Billing Fraud

Billing fraud malware on Android typically refers to malicious software designed to exploit mobile
users by initiating unauthorized charges on their phone bills. These charges could be for
premium services, subscriptions, or content downloads that the user didn't authorize.

Examples to identify billing fraud malware:

1. Excessive Permissions: Malicious apps often request unnecessary permissions. Look
for permissions related to sending SMS, making phone calls, accessing billing
information, etc., which are not relevant to the app's stated purpose.

2. Unusual Network Activity: Monitor network requests made by the app. Look for
suspicious requests to premium-rate numbers or third-party billing services.

3. Abnormal SMS Sending: Check if the app sends SMS messages without user consent,
especially to premium numbers.

4. Hidden Code or Obfuscation: Malware authors often obfuscate their code to evade
detection. Look for heavily obfuscated code or suspicious code structures.

5. Dynamic Code Loading: Check if the app dynamically loads code from remote servers,
which could be used to update malicious functionality without going through app store
review processes.
 6. Analyzing APK Files: You can use tools like JADX or JADX-GUI to decompile APK files
and analyze the source code for suspicious behaviors.

Stalkerware
Stalkerware malware on Android is a type of malicious software that allows a third party to
monitor or track a device user's activities without their consent. This can include tracking GPS
location, call logs, text messages, browsing history, and other sensitive data. Stalkerware is
often disguised as legitimate applications or hidden within seemingly innocuous software.
1. Check for Suspicious Permissions: Stalkerware often requires extensive permissions
to access sensitive information. You can check the permissions requested by installed
apps and flag those that request unnecessary permissions.

2. Look for Hidden or Background Processes: Stalkerware often runs in the background
to avoid detection. You can enumerate running processes and services to identify any
suspicious activity.
3. Check for Unusual Network Activity: Stalkerware may communicate with remote
servers to send collected data. You can monitor network traffic to detect any unusual
activity.

Denial of Service (DoS)

A denial of service (DoS) malware on Android is a type of malicious software that aims
to disrupt the normal functioning of a device or network by overwhelming it with a flood
of unnecessary requests, thus making it unavailable to legitimate users. Identifying such
malware typically involves analyzing the behavior of the application, its network activity,
and resource consumption patterns.
1. Permissions Analysis: Check the permissions requested by the application.
Malware might request unnecessary permissions related to network access or
system resources.
2. Network Traffic Analysis: Monitor the network traffic generated by the application.
Look for patterns such as sending a high volume of requests to specific servers or
flooding the network with traffic.
3. Resource Consumption: Monitor the device's resource consumption while the
application is running. Look for abnormal spikes in CPU, memory, or battery usage.
4. Behavioral Analysis: Analyze the behavior of the application during runtime. Look
for signs of excessive looping, recursive functions, or other activities that could lead
to resource exhaustion.
5. Static Code Analysis: Analyze the application's source code for any suspicious or
malicious code patterns. Look for code that initiates repetitive tasks without proper
termination conditions.
 In this example, the NetworkTask class runs an infinite loop, sending GET requests to a
target URL without any termination condition. Such behavior could potentially lead to a
denial of service attack if deployed in a real-world scenario.

Hostile downloaders
Hostile downloaders are a type of malware that typically masquerades as a legitimate
application but actually serves the purpose of downloading and installing additional malicious
software onto the victim's device. This additional software could include spyware, ransomware,
or other types of malware designed to steal data or perform other malicious actions.
1. Static Analysis: Manifest file inspection
2. Dynamic Analysis: Runtime behavior monitoring

3. Network Traffic Monitoring:

Non Android threat
Non-Android threats in Android typically refer to security vulnerabilities or risks that stem from
sources other than the Android operating system itself. These can include issues arising from
third-party libraries, insecure coding practices, network vulnerabilities, and user behavior
1. Insecure Network Communication:

To identify: Search for instances of HttpURLConnection or HttpClient in the codebase.

These might indicate insecure network communication.

2. Improper Data Storage:

To identify: Look for usage of SharedPreferences, FileOutputStream, or any file-

based storage mechanism where sensitive data might be stored in plaintext.

3. Insecure Permissions:

To identify: Review the AndroidManifest.xml file for permissions requested by the

application. Look for dangerous permissions that might be excessive or unnecessary.

4. SQL Injection:

To identify: Search for instances of rawQuery() or execSQL() methods where input

from user or external sources is directly concatenated into SQL queries.

5. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in WebView:

To identify: Check for instances of WebView usage where loadUrl() is called with
untrusted URLs or where addJavascriptInterface() is used without proper validation.

Phishing
Phishing in the context of Android typically refers to the malicious attempt to acquire
sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by
disguising as a trustworthy entity in electronic communication. This could be through
fraudulent emails, messages, or even fake websites designed to look like legitimate
ones.
1. Checking URL Integrity: One common approach is to verify if the URLs used within
the app are legitimate. You can use regular expressions or URL validation methods
to check this.

2. Inspecting Permissions: Check if the app requests unnecessary permissions that

could be used for phishing activities. You can inspect the AndroidManifest.xml file
of the app for this purpose.

