How to Prevent Logging Attacks (Log4J) in Android Apps

Last updated December 5, 2023 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI/ML in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Prevent Logging Attacks in Android apps.

What are Logging Attacks?

Logging utilities, such as the popular Apache Log4j, simplify debugging. Recent critical vulnerabilities exposed that the utility can be used for remote code execution and denial of service. The default configuration of Apache Log4j supports JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) lookups that can be exploited to exfiltrate data or execute arbitrary code via remote services such as LDAP, RMI, and DNS.

Why Prevent Logging Attacks in Android Apps?

The Apache Log4j vulnerability is potentially present in Java servers in mobile apps that use Cordova, React Native, or any app that uses java classes. By using Prevent Logging Attacks, Android log function calls are disabled. This prevents any data leakage and any attacks via logging infrastructure (for example, log4j).

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Prevent Logging Attacks Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Prevent Logging Attacks , you’ll need:

How to Implement Prevent Logging Attacks in Android Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Prevent Logging Attacks without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Designate the Mobile App to be protected.

    1. Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.

    2. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
    3. Prevent Logging Attacks is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
  2. Select the defense: Prevent Logging Attacks.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Prevent Logging Attacks feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains Prevent Logging Attacks

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Prevent Logging Attacks feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Prevent Logging Attacks feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you select the Prevent Logging Attacks you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Prevent Logging Attacks.

        Fusion Set applied Prevent Logging Attacks

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Prevent Logging Attacks protection
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. 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): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary

      5. 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:
        1. Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
    1. Add the Prevent Logging Attacks feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti Fraud tab > Mobile Malware Prevention section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > Prevent Logging Attacks.
        Prevent Logging Attacks option

        Figure 4: Selecting Prevent Logging Attacks

        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.

      3. Configure the User Experience Options for Prevent Logging Attacks:
        With Threat-Events™ OFF, Appdome provides several user experience options for mobile brands and developers.
        1. 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.
        2. Short message Option. This is available for mobile devices that allow a banner notification for security events.
        3. Localized Message Option. Allows Appdome users to support global languages in security notifications.

          Localized Message

          Figure 5: Default User Experience Options for Appdome’s Logging Attacks

        4. Prevent Logging Attacks Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI/ML to generate a unique code each time Prevent Logging Attacks 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.
    2. Initiate the build command either by clicking Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 4) or via your CI/CD as described in Section 2.1.4.
    Congratulations!  The Prevent Logging Attacks protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Prevent Logging Attacks feature in Android Apps

    After building Prevent Logging Attacks, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Prevent Logging Attacks protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Prevent Logging Attacks protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: Prevent Logging Attacks shown in Certificate secure

    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 Prevent Logging Attacks has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Prevent Logging Attacks and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for Logging Attacks Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Logging Attacks are detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Logging Attacks in Android Apps, use registerReceiver in the Application OnCreate, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Logging Attacks shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Logging Attacks are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Prevent Logging Attacks Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Prevent Logging Attacks
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Preventing Logging Attacks Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event REF
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
message Message displayed for the user on event
failSafeEnforce Timed enforcement against the identified threat
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
buildDate Appdome fusion date of the current application
devicePlatform OS name of the current device
carrierName Carrier name of the current device. Only available for Android.
updatedOSVersion Is the OS version up to date
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
timeZone Time zone
deviceFaceDown Is the device face down
locationLong Location longitude conditioned by location permission
locationLat Location latitude conditioned by location permission
locationState Location state conditioned by location permission
wifiSsid Wifi SSID
wifiSsidPermissionStatus Wifi SSID permission status
threatCode The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device.

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Android developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Android applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when Logging Attacks are detected.


The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Prevent Logging Attacks:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Prevent Logging Attacks. 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 Prevent Logging Attacks

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:

Related Articles:

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.

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