Prevent unauthorized access and modification of the source code in Cordova/Phonegap apps

It is common knowledge that Cordova and PhoneGap utilize a webview, allowing the app to contain html, js, and css files that are editable. But is there a way to secure these files once the app is installed on a device? Is it possible to hide the code in some manner?

I am curious about this topic and would love to learn more. Ideally, app stores should handle hiding the code rather than leaving it up to developers. However, if you have any tips, ideas, or clues on how to achieve this, please feel free to share!

Thank you!

javascriptandroidioscordovaweb-applications

Answer №1

One way to enhance security is by obfuscating the html, css, and javascript files...

Here are some helpful resources:

It's important to note that obfuscation is not the same as encryption.
While your code can be reversed, it will require effort from programmers who are not lazy.

Answer №2

None of the answers provided so far meet the criteria for bounty, but fear not! I have uncovered the official stance from the Cordova project itself:

Do not assume your source code is secure

With a Cordova application being constructed from HTML and JavaScript assets wrapped in a native container, it's best not to rely on the security of your code. A Cordova application can be reverse engineered.

There exists a method to encrypt the code during packaging and decrypt it upon use, providing an extra layer of complexity for potential hackers. Take a look at this informative blog post which details how to implement this on iOS. The same principle applies for Android and other platforms. Remember, the encryption key must always accompany the package for security purposes.

Answer №3

One way to enhance the security of your code is by minifying and obfuscating it, making it more difficult to tamper with or comprehend. Personally, I find the GUI YUI Compressor for Windows to be an effective tool for this purpose. Check out the GUI YUI for Windows here

When using the compressor, consider unchecking the Verbose option. I recommend setting it to use UTF8 encoding and preserving semi-colons, as I have found this configuration to work well for me.

Answer №4

In many instances, simply obfuscating JS files is sufficient and can be achieved efficiently using tools like gulp (my personal recommendation) or grunt.

Nevertheless, for mission-critical applications, a native (compiled) plugin can be employed to encase your files in an encrypted format that is decrypted upon app launch (although this may impact performance).

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