Re: hiding strings in binaries

I gather that this was one of the entries in the "obfuscated 'C'" programming contests that used to be held some years ago. (Are they still held?)

I don't know if they're still held, but for a history of the contest from 1984-1991, see Libes, Don. _Obfuscated C and Other Mysteries_. New York: Wiley, 1993. Many of the programs use Rot-13 encryption. The book describes some generally applicable principles of obfuscation. A "Twelve Days of Christmas" program was the winner of the 1988 "Least Likely to Compile Successfully" award. Dan Fain Caltech