Its best not to share the entire code here due to privacy and security considerations. Instead, you could upload the relevant portions of the code where the licensing logic is implemented, or describe your current licensing mechanism in detail.

Here are a few steps to consider that may also help with security:

1. License Key Validation: Make sure the license key verification is done server-side (e.g., calling your own licensing server). If it’s purely local, it’s more vulnerable to bypassing.
2. Obfuscation: Use obfuscation tools or encode your PHP code with tools like ionCube, as this can make reverse-engineering more difficult.
3. Checksum Verification: Check for altered files by adding checksum validation. This way, if someone tampers with the code to bypass the license, the checksums won’t match.
4. Log License Check Failures: Add logging to detect failed license checks, so you know if someone is trying to circumvent the process.

ionCube Loader helps secure PHP code by encrypting or obfuscating it, which protects it from being easily readable or modifiable. Here’s how ionCube can specifically help in enforcing a licensing system:

1. Code Obfuscation and Encryption

• Protects Your Code: ionCube encodes PHP files into a format that standard PHP engines cannot interpret directly. Only with the ionCube Loader extension installed can the server decode and run the files, making it much harder for unauthorized users to modify or bypass the code.
• Reduces Reverse Engineering: Since the PHP source code is encrypted, it prevents easy reverse-engineering. Attackers cannot simply open the files and modify or remove licensing checks without significant effort, increasing the security of your licensing enforcement.

2. License Binding

• Restrict Usage to Specific Servers: You can configure ionCube to restrict code execution to specific domains, IP addresses, or even specific servers. This binding ensures that the software can only be run in authorized environments, limiting unauthorized redistribution.
• Expiration Control: ionCube supports license expiration, which can automatically disable the software after a set period or when a subscription lapses. This feature can be useful if your software operates on a subscription model.

3. Tamper Resistance

• With ionCube, you can include tamper detection in the encoded code. If someone tries to modify the encoded files, ionCube can detect these changes and prevent the code from running, protecting the licensing logic from being bypassed.

4. Enhanced Licensing Options

• ionCube includes additional licensing capabilities that allow for custom license checks, which you can use to validate licenses against a remote server. This server-based approach adds an extra layer, ensuring that the code only runs if it receives a “valid license” response from your licensing server.

How to Integrate ionCube in Your Project

You would typically encode the files that contain critical business logic, especially the parts that handle license validation, with ionCube Encoder. Once encoded, distribute these files with the ionCube Loader requirement, which your users would need on their servers to run the encoded files.

By using ionCube to obfuscate and encrypt your code, you add a robust layer that makes unauthorized access and license bypassing much more challenging. Let me know if you’d like to explore implementing ionCube for your project!