How to Detect Joker Trojan Attacks Using AI
This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Detect Joker Trojan in Android apps.
What is Joker?
Joker malware is a type of Android Trojan primarily designed to steal sensitive information and subscribe users to premium services without their consent. It operates by simulating user interaction with ads and signing up for premium services, leading to financial loss for victims. Joker uses techniques like SMS interception and stealthily interacting with webpages to complete fraudulent subscriptions. This malware often hides within seemingly legitimate apps distributed on Google Play, evading detection by employing dynamic code execution and heavy obfuscation. With Joker malware constantly evolving, attackers have integrated new evasion techniques, making it harder to detect, and increasing the risk it poses to mobile apps, login credentials, and transaction data. As Joker malware evolves, AI-based agents or frameworks could be used by attackers to further enhance its evasion techniques. AI could enable the malware to autonomously adjust its behavior based on detection patterns or adapt its interactions with subscription services to avoid being flagged, making future variants harder to detect and mitigate.
How Appdome Protects Against Joker Trojan in Android Apps
Appdome’s dynamic Detect Joker Trojan plugin for Android combines advanced protections for overlay attacks, accessibility service abuse, keyloggers and screen recording malware.It detects and blocks SMS interception and unauthorized accessibility service use, prevents malicious overlays, and stops ATS malware from hijacking transactions. Protections like screen-sharing prevention safeguard user interactions and sensitive data. Combined, these protections ensure dynamic and continous protection against Joker’s diverse attack vectors without requiring developers to write or change code. Mobile developers can leverage Appdome’s Threat-Events™ to collect detailed data and implement tailored in-app responses based on detected threats.
Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Joker Trojan Plugins:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Joker Trojan , you’ll need:
Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
A license for Detect Bank Trojan Apps
Mobile App (.apk or .aab for Android)
Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
To enable this protection, ensure the android. permission.HIDE_OVERLAY_WINDOWS permission is added to the manifest. If it is missing, Appdome will add it automatically when this protection is applied to the app.
How to Implement Detect Joker Trojan in Android Apps Using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Detect Joker Trojan without an SDK or gateway:
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Designate the Mobile App to be protected.
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Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.
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Android Formats: .apk or .aab
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Detect Joker Trojan is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
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Select the defense: Detect Joker Trojan.
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Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Detect Joker Trojan feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.
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When you enable Detect Bank Trojan Apps you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Joker Trojan.
Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Joker Trojan protection
Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory). -
Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):
Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary
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Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
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Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
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Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
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Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect Joker Trojan feature as shown below:Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Joker Trojan feature
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Add the Detect Joker Trojan feature to your security template.
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Navigate to Build > Anti ATO tab > Android Trojans section in the Appdome Console.
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Toggle On Detect Bank Trojan Apps > Detect Joker Trojan.
Figure 4: Selecting Detect Joker Trojan
Note: The Appdome Platform displays the Mobile Operation Systems supported by each defense in real-time. For more details, see our OS Support Policy KB. -
Configure the User Experience Options for Detect Joker Trojan:
With Threat-Events™ OFF, Appdome provides several user experience options for mobile brands and developers.- App Compromise Notification: Customize the pop-up or toast Appdome uses to notify the user when a threat is present while using the protected mobile app.
- Short message Option. This is available for mobile devices that allow a banner notification for security events.
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Localized Message Option. Allows Appdome users to support global languages in security notifications.
Figure 5: Default User Experience Options for Appdome’s Joker Trojan
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Detect Joker Trojan Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI/ML to generate a unique code each time Detect Joker Trojan is triggered by an active threat on the mobile device. Use the code in Appdome Threat Resolution Center™ to help end users identify, find and resolve active threats on the personal mobile devices.
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Congratulations! The Detect Joker Trojan protection is now added to the mobile app -
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Certify the Detect Joker Trojan feature in Android Apps
After building Detect Joker Trojan, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Detect Joker Trojan protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Detect Joker Trojan protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:
Figure 6: Certified Secure™ certificate
Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Detect Joker Trojan has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect Joker Trojan and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.
Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Detect Joker Trojan. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.
Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Detect Joker Trojan
After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:
- Customizing, Configuring & Branding Secure Mobile Apps.
- Deploying/Publishing Secure mobile apps to Public or Private app stores.
- Releasing Secured Android & iOS Apps built on Appdome.
Related Articles:
- Prevent Accessibility Service Malware on Android Apps
- How to Protect Android Apps from Overlay Attacks & Malware
- How to Perform Passkey Authentication on Appdome
- Prevent ATS Malware in Android Apps
- How to Protect Android Apps from Screen Sharing Malware
- How to Use Enterprise Authentication (SSO) in Mobile Apps
How Do I Learn More?
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
Thank you!
Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.