VMProtect is a next-generation software protection utility. VMProtect supports x86/x86_64/ARM64 binaries and .NET assemblies compiled with C/C++, C#/VB .NET, Rust, and Golang for all major operating systems: Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android. VMProtect supports a wide range of executables; for example, the Windows version can work with Linux/macOS binaries and vice versa.

The cornerstone principle of VMProtect is to provide effective protection of application code from examination by making the code and logic extremely difficult to analyze and crack. The main software protection mechanisms used by VMProtect are virtualization, mutation, and combined protection, which involves mutating the application code followed by virtualization.

The crucial advantage of the virtualization method used in VMProtect is that the virtual machine executing virtualized code fragments is embedded directly into the protected application's resulting code. Therefore, an application protected with VMProtect does not require any third-party libraries or modules to function. VMProtect also allows the use of several different virtual machines to protect different code fragments within the same application, making the cracking process even more complicated, as a hacker must analyze the architecture of multiple virtual machines.

The application code mutation method used in VMProtect is based on obfuscation — a process that adds various excessive or “garbage” instructions, “dead” code sections, and random conditional jumps to the application code. It also mutates original instructions and transfers execution of certain operations to the stack.

The key difference between VMProtect and other software protectors is its ability to protect different parts of the code using different methods: one part of the code can be virtualized, another part can be obfuscated, and critical fragments can be protected using the combined method.

Another unique feature of VMProtect is the embedding of watermarks into the application code. Watermarks make it possible to reliably identify the original owner of a leaked or hacked copy of the software and therefore take appropriate action against them.

VMProtect is available in 3 editions:

• Lite;
• Professional;
• Ultimate;

The below table lists differences in functionality of certain VMProtect editions: