Wordpress theme with encrypted footer

**imaginet** · 12-11-2007, 12:14 PM

Hello everyone.
I recently downloaded a new wordpress theme for my blog and while customizing it I realized that the footer was encrypted.

That was the code of the footer:

Code:

<?php $_F=__FILE__;$_X='Pz48ZDR2IGNsMXNzPSJjbDUxbjVyIj48L2Q0dj4NCjwvZDR2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';eval(base64_decode('JF9YPWJhc2U2NF9kZWNvZG
UoJF9YKTskX1g9c3RydHIoJF9YLCcxMjM0NTZhb3VpZScsJ2FvdWllMTIzNDU2Jyk
7JF9SPWVyZWdfcmVwbGFjZSgnX19GSUxFX18nLCInIi4kX0YuIiciLCRfWCk7ZXZ
hbCgkX1IpOyRfUj0wOyRfWD0wOw=='));?>

I googled for "eval(base64_decode" and tried to find info on how to decode it but I did not manage to find any decrypting solution. Does anyone know how to decode this?

A kind of solution I found and did was to copy the source code of the footer from the generated page and paste it in my footer.php file. This 'trick' worked fine but the footer now is static. So, I need the code to show the 'most recent posts', the 'most recent comments' and 'friendly links'.
What is the code to show those on my footer?

Thanks in advance for your help.

**jamestl2** · 12-11-2007, 10:54 PM

Some themes do NOT allow users to edit the footer, it all depends on the theme creator. It was encrypted probably because he was one of them, and didn't want the footer customized.

I wouldn't tamper with it if this is the case.

**duderawk** · 12-12-2007, 08:52 PM

Code:

<div class="clear"></div>
        </div>
        <div class="footer"><font size=2><center><p><p> Copyright &copy;&nbsp;2006 <?php bloginfo('name'); ?> 
</font>
            
        </div>
    </div>

</body>

</html>

This code in the footer should work.

**mental** · 12-15-2007, 04:52 PM

I really do not know how to decode that. Looks like a bitmap...

**OSWebMaster** · 12-17-2007, 03:35 PM

Hi there -

This could have been done because the author actually sold backlinks in the footer area which he did not want you to remove. This is controversial, (there is a report on it in a recent WordPress Roundup article see also this article) and I have to question whether you want to do business with a company/designer that tries to force you to accept backlinks in your site template that would take people away from your website. Encrypting kind of violates the Open Source spirit doesn't it?

Best regards -
Scott

**coolkbk585** · 12-17-2007, 06:48 PM

The point of encrypting the footer is because the maker of the theme does not want their name (and their credit for the layout) to just be deleted to anyone that decides to use it. The way that people that make themes get popular is by having their name on the bottom of people's web sites.

But most people don't like having other people's names on the bottom of their site, so the people have to encode it so people don't know how to take their name off without messing up the layout.

**Learning Newbie** · 12-17-2007, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSWebMaster

Encrypting kind of violates the Open Source spirit doesn't it?

YES!

I'm glad someone else feels this way.