pyobfuscate - Python source code obfuscator

pyobfuscate is a source code obfuscator: It makes Python source code hard to read for humans, while still being executable for the Python interpreter.

Why obfuscate?

Obfuscation makes little sense for Open Source (http://www.opensource.org/) programs, but vendors developing commercial applications are usually not happy with shipping the original source code to customers.

Several obfuscators for other languages, like Java, already exists. With Python, the problem is even more severe than with Java, because Python bytecode is not compatible between different Python versions. Also, bytecode is very easy to "decompile" to source code by using "decompyle": http://www.crazy-compilers.com/decompyle/.

If shipping original source code is the only option for distributing Python applications, then many vendors might choose another programming language instead.

What does pyobfuscate do?

pyobfuscate transforms the source code in several ways. Some of these transformations are reversible (can be "un-obfuscated"); some are not. Here's a list of what pyobfuscate currently does:

• Removes comments and docstrings (not reversible)

• Changes indentation (reversible)

• Adds whitespace between tokens (somewhat reversible)

• Renames functions, classes and variables (not reversible)

• Inserts bogus lines instead of blank lines.

Limitations

pyobfuscate operates on one single source file at a time. It does not obfuscate the interface between several files.

pyobfuscate cannot obfuscate methods, class variables or other attributes, currently. See the TODO for more information.