How to Implement App Shielding in iOS and Android Apps Using AI
This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Enforce Android Anti-Tampering in Android apps.
What Is App Shielding?
App Shielding and Anti-tampering safeguard mobile apps against unauthorized modifications that alter their code, processes, or runtime environments. Tampering includes both static changes, such as altering binaries or injecting code, and dynamic changes, like manipulating app memory or environment variables. Attackers use these methods to bypass protections, disable security features, or introduce malicious behaviors like unauthorized in-app purchases or data theft. Tools such as Frida, APKTool, and patching frameworks make tampering accessible and scalable. Preventing tampering ensures the app performs as intended, mitigating risks like data breaches, app repackaging, and unauthorized access. Compliance standards like OWASP MASVS and PCI-DSS require app integrity protections to safeguard against tampering, as compromised apps jeopardize sensitive data, financial security, and user safety. Without robust anti-tampering measures, attackers can exploit app weaknesses, leading to operational, compliance, and security failures.
How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps With App Shielding?
Appdome’s dynamic app shielding plugin for Android and iOS protects apps against unauthorized modifications with multiple layers of defense, including runtime integrity checks, checksum validation, and detection of tampering attempts. Appdome validates the app’s code, environment, and runtime state, identifying any static or dynamic changes to binaries, security features, or memory. By preventing patching, repacking, and runtime manipulation, Appdome ensures the app remains in its original, secure state. Appdome’s obfuscation further hides security features, making it harder for attackers to bypass protections. Mobile developers can use Appdome’s Threat-Events™ to gather data on tampering attempts and create customized user experiences when tampering is detected.
Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Android Anti-Tampering Plugins:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Enforce Android Anti-Tampering , you’ll need:
Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
A license for ONEShield™
Mobile App (.apk or .aab For Android)
Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
How to Implement Enforce Android Anti-Tampering in Android Apps Using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Enforce Android Anti-Tampering without an SDK or gateway:
-
Designate the Mobile App to be protected.
-
Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.
-
Android Formats: .apk or .aab
-
Android Anti-Tampering is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
-
-
Select the defense: Android Anti-Tampering.
-
-
Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Android Anti-Tampering feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.
-
When you enable App Shielding you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Android Anti-Tampering.
Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Android Anti-Tampering 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
-
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:
-
Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
-
Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
-
Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Android Anti-Tampering feature as shown below:Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Android Anti-Tampering feature
-
-
Add the Android Anti-Tampering feature to your security template.
-
Navigate to Build > Security tab > ONEShield™ section in the Appdome Console.Like all other options in ONEShield™, Android Anti-Tampering is turned on by default, as shown below:
Figure 4: Selecting Android Anti-Tampering
Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging. -
Configure the User Experience Options for Android Anti-Tampering:
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.
-
Localized Message Option. Allows Appdome users to support global languages in security notifications.
Figure 5: Default User Experience Options for Appdome’s Android Anti-Tampering
-
Android Anti-Tampering Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI/ML to generate a unique code each time Android Anti-Tampering 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.
-
Congratulations! The Android Anti-Tampering protection is now added to the mobile app -
-
Certify the Android Anti-Tampering feature in Android Apps
After building Android Anti-Tampering, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Android Anti-Tampering protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Android Anti-Tampering 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 Android Anti-Tampering has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Android Anti-Tampering 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 Android Anti-Tampering. 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 Android Anti-Tampering
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:
- Running a Checksum Validation of Android & iOS Apps
- How to Prevent Static App Patching in Android Apps
- How to Prevent Code Tampering in Android & iOS 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.