Subject: Protecting Flash Files
Posted By: Ben Horne Post Date: 2/21/2004 11:37:39 PM
Hi all,

I was wondering, is it possible to protect my flash movies?  What I mean by this is that if someone saves the flash file off of my website, it will be blank when they go to open the file.

Thanks in advance

Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

Go there.  I have a lot of awesome photos that I rendered myself
Reply By: ExxWhyZee Reply Date: 2/28/2004 5:31:49 PM
I don't think there is a need to protect the *.swf files.  As far as I know, I cant affect the *.swf files and ya don't have to post the *.fla file.  There might be a way to affect the *.swf file, but I unfortunately don't know how to.

*-*ExxWhyZee*-*
Reply By: harpua Reply Date: 3/1/2004 12:01:45 PM
Unfortunately if you look around there are lots of tools to view acitonscript in an .swf file. I found this article with  some 3rd party products that are suppose to protect it. I'm not sure how or if they work to protect the files.
http://web.zdnet.com.au/builder/webdesign/multimedia/story/0,2000040398,20281905,00.htm?
Reply By: Ben Horne Reply Date: 3/12/2004 11:50:52 AM
Mike,

I have to agree with you.  I know of a tool called SWF Extractor that enables you to extract images and sound files from any given Flash movie that's out there.  All you have to do is save the Flash movie to your hard drive and then go from there


quote:
Originally posted by harpua

Unfortunately if you look around there are lots of tools to view acitonscript in an .swf file. I found this article with  some 3rd party products that are suppose to protect it. I'm not sure how or if they work to protect the files.
http://web.zdnet.com.au/builder/webdesign/multimedia/story/0,2000040398,20281905,00.htm?



Ben Horne
Flash Junkie (Seriously, I am)
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

Go there.  I have a lot of awesome photos that I rendered myself

Reply By: Ben Horne Reply Date: 3/12/2004 11:58:53 AM
I forgot to say that SWF Extractor is basically being distributed as freeware on the internet



Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

Go there.  I have a lot of awesome photos that I rendered myself

"A Person Who Claims To Be A Flash Junkie Isn't Really A Flash Junkie Unless He Can Prove It"


Reply By: jshiman Reply Date: 3/22/2004 6:20:45 PM
does this extractor work even on a .swf with the "protect from import" option selected? i am currently having the same problem with people posting my .swfs on their sites without my permission, and need to focus on prevention.  is there any way to load one .swf into another .swf  'skin' and require a variable for the target .swf to play?

jennifer

angry alien productions
http://www.angryalien.com
Reply By: Ben Horne Reply Date: 3/23/2004 12:39:23 PM
Jennifer,

All I can tell you is that I haven't really taken it this far yet.  However I do know of one tool that should help you protect your SWF files.  It's called Swift Optimizer and it's made by a company called Swishsoft.  The program can be found at http://www.download.com

I just downloaded it last night and I've protected nearly all of my Flash files that are being used in a website project that I'm working on with Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004.

When you go to the Download.com website, type in these search terms


  • "Flash protect"

  • or
  • "Swift Optimizer"
  •   


You should be able to find the Swift Optimizer program no matter what search terms you use

Hope This Helps,

Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College student
-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

Go there.  I have a lot of awesome photos that I rendered myself

"A Person Who Claims To Be A Flash Junkie Isn't Really A Flash Junkie Unless He Can Prove It"


Reply By: Saie_Tahnn Reply Date: 4/10/2004 9:06:12 PM
Quote-
Protection against spying through loading
the complete movie into another movie.

if(_root != _level0){
//holla, we get spyed by someone
}


Protection against disassembling:

- Hide code, by putting important code into movieclips
- Hide code by putting code into external swf. Give the
swf a name like pixel.gif.
- Use complicated names in programming
- write long code, which is never used


Protection against spying with notepad

- Don't use the complete cgi address. It is better
to build the address at runtime.
- Instead of naming your variables like points, user,
password, it is better to name them like x34g, fgh65
and qwe223.
- You can use properties instead ot variables to store
results, eg. instead of points=30; use _root.someMc._x=30;


Protection against spying with a proxy or sniffer
- use POST
- use absolute serveraddresses
- encrypt variables and values into one big package
- add tons of useless information
- use GET and POST at the same time


Protection against calling the server with a manipulated swf:
- send _url to the cgi

Reply By: karib Reply Date: 4/25/2004 6:57:12 AM
As far as I know the flash files(swf) cannot be downloaded!
I try to save a web page that contains a flash file and when i look at my disk there are all files except from flash ones.

Am I wrong?

Of course there are specific apps to steal flash like swift decompiler, but it is not so easy for the common user.

Reply By: Ben Horne Reply Date: 4/25/2004 7:32:49 PM
As I said before, there are lots of ways to download Flash movies off the internet.  The hard way to do it is to open up your temporary internet files folder and search for the Flash movie that has been downloaded.  Now, when I say downloaded, I'm saying that Flash movies are automatically downloaded to your computer as part of the web page content.  
   An easier way to download Flash movies would be to find and download a program that is tailored to capturing Flash movies.  Now, as I said in one of my earlier posts, there is a program available on the Download.com website that is called Swift Optimizer.  I've only tried it a little bit but from what I've seen, it does a great job in not only optimizing your Flash files, it also protects them.

Ben Horne
Madison Area Technical College - Truax
3550 Anderson Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53704-2599


-------------------------
http://community.webshots.com/user/valerian114

"There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who claim to be Flash junkies and those who actually are Flash junkies"

Reply By: Saie_Tahnn Reply Date: 8/12/2004 10:28:48 PM
Just dropped by and happened on this post again...

There are third party softwares that will help to protect your flash files... as stated, as well as easily decompile or find them on your HD. Provided you didn't use another way that may have been a little more difficult like wright the protection into your movie script or html doc.

I was only trying to help...not offend anyones ego...but then I'm not the one that needs the "Fix" with my flash files.

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