3. User Interface Consistency: Analyze the app's UI elements to detect any

inconsistencies that might indicate a phishing attempt. For example, check if the
login screen matches the design patterns of the legitimate app.
 4. SSL Certificate Validation: Ensure that HTTPS connections are properly secured
with valid SSL certificates to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.

Elevated

In Android, elevated privileges typically refer to permissions or capabilities granted to an

application beyond the basic permissions granted to all apps. These elevated privileges often
involve accessing sensitive user data or performing system-level operations.
1. Checking Manifest Permissions: Look for permissions declared in the
AndroidManifest.xml file. Dangerous permissions are typically declared here. For
example, to check for the CAMERA permission:

2. Checking Permission Requests: Look for code that requests dangerous permissions
at runtime using the requestPermissions() method. For example:

3. Using System APIs: Look for code that interacts with system-level APIs or services. For
example, accessing system settings:
 4. Root Access Detection: Check for code that attempts to gain root access. This could
involve executing shell commands or using third-party libraries designed for rooting.

5. Reviewing Third-party Libraries: Check the dependencies used in the project for any
libraries that might grant elevated privileges or access sensitive data.

Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system or
files until a sum of money is paid. It typically encrypts files on the victim's device and demands
payment, often in cryptocurrency, to decrypt them.
1. Permissions: Ransomware often requires certain permissions to access files or device
functions that are not typically necessary for legitimate apps. You can check the app's
manifest file for suspicious permissions.

2. Network Activity: Ransomware may communicate with command and control servers
to receive instructions or to report back on its status. Monitoring network traffic from the
app can help identify suspicious behavior.

3. File Operations: Ransomware encrypts files on the device, so monitoring file operations
can help detect suspicious activity. Look for excessive file read/write operations or
unusual file extension changes.
 4. Behavior Analysis: Ransomware often exhibits certain behaviors such as locking the
screen, displaying ransom messages, or encrypting files. Monitor the app's behavior for
any of these signs.

5. Dynamic Analysis: Run the app in a controlled environment, such as an emulator, and
monitor its behavior in real-time. This can help identify any malicious actions it may
attempt.

Rooting
In the context of Android devices, "rooting" refers to the process of gaining privileged control
(often referred to as "root access" or "superuser access") over the Android operating system.
This allows users to have deeper access to system files and settings, enabling them to perform
actions that are typically restricted by the device manufacturer or carrier.

However, rooting can void warranties, potentially expose the device to security risks, and may
cause instability or even render the device inoperable if not done correctly. It's a process
typically reserved for advanced users who understand the risks involved.
Here's a simple Java code snippet that attempts to check if a device is rooted by checking for
the presence of the Superuser.apk file:
Spam
Spam, in the context of electronic communication, refers to unsolicited or unwanted messages,
typically sent in bulk. These messages could include advertisements, phishing attempts,
malware, or other types of unwanted content. Identifying spam programmatically can involve
various techniques such as keyword analysis, machine learning algorithms, and rule-based
filtering

You can use this SpamDetector class in your Android app to check if a message is spam:
This example simply checks for the presence of specific keywords in the message. However, a
more sophisticated approach might involve using machine learning algorithms trained on a
dataset of spam and non-spam messages to make more accurate predictions.

Spyware
Spyware refers to software that is installed on a device without the user's consent, usually with
malicious intent to gather sensitive information or monitor the user's activities. In the context of
Android development, spyware can manifest as applications that stealthily collect data such as
location, contacts, messages, and browsing history, and then transmit this data to remote
servers controlled by malicious actors.
1. Permissions Analysis: Spyware often requires extensive permissions to access
sensitive data on the device. You can start by examining the permissions requested by
an application.

2. Network Traffic Monitoring: Spyware typically communicates with remote servers to

transmit stolen data. You can monitor network traffic generated by an application to
identify suspicious communication.
 3. File System Analysis: Spyware may store captured data in files on the device's file
system. You can search for suspicious files or directories within the application's data
directory.

4. Runtime Behavior Analysis: Spyware may exhibit certain runtime behaviors such as
running in the background, starting automatically on device boot, or capturing
screenshots.

Trojan

A Trojan is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate software program but actually
performs malicious actions when executed. These actions can include stealing sensitive
information, damaging files, or giving an attacker unauthorized access to the victim's system.
1. Unauthorized Data Access: Trojans often attempt to access sensitive data without
proper authorization. Look for code that accesses data such as contacts, messages, or
device identifiers without a legitimate reason.
2. Hidden Functionality: Trojans may hide their malicious functionality within seemingly
innocuous code. Look for suspicious methods or classes that don't seem to serve a
legitimate purpose.

3. Dynamic Code Loading: Trojans may dynamically load additional code at runtime to
evade detection. Look for code that loads classes or executes code dynamically based
on runtime conditions.

4. Network Communication: Trojans often communicate with remote servers to receive

commands or send stolen data. Look for code that establishes network connections or
sends data to suspicious URLs.

5. Excessive Permissions: Trojans may request unnecessary permissions to gain access

to sensitive resources. Review the permissions requested by the app and ensure they
are justified.

6. Code Obfuscation: Trojans may obfuscate their code to make it harder to analyze.
Look for code that is heavily obfuscated or uses encryption techniques to conceal its
purpose.