All About Android Pentesting A Complete Methodology

[carlospolop]

🤖 Automated Content Update

This PR was automatically generated by the HackTricks News Bot based on a technical blog post.

📝 Source Information

• Blog URL: https://xcheater.medium.com/all-about-android-pentesting-f047b7c7e0f1
• Blog Title: All About Android Pentesting: A Complete Methodology
• Suggested Section: Mobile Pentesting -> Android Applications Pentesting (add or expand subsections on Manifest & Network Security Config review, Exported Components abuse with drozer, Hardcoded secrets & Firebase misconfigurations, Root detection & SSL pinning bypass, and APK tampering/repackaging).

🎯 Content Summary

The blog presents a complete Android application penetration testing methodology focused on a rooted-device approach and split into static and dynamic analysis. The tester starts with basic information gathering by extracting the APK (e.g. using apktool d app.apk -o decompiled or renaming test.apk to test.zip and unzipping) to inspect the internal structure. Special attention is given to the lib/ directory to identify native .so...

🔧 Technical Details

Manifest and configuration abuse
A general Android pentesting trick is to start from AndroidManifest.xml and related XML configs to uncover misconfigurations that are exploitable without deep reversing. Dangerous permissions (READ_CONTACTS, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, CAMERA, WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) expose extra attack surface for data exfiltration and device abuse. If android:allowBackup is true or absent (default true), an attacker who can run adb against an unlocked device can execute adb backup -f backup.ab com.example.app, then parse the backup to recover sensitive app data (tokens, credentials, internal files). A debuggable release (android:debuggable="true") lets attackers attach a debugger or dynamic instrumentation, manipulate runtime variables, and bypass client-side checks. Weak Network Security Configuration with clear...

🤖 Agent Actions

Summary:

• Expanded the “Looking for interesting info” and manifest review guidance with concrete workflows for APK decompilation, targeted searches, Firebase testing (including FireOver PoCs), and deeper Network Security Config auditing plus added strings/resource hunting tips.
• Augmented the Drozer section with ready-to-use enumeration/exploitation commands and added an APK tampering & integrity verification checklist covering rebuild/sign/verify steps and Janus context.
• Added a root-detection mapping & bypass workflow, enriched the SSL pinning bypass guidance with Frida hook targets and HTTP Toolkit coverage, and updated the References with all newly cited resources (blog plus tooling).

Tests: Not run (not applicable).

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This PR was automatically created by the HackTricks Feed Bot. Please review the changes carefully before merging.

[carlospolop]

🔗 Additional Context

Original Blog Post: https://xcheater.medium.com/all-about-android-pentesting-f047b7c7e0f1

Content Categories: Based on the analysis, this content was categorized under "Mobile Pentesting -> Android Applications Pentesting (add or expand subsections on Manifest & Network Security Config review, Exported Components abuse with drozer, Hardcoded secrets & Firebase misconfigurations, Root detection & SSL pinning bypass, and APK tampering/repackaging).".

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