Chapter 2
Ghost in the Machine
If you’re trying to understand just how good an obfuscator or decompiler really is, then it helps to be able to see what’s going on inside a DEX file and the corresponding Java class file. Otherwise you’re relying on the word of a third-party vendor or, at best, a knowledgeable reviewer. For most people, that’s not good enough when you’re trying to protect mission-critical code. At the very least, you should be able to talk intelligently about the area of decompilation and ask the obvious questions to understand what’s happening.
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
The Wizard of Oz
At this moment there are all sorts of noises coming from Google saying that there isn’t anything to worry about ...
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