We now have official full support for .NET 4.0 available in the nightly builds. This update includes runtime support for DeployLX CodeVeil code encryption features and better support for the updated .NET 4.0 runtime security model for all redistributable components.

Download Nightly Build

When running a veiled assembly on your machine you may receive an message that DeployLX has detected possible attempts to tamper with the runtime executive.

Subscribe Product Releases - Subscribe to receive notices about product updates.

Highlights

• Windows 7 Support
• Brand new Network Licensing support local, branch and remote network support including disconnected clients.
• Hundreds of end user enhancements including better instructions, easier navigation, reduced prompts and others.
• New Feature limit to support named features enabled by serial number or extension code.
• New Feature Filter limit to enable or disable child limits based on enabled features.
• New Type limit to filter license support based on licensed type.
• New Reset limit to reset time and use state based on the success of other limits. Enables renewable grace periods.
• New State limit to enforce different rules based on the state of other rules. 
• New Remote Desktop limit to control use over remote desktop sessions.
• New Online limit to enable different rules based on Internet connectivity.
• Dozens of system stability and compatibility enhancements for CodeVeil.
• FIPS compliance.
• Show license forms at any time to extend a license prematurely, enter a new serial number, activate on demand, etc.
• Change Log

Compatibility with 3.x Licensing Runtime

This release can be used as a complete replacement for version 3.x. It is backwards compatible except for a few very specific breaking changes. Existing licenses can be validated with the new runtime license without change. License servers upgraded to the new 4.x runtime can validate and authorize 3.x licenses without change.

Update 4/21: A recent change to the bug tracking software has made all tags private resulting in an empty list of breaking changes. A clone of the list has been published as a backup.

What about .NET 4.0?

Official support for .NET 4.0 will be announced a few weeks following the official release of .NET 4.0. Currently the Licensing component works without issues against the .NET 4.0 Release Candidate. The Code Encryption feature of the CodeVeil Component is not stable in applications running under the .NET 4.0 runtime.

I Have an Assurance Contract, Where's My License?

Valid assurance contract holders will receive a private email with instructions on how to obtain their free covered upgrade. Make sure your account is up to date so that the instruction email is delivered to the right address.

I Have a 3.x License and Want to Upgrade

If you purchased on or after Feb 5, 2010 you will receive a complimentary upgrade. Look for an email from us in the next 2 weeks with instructions on how to obtain your upgrade.

To purchase an upgrade, contact sales with your current serial numbers to request a quote.

It's finally here. We've been working hard to improve the developer experience and user experience with the DeployLX suite of applications.

Highlights

• Reworked the Network Licensing system.
• Windows 7 Compatibility.
• Hundreds of end user enhancements including better instructions, easier navigation, reduced prompts and others.
• 4 Additional limits.
• Limit filters to adjust rules based on the state of other limits.
• Improved system compatibility.
• FIPS Compliance.
• Show license forms at any time after validation.
• Breaking Changes

Change Log

Part of the new development efforts involved integrating a bug tracking/feature tracking system into our development process. We tried FogBugz, AxoSoft and finally settled on what we liked best - YouTrack by the same folks that make ReSharper.

You can find a complete change log for DeployLX on our YouTrack site.

What about .NET 4.0?

Official support for .NET 4.0 will be announced a few weeks following the official release of .NET 4.0. Currently the Licensing component works without issues against the .NET 4.0 Release Candidate. The Code Encryption feature of the CodeVeil Component is not stable in applications running under the .NET 4.0 runtime.

Getting the Release Candidate

The evaluation version of the 4.0 Beta can be downloaded directly from our site.

If you've purchased DeployLX 3.x you'll find the release version of the beta in your account downloads.

Final Release Date

Pending any major security flaws discovered in the release candidate, DeployLX 4.0 will be released for General Availability Monday April 5, 2010.

Go beyond obfuscation.

Most assembly protection tools provide basic obfuscation options to scramble the names of the symbols in the assembly. DeployLX CodeVeil takes this one step further by also providing encryption for the most important resources in your assembly. Without encryption your assembly can easily be reverse engineered and modified with tools like ILDASM and .NET Reflector.

Next Obfuscation

When your .NET project is compiled Visual Studio generates an Assembly containing Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) instructions, managed resources and meta data describing the types, methods, properties, fields and events in your assembly. Obfuscation is the process of renaming this meta-data in an Assembly so that it is no longer useful to a hacker but remains usable to the machine for executing the intended operations. It does not modify the actual instructions or mask them from observation by a hacker.

The process is most easily demonstrated with an example.

public class Program
{
  static void Main( string[] args )
  {
    Console.ReadKey( true );
  }
}

public class B
{
  static void A( string[] )
  {
    Console.ReadKey( true );
  }
}

public class B
{
  static void A( string[] )
  {
    
  }
}

Each assembly contains Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL) instructions that are executed by the .NET runtime when your application is run on the user's machine. MSIL instructions are interpreted by the .NET runtime and converted to native instructions understood by the machine the application is running on. This intermediate state makes it simple for tools like .NET Reflector and ILDASM to read your code and reveal them to unauthorized users. Some tools are also able to translate this code to their original language like C# or Visual Basic that are remarkably similar to the original source.

Obfuscation does not have any effect at all on these MSIL instructions. Obfuscation simply changes the names of classes, methods, etc. but still leaves the code in a readable state. By adding encryption you add an additional layer of security that makes it significantly more difficult for unauthorized users to read your source code or modify your assembly. When your assembly is processed by DeployLX CodeVeil, all the MSIL for encrypted methods is stripped from the assembly and encrypted in secure storage in that assembly. When the assembly is loaded the CodeVeil runtime-executive assumes control of portions of the .NET runtime and manages decrypting the MSIL as needed. The decrypted MSIL is never stored in memory where it can be dumped with the assembly so that a hacker can't ever dump the assembly back to its original unencrypted state.

Some other protection companies have argued that encryption offers no additional security because the application must be decrypted in memory and the key most be stored in the assembly. Even though the key is stored in the application that does not make is insecure. In fact the key itself is not as important as the transformation of the data itself. CodeVeil also uses many runtime-protection operations to frustrate hackers attempting to capture the decrypted assembly. In addition CodeVeil uses a very special decryption system that decrypts only enough information for the .NET runtime to execute that specific method. The code is never stored in the same memory as the assembly itself so the decrypted code cannot be dumped to disk for analysis.

Industry Leading Obfuscation

CodeVeil uses multi-assembly usage analysis to maximize the reduction of meta-data and increase confusion. This enables CodeVeil to rename more items than most other obfuscators and do it automatically without any custom configuration.

• Automatic rules require little or no configuration
• Cross assembly analysis allows renaming of public members
• Add custom rules to handle special cases

Next Anti-Reflection

Anti-Reflection

Take an assembly protected with most obfuscators and open it with ILDASM or .NET Reflector and you're likely to see a great deal of code, resources and strings. CodeVeil adds unique meta-data to proteced assemblies that will either crash or severly limit the usability of offline analysis tools. This meta-data does not interfere with the .NET runtime.

Next Runtime Protection