who hide their code (yes, I have worked with such add-ons and the support is tedious, not to mention that you cannot easily validate the code quality, the security risk implications, etc.).

[Former Member]

Please let me know alternate way by which i can do that

[VeselinaPeykova]

anuragkathal but why do you have to do this in the first place?

[Former Member]

we have developed a product in ABAP due to which we want to hide

[matt]

Even if you could hide it, only foolish customers would buy it.

[Matt_Fraser]

As this question about ABAP development techniques, and not about the ABAP Application Server platform, I have changed the primary tag accordingly.

[FredericGirod]

the question has been asked several time, the answer is always: It is not possible anymore.

[matt]

Not possible and even when it was it was very much frowned upon - in discussions going back over twenty years.