[flash] How do you decompile a swf file

I am the maintainer of a site that has allegedly 'lost' the source code to a flash swf file. How do I decompile this source?

Are there any programs online or offline that I could use?

This question is related to flash decompiling

The answer is


I've had good luck with the SWF::File library on CPAN, and particularly the dumpswf.plx tool that comes with that distribution. It generates Perl code that, when run, regenerates your SWF.


This can also be done freely online: http://www.showmycode.com/

EDIT A quick Google search turned up this list, which probably has all the tools you could possibly want (look at the comments as well): http://bruce-lab.blogspot.co.il/2010/08/freeswfdecompilers.html


erlswf is an opensource project written in erlang for decompiling .swf files.

Here's the site: https://github.com/bef/erlswf


I've used Sothink SWF decompiler a couple of times, the only problem is that as project gets more complex, the output of decompiler gets harder to compile back again. But it ensures that you can get your .as files most of the time, compilable fla is a question.

Sothink SWF Decompiler


Usually 'lost' is a euphemism for "We stopped paying the developer and now he wont give us the source code."

That being said, I own a copy of Burak's ActionScript Viewer, and it works pretty well. A simple google search will find you many other SWF decompilers.


Get the Sothink SWF decompiler. Not free, but worth it. Recently used it to decompile an SWF that I had lost the fla for, and I could completely round-trip swf-fla and back!
link text


erlswf is an opensource project written in erlang for decompiling .swf files.

Here's the site: https://github.com/bef/erlswf


Usually 'lost' is a euphemism for "We stopped paying the developer and now he wont give us the source code."

That being said, I own a copy of Burak's ActionScript Viewer, and it works pretty well. A simple google search will find you many other SWF decompilers.


Get the Sothink SWF decompiler. Not free, but worth it. Recently used it to decompile an SWF that I had lost the fla for, and I could completely round-trip swf-fla and back!
link text


Usually 'lost' is a euphemism for "We stopped paying the developer and now he wont give us the source code."

That being said, I own a copy of Burak's ActionScript Viewer, and it works pretty well. A simple google search will find you many other SWF decompilers.


I've used Sothink SWF decompiler a couple of times, the only problem is that as project gets more complex, the output of decompiler gets harder to compile back again. But it ensures that you can get your .as files most of the time, compilable fla is a question.

Sothink SWF Decompiler


erlswf is an opensource project written in erlang for decompiling .swf files.

Here's the site: https://github.com/bef/erlswf


This can also be done freely online: http://www.showmycode.com/

EDIT A quick Google search turned up this list, which probably has all the tools you could possibly want (look at the comments as well): http://bruce-lab.blogspot.co.il/2010/08/freeswfdecompilers.html


erlswf is an opensource project written in erlang for decompiling .swf files.

Here's the site: https://github.com/bef/erlswf


Get the Sothink SWF decompiler. Not free, but worth it. Recently used it to decompile an SWF that I had lost the fla for, and I could completely round-trip swf-fla and back!
link text