# AiLock: Hide source from AI assistants while tests still run

> Source: <https://github.com/lo2589/AILOCK>
> Published: 2026-05-31 13:37:53+00:00

**Keep code encrypted on disk, decrypt it only in memory, and still run it normally.**

AiLock encrypts files in place so filesystem-level AI access (`read_file`

, `grep`

,
`cat`

, codebase indexing) sees only binary ciphertext. At the same time,
developers can run encrypted Python code, import encrypted modules, read encrypted
data files, and edit locked files through controlled plaintext views. The central
idea is **memory-only decryption**: plaintext is materialized inside the AiLock
runtime process, not written back to the working tree.

Disk: ciphertext for AI and ordinary file readers. Runtime: plaintext only inside the controlled execution process.

Most encryption tools protect files at rest, but make the code unusable until it is decrypted back onto disk. AiLock is built for a different workflow:

**AI-opacity**: coding assistants that read the working tree see ciphertext.** Memory-only execution**:`ailock run`

decrypts encrypted Python files inside the process and executes them without restoring plaintext on disk.**Transparent imports**: encrypted modules can import each other.** Transparent file I/O**:`open()`

,`Path.read_text()`

, and`Path.read_bytes()`

can return plaintext inside the runtime.**GUI plaintext viewport**:`ailock open`

lets the developer inspect and edit files without leaving plaintext in the working tree.**Recovery path**: encrypted backups and optional recovery keys help recover damaged or forgotten-password files.

- Python 3.11 or newer
`pip`

- Runtime packages installed automatically from
`pyproject.toml`

:`argon2-cffi`

,`cryptography`

, and`pyzipper`

`tkinter`

for`ailock open`

; it is bundled with many Python installations, but some Linux distributions package it separately as`python3-tk`

Install from GitHub:

```
git clone https://github.com/lo2589/AILOCK.git
cd AILOCK
pip install .
```

For editable development installs:

```
git clone https://github.com/lo2589/AILOCK.git
cd AILOCK
pip install -e .
```

Check the command:

```
ailock --help
```

If the command is not on your `PATH`

, use the module entry point:

```
python -m aloc --help
# Encrypt a file in place.
ailock lock secret.py

# AI/file tools see ciphertext.
cat secret.py
grep "password" .

# You can still use the code.
ailock show secret.py
ailock run secret.py
ailock open .

# Restore plaintext on disk when needed.
ailock unlock secret.py
```

The key idea:

```
ailock lock app.py      # app.py becomes ciphertext on disk
ailock run app.py       # app.py is decrypted in memory and executed
```

`ailock run`

is the core feature. It decrypts the entry file in memory, executes
the plaintext inside the Python process, and leaves the working-tree file as
ciphertext. No plaintext copy is written next to the encrypted file.

```
ailock run main.py
ailock run -m mypackage
ailock run app.py -- --port 8080
```

While the program is running, AiLock installs hooks so application code can behave as if the files were plain:

``` php
encrypted .py on disk -> decrypt in memory -> exec/import inside Python
encrypted data file   -> decrypt in memory -> open()/Path.read_text()
```

Inside your program, no AiLock-specific code is required:

``` python
import json
from secret_module import algorithm

with open("config.json") as f:
    config = json.load(f)

print(algorithm(config))
```

If `secret_module.py`

or `config.json`

is locked, AiLock decrypts it for the
runtime while the filesystem still contains ciphertext.

Encrypt a file or directory in place.

```
ailock lock secret.py
ailock lock src/
ailock lock secret.py --recovery
```

Notes:

- Directories are processed recursively.
- Already locked files are skipped.
- Plaintext backups are stored as encrypted ZIP backups under
`.ailock/backups/`

by default. `--recovery`

prints a recovery key. Save it separately; it is not shown again.

Run encrypted Python code without writing plaintext back to disk.

```
ailock run main.py
ailock run -m mypackage
ailock run app.py -- --port 8080
```

Runtime interception layers:

- import hook for encrypted Python modules
- patched
`builtins.open`

- patched
`pathlib.Path.read_text`

and`pathlib.Path.read_bytes`

Open a GUI plaintext viewport/editor for a directory.

```
ailock open .
ailock open src/
```

Locked files are decrypted for display. Saving writes encrypted content back to disk.

Print decrypted content to stdout without modifying the file.

```
ailock show secret.py
ailock show secret.py | head
```

Decrypt a file or directory back to plaintext on disk.

```
ailock unlock secret.py
ailock unlock src/ --backup
```

Recover a locked file using a recovery key generated by `--recovery`

.

```
ailock recover secret.py
```

Start a stdin/stdout JSON-RPC workspace server for controlled plaintext access.

```
ailock freelock .
```

Example requests:

```
{"method": "list_files", "params": {}, "id": 1}
{"method": "read_file", "params": {"path": "main.py"}, "id": 2}
{"method": "grep", "params": {"pattern": "TODO"}, "id": 3}
{"method": "write_file", "params": {"path": "main.py", "content": "..."}, "id": 4}
{"method": "flush", "params": {}, "id": 5}
ailock status file.py
ailock forget
ailock forget --all
ailock config
ailock config backup-dir /path/to/backups
ailock init --as aa
```

`ailock init --as <name>`

installs a local launcher under a custom command name.
This is useful when you want the unlock command to be deployment-specific.

AiLock targets filesystem-level AI access. It is designed for coding assistants and indexers that inspect files through ordinary reads. In that model, locked files reveal only ciphertext.

AiLock does not claim to stop a fully informed local adversary who can run arbitrary commands, capture process memory, or trick the user into decrypting files. For stronger isolation, combine AiLock with operating-system execution policy, process isolation, and careful secret handling.

- Argon2id for password-derived keys
- ChaCha20-Poly1305 for authenticated encryption
- independent random file keys
- password wrapping for file keys
- optional recovery-key wrapping
- encrypted ZIP backups for emergency recovery

```
aloc/
  cli.py        command-line interface
  runner.py     in-memory execution engine
  workspace.py  decrypted workspace API and JSON-RPC handler
  gui.py        tkinter GUI editor
  crypto.py     Argon2id and ChaCha20-Poly1305 helpers
  format.py     locked-file format parser/encoder
  fileops.py    atomic writes and backup helpers
  cache.py      sudo-style password cache
  manifest.py   .ailock manifest and backup management
  recovery.py   recovery key support
  install.py    custom command-name launcher
```

`argon2-cffi`

`cryptography`

`pyzipper`

`tkinter`

for the GUI, provided by many Python installations

MIT