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Asked: 2026-06-10T23:54:22+00:00

Here’s what I would need my program to do: a. The program generates some

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Here’s what I would need my program to do:

a. The program generates some random password and encrypts a file with it.
b. I need to be able to retrieve that password, but not until a day later.

Seems trivial, but there are two requirements:

  1. The program must be resistant to windows clock tampering (one shouldn’t be able to simply move the clock ahead 1 day, and get the password that way)
  2. The program must be resistant to debug tampering (a person with access to source code, shouldn’t be able to retrieve the password)

I know I can get time from time server, which would get around requirement #1, but that still leaves requirement #2. With the source code available, anyone could just modify data received from time server, and fool the application into thinking 1 day has already passed.

Is what I’m trying to do (given the requirements) even possible?

EDIT:
Assume encryption stage IS tamper proof.

To answer one of the questions – the whole point of the application is for a user to be able to hide information from himself for a specific time period (think timed safe where you are not able to open it until a specific time elapses).

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I’d say it wasn’t possible. They key thing it is dependant on time which you have no control over. In theory even trying to get it from a time server is susceptible to a man in the middle attack style since I don’t think there is likely to be any encryption on the time checking (though I could be wrong). So without being able to rely on any measurement of time I think you’re after the impossible.

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