Skip to main content
Top
Published in: The Journal of Supercomputing 1/2016

01-01-2016

Anti-debugging scheme for protecting mobile apps on android platform

Authors: Haehyun Cho, Jongsu Lim, Hyunki Kim, Jeong Hyun Yi

Published in: The Journal of Supercomputing | Issue 1/2016

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The Android application package file, APK file, can be easily decompiled using Android reverse engineering tools. Thus, general apps can be easily transformed into malicious application through reverse engineering and analysis. These repacked apps could be uploaded in general android app market called Google Play Store and redistributed. To prevent theses malicious behaviors such as malicious code injection or code falsifications, many techniques and tools were developed. However, these techniques also can be analyzed using debuggers. Also, analyzed apps can be tampered easily. For example, when applying anti-analysis techniques to android apps using Dexprotector which is commercial tool for protecting android app, it can be seen that these techniques can also be analyzed using debugger. In this paper, to protect the android app from the attack using debugger, we propose anti-debugging techniques for native code debugging and managed code debugging of android apps.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Literature
3.
go back to reference Bornstein D (2008) Dalvik vm internals. In: Google I/O developer conference, vol 23, pp 17–30 Bornstein D (2008) Dalvik vm internals. In: Google I/O developer conference, vol 23, pp 17–30
4.
go back to reference Cesare S (1999) Linux anti-debugging techniques (fooling the debugger). Security focus Cesare S (1999) Linux anti-debugging techniques (fooling the debugger). Security focus
7.
go back to reference Enck W, Octeau D, McDaniel P, Chaudhuri S (2011) A study of android application security. In: USENIX security symposium, vol 2, p 2 Enck W, Octeau D, McDaniel P, Chaudhuri S (2011) A study of android application security. In: USENIX security symposium, vol 2, p 2
8.
go back to reference Fengsheng Y (2011) Android internals: system Fengsheng Y (2011) Android internals: system
9.
go back to reference Gagnon MN, Taylor S, Ghosh AK (2007) Software protection through anti-debugging. IEEE Secur Priv 5(3):82–84CrossRef Gagnon MN, Taylor S, Ghosh AK (2007) Software protection through anti-debugging. IEEE Secur Priv 5(3):82–84CrossRef
10.
go back to reference Huang J (2012) Understanding the dalvik virtual machine. Google Technology User Groups, Taipei Huang J (2012) Understanding the dalvik virtual machine. Google Technology User Groups, Taipei
14.
go back to reference Jung JH, Kim JY, Lee HC, Yi JH (2013) Repackaging attack on android banking applications and its countermeasures. Wirel Pers Commun 73(4):1421–1437CrossRef Jung JH, Kim JY, Lee HC, Yi JH (2013) Repackaging attack on android banking applications and its countermeasures. Wirel Pers Commun 73(4):1421–1437CrossRef
15.
go back to reference Khan S, Khan S, Banuri H, Nauman M, Alam M (2009) Analysis of dalvik virtual machine and class path library. Tech. rep. Security Engineering Research Group, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar Khan S, Khan S, Banuri H, Nauman M, Alam M (2009) Analysis of dalvik virtual machine and class path library. Tech. rep. Security Engineering Research Group, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar
16.
go back to reference Lee C, Jeong YS, Cho SJ (2013) A method to protect android applications against reverse engineering. J Secur Eng 10(1):41–50 Lee C, Jeong YS, Cho SJ (2013) A method to protect android applications against reverse engineering. J Secur Eng 10(1):41–50
17.
go back to reference Schallner M (2006) Beginners guide to basic linux anti anti debugging techniques. Code-Break Mag, Secur Anti-Secur Attack Def 1(2):3–10 Schallner M (2006) Beginners guide to basic linux anti anti debugging techniques. Code-Break Mag, Secur Anti-Secur Attack Def 1(2):3–10
18.
go back to reference Schulz P (2012) Code protection in android. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitgt Bonn, Institute of Computer Science, Bonn Schulz P (2012) Code protection in android. Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitgt Bonn, Institute of Computer Science, Bonn
19.
go back to reference Selvakumar G (2012) Constructing an environment and providing a performance assessment of androids dalvik virtual machine on x86 and arm. Ph.D. thesis, University of Kansas Selvakumar G (2012) Constructing an environment and providing a performance assessment of androids dalvik virtual machine on x86 and arm. Ph.D. thesis, University of Kansas
Metadata
Title
Anti-debugging scheme for protecting mobile apps on android platform
Authors
Haehyun Cho
Jongsu Lim
Hyunki Kim
Jeong Hyun Yi
Publication date
01-01-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
The Journal of Supercomputing / Issue 1/2016
Print ISSN: 0920-8542
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0484
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-015-1559-9

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

The Journal of Supercomputing 1/2016 Go to the issue

Premium Partner