Customizability is a key feature of the Android operating system that differentiates it from Apple's iOS. One concrete feature that gaining popularity is called "app virtualization''. This feature allows multiple copies of the same app to be installed and opened simultaneously (e.g., with multiple accounts logged in). Virtualization frameworks are used by more than 100 million users worldwide. As with any new system features, we are interested in two aspects: (1) whether the feature itself introduces security risks and (2) whether the feature is abused for unintended purposes. This paper conducts a systematic study on the two aspects of the app virtualization techniques. With a thorough study of 32 popular virtualization frameworks from Google Play, we identify seven areas of potential attack vectors and find that most of the frameworks are susceptible to them. By deeply investigating their ecosystem, we show, with demonstrations, that attackers can easily distribute malware that takes advantage of these attack vectors. In addition, we show that the same virtualization techniques are also abused by malware as an alternative and easy-to-use repackaging mechanism. To this end, we design and implement a new app repackage detector. After scanning 250,145 apps from app markets, it finds 164 repackaged apps that attempt to steal user credentials and private data.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.