Methodology for creating and embedding a digital watermark of increased volume in class files by using an extended set of opcodes
Pavel Sharikov, Andrey V. Krasov · 2025
This work aims to describe the embedding of digital watermarks in the bytecode of class files of a Java application or information system [ 1 ]. Java is one of the popular programming languages. Although Java is losing its rating on the TIOBE index [ 2 , 3 ], a large number of software for government services, banks, various computing centers and servers are still in development as well as already developed in the Java programming language. Java is widely used in a variety of fields, including proximity cards, routers, and Cisco equipment [ 4 ]. However, the prevalence of the language also implies certain risks. Executable class files, which are parts of Java applications and information systems, can be easily analyzed to obtain the source code [ 5 – 7 ]. In addition, there are many class file decompilers that can corrupt the functionality of the program during decompilation.