目录

Using ArkGuard for Source Code Obfuscation

Enabling Source Code Obfuscation

[h2]How to Use

The source code obfuscation feature is integrated into the system and can be enabled in DevEco Studio.

[h2]Obfuscation Configuration Files

The following table summarizes the differences between these obfuscation configuration files.

Configuration File Configuration Type Modifiable Affects Obfuscation of This Module Affects Obfuscation of Other Modules
obfuscation-rules.txt Customizable Yes Yes No
consumer-rules.txt Customizable Yes No Yes
obfuscation.txt Compilation product Not applicable (automatically generated during HAR or HSP compilation) Not applicable Yes

[h2]Obfuscation Configuration Guidelines

  1. When -enable-toplevel-obfuscation is configured, access to global variables using globalThis fails. To rectify the fault, use -keep-global-name to retain the global variable name.
  2. After the preceding adaptation is successful, configure -enable-property-obfuscation, and perform adaptation in the following scenarios:

    1. If the code statically defines properties but dynamically accesses them (or vice versa), use -keep-property-name to retain the property names. Example:

      // Static definition, dynamic access: The property name is static during object definition, but is accessed by dynamically constructing the property name (usually using string concatenation).
// example.ts
const obj001 = {
  staticName: 'value'  // Static definition
};
const fieldName = 'static' + 'Name';  // Dynamically build the property name. You need to use -keep-property-name staticName to retain the property name.
console.info(obj001[fieldName]);  // Use square bracket notation to dynamically access the property.
      // Dynamic definition, static access: The property name is determined during object definition through a dynamic expression, but is statically accessed using dot notation (assuming that you know the result of the property name).
// example.ts
const dynamicExpression = 'dynamicPropertyName';
const obj002 = {
  [dynamicExpression]: 'value'  // Dynamic definition
};
console.info(obj002.dynamicPropertyName);// Use dot notation to statically access the property. You need to use -keep-property-name dynamicPropertyName to retain the property name.

    2. If the code uses dot notation to access fields not defined in ArkTS/TS/JS code (for example, native so libraries, fixed JSON files, or database fields):

      1. For API calls to so libraries (for example, import testNapi from 'library.so'; testNapi.foo();), use -keep-property-name to retain the property name foo.
      2. For fields in JSON files, use -keep-property-name to retain the JSON field names.
      3. For database-related fields, use -keep-property-name to retain the database field names.

    3. When building a HAR module for use by other modules, use -keep-property-name in the consumer-rules.txt file of the HAR module to retain properties that should not be re-obfuscated. The consumer-rules.txt file generates the obfuscation.txt file during HAR compilation. When the HAR module is depended upon by other modules, DevEco Studio parses the obfuscation.txt file to read the trustlist.

    4. Verify application functionality and identify any missed scenarios. If the application functionality is abnormal, find the code of the error line in the corresponding intermediate products based on the obfuscated error stack, identify the necessary trustlist configurations, and use -keep-property-name to retain them.

  3. After the preceding adaptations are successful, configure -enable-export-obfuscation, and perform adaptation in the following scenarios:
    1. For HSP modules that provide interfaces and properties to other modules, use -keep-global-name to retain the interface names and -keep-property-name to retain the property names in exposed classes/interfaces.
    2. When building HAR modules for use by other modules, use -keep-global-name to retain interface names and -keep-property-name to retain the property names in exposed classes/interfaces in the obfuscation-rules.txt file.
    3. For API calls to SO libraries (for example, import { napiA } from 'library.so'), use -keep-global-name to retain the so interface name napiA.
    4. Verify application functionality and interface call functionality when the module is depended upon, and identify any missed scenarios. If the application functionality is abnormal, find the code of the error line in the corresponding intermediate products based on the obfuscated error stack, identify the necessary trustlist configurations, and retain them.
  4. After the preceding adaptations are successful, configure -enable-filename-obfuscation, and perform adaptation in the following scenarios:
    1. If the code contains dynamic import statements (for example, const path = './filePath'; import(path)), use -keep-file-name filePath to retain the file path.
    2. If the application has a routerMap configuration that describes routing information, use -keep-file-name to retain the page source file path, which is specified by pageSourceFile field in the routing information.
    3. If the code uses ohmUrl for page navigation (for example, router.pushUrl({url: '@bundle:com.example.routerPage/Library/Index'})), use -keep-file-name to retain the path.
    4. Verify application functionality and identify any missed scenarios. If the application function is abnormal and the error stack contains obfuscated paths, you can query the original path in the build/default/[...]/release/obfuscation/nameCache.json file within the module and then locate the source code file. You can also use the hstack plugin to trigger automatic deobfuscation of error stacks. After locating the paths to retain, use -keep-file-name to retain them.

[h2]Remarks

Viewing Obfuscation Effects

After obfuscation is complete, the obfuscated intermediate products are generated in the build directory of the compilation product. You can view the intermediate products to check the obfuscation effect. In addition, the name mapping file and system API trustlist file are generated in this directory.

Deobfuscating Error Stacks

In applications that have undergone obfuscation, code names are changed, making the error stacks printed during crashes harder to understand. You can use the hstack plugin in Command Line Tools of DevEco Studio to deobfuscate the source code stack and analyze issues.

The deobfuscation tool requires the sourceMaps.map file and the obfuscation name mapping file nameCache.json generated during compilation. Be sure to back them up locally.

If you use a self-built online platform or pipeline to build an application, the sourceMaps.map file and the obfuscation name mapping file namecache.json generated during compilation cannot be obtained. You can use the corresponding files generated during local compilation.