Erlang Binary and Source Code Obfuscation
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866908966045351936 |
|---|---|
| author | Morse, Gregory Kozsik, Tamás |
| author_facet | Morse, Gregory Kozsik, Tamás |
| contents | This paper studies obfuscation techniques for Erlang programs at the source, abstract syntax tree, BEAM assembly, and BEAM bytecode levels. We focus on transformations that complicate reverse engineering, decompilation, and recompilation while remaining grounded in the actual behavior of the Erlang compiler, validator, loader, and virtual machine. The paper categorizes opcode-level dependency tricks, receive-based loop encodings, irregular control-flow constructions, mutability-oriented performance obfuscation, and self-modifying code enabled by dynamic module loading. A recurring theme is that effective obfuscation in BEAM often arises not from arbitrary corruption, but from exploiting representational gaps between high-level Erlang semantics and the lower-level execution model accepted by the toolchain and runtime. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_13675 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Erlang Binary and Source Code Obfuscation Morse, Gregory Kozsik, Tamás Programming Languages Cryptography and Security 68N20 (Primary) 68M25, 68N19 (Secondary) D.2.7; D.3.4; D.4.6 This paper studies obfuscation techniques for Erlang programs at the source, abstract syntax tree, BEAM assembly, and BEAM bytecode levels. We focus on transformations that complicate reverse engineering, decompilation, and recompilation while remaining grounded in the actual behavior of the Erlang compiler, validator, loader, and virtual machine. The paper categorizes opcode-level dependency tricks, receive-based loop encodings, irregular control-flow constructions, mutability-oriented performance obfuscation, and self-modifying code enabled by dynamic module loading. A recurring theme is that effective obfuscation in BEAM often arises not from arbitrary corruption, but from exploiting representational gaps between high-level Erlang semantics and the lower-level execution model accepted by the toolchain and runtime. |
| title | Erlang Binary and Source Code Obfuscation |
| topic | Programming Languages Cryptography and Security 68N20 (Primary) 68M25, 68N19 (Secondary) D.2.7; D.3.4; D.4.6 |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13675 |