How to hide a file (any file)?

john_tran · 11-03-2004, 01:01 AM

I want to write a program that will hide a file so that noone can see it in the directory. And will unhide it when requesting. What technology i should know to do that?

redhead · 11-03-2004, 02:58 AM

This is a system dependant thing, it is handled within the filesystem, and usualy you would use functions like fstat(), lstat(), stat() and chmod().
These however are not ansi C/C++ compliant.

Androto · 11-03-2004, 06:50 PM

i'm not sure if you can rename files in c++ or not, but if you can, rename a file to have a period in the front of the name, it will be considered a hidden file by the os. i know that this works on macs

gamehead200 · 11-04-2004, 03:17 AM

Only in non-MS operating systems will that work, Androto... You can see all files in Windows unless they have been hidden in their file properties...

john_tran · 11-04-2004, 05:27 AM

Yes, that's right.
User can unhide easily by choosing Folder Option (windows)/ and set view unhide file.
I mean that the file will hide all time even user set view unhide file. And just my program can set unhide attribute to the file only.

So where node i stay to learn?

Androto · 11-04-2004, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androto

i'm not sure if you can rename files in c++ or not, but if you can, rename a file to have a period in the front of the name, it will be considered a hidden file by the os. i know that this works on macs

what don't you understand by this?! why would i post that up here if i knew it wouldn't work, anyways, why does windows not use this? is soo much easier to hide files.

redhead · 11-04-2004, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_tran

I mean that the file will hide all time even user set view unhide file. And just my program can set unhide attribute to the file only.
So where node i stay to learn?

Start writing your own filesystem, where the OS itself can be kept from viewing a file with a specific show/hide bit set...
Apart from that I don't see any solution.

john_tran · 11-05-2004, 02:51 AM

Really? Oh, i dont think so. Because we also can unhide a system file!!!
Oh, nobody know my program?

redhead · 11-05-2004, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Oh, nobody know my program?

Are you talking about SuckIT (http://www.phrack.org/phrack/58/p58-0x07) ?
I wasn't going for a program here, I was talking about the mere programming needed to achieve the desired solution.

john_tran · 11-05-2004, 04:21 AM

No, i not use porgram like that.
I means that what i should learn to program by c++ to hide the file. Just it's all.
I see some application can do that, but i dont know how they do that. So i really want to know abou this tech.
(application set the file hide, user cannot unhide it if they do not use this program. Just only this program can unhide the file, you know what i mean?)

cheawick · 11-06-2004, 10:18 AM

If you could ever figure out such an ability the video game industry would be trampling down your door with offers. I agree with redhead. You would have to build an entirely new OS so that general ACSII, HEX, and other text editors wouldn't have a clue as to what the data means.