Reminder: joint PL/Security seminar today (12/11) at 4 PM

["Thomas Reps" <reps@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

4:00 pm, 1325 CS
Programming  Languages  Seminar:  Shai  Rubin, University of Wisconsin,
"On the
   (Im)possibility of Obfuscating Programs"
   In a recent paper, Barak et. el. show that obfuscation of programs is
impos-
   sible  [1].  However,  every  day  hackers  evade detection systems
(Network
   Intrusion Detection Systems and anti-virus software)  by  obfuscating
their
   programs,  i.e.,  worms  and  viruses.  Furthermore, researchers
continue to
   actively explore new techniques for program obfuscation [2]. How can
it  be
   that academic researchers and, more disturbing, hackers successfully
perform
   what Barak has proved to be impossible?

   In this talk, I will address this question. First, I  will  present
Barak's
   theoretical model for obfuscation and his impossibility result. Then,
I will
   try to pinpoint the differences between his theoretical model and
the  real
   world;  differences  that make Barak's proof valid and, at the same
time, do
   not prevent hackers from effectively obfuscate viruses.

   Live discussion is encouraged.

   [1] B. Barak, O. Goldreich R. Impagliazzo, S. Rudich, A. Sahai,  S.
Vadhan,
   and  K. Yang, "On the (Im)possibility of Obfuscating Programs",
CRYPTO 2001.

   [2] Cullen Linn and  Saumya  Debray.  "Obfuscation  of  Executable
Code  to
   Improve Resistance to Static Disassembly", CCS 2003.