Encrypt source code or Provide execute only permission

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

To perform a black box testing and get users' feedback, we are planning to deploy a script in a common location and ask users to execute the script. However we do not want them to have a look at the script until the testing is done. I know this is against the open source concept, but it will be for a short period until the testing is complete.

I have server MyServer which has many users. I create a file with MyUserId under /tmp/TestScript.ksh

If I provide permissions 111, then no one is able to execute it due to lack of read permission. But I do not want to give read permission.

Only the owner must read and write the script. Is there anyway we can encrypt source code or revoke read permission for all users?

2

only root can execute the script without read access as root can read anything implicitly.

as root

chown root:root /tmp/TestScript.ksh

chmod 4111 /tmp/TestScript.ksh
chmod 2111 /tmp/TestScript.ksh

now log in as the other user

and execute the script.

3

read this thread

and this article
http://www.evolt.org/article/UNIX\_File\_Permissions\_and\_Setuid\_Part_2/18/263/index.html

for more info

4

don't do this. This is a huge security issue. Some UNIX systems will drop setuid/setgid on shell scripts anyways.

5

I don't have root permission anyway.

6

Why not just compile the script using shcomp? shcomp comes with ksh93.

7

How proficient are those users? If they're not too proficient you might be able to hide the source using uu{en,de}code, eg uuencode your script, put the coded text into a variable in another script where you decode it on start into a temporary file, which you then execute. Just make sure to delete it afterwards.

8

Thanks for all your inputs.