Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications

Mark H. Meng; Guangdong Bai; Joseph K. Liu; Xiapu Luo; Yu Wang

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19

Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications

Mark H. Meng, Guangdong Bai, Joseph K. Liu, Xiapu Luo, Yu Wang

Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

Abstract

The number of Android smartphone and tablet users has experienced a rapid growth in the past few years and it raises users’ awareness on privacy and security issues of their mobile devices. There are lots of users rooting their Android devices for some useful functions, which are not originally provided to developers and users, such as taking screenshot and screen recording. However, after observing the danger of rooting devices, the developers begin to look for non-root alternatives to implement those functions. Android Debug Bridge (ADB) workaround is one of the best known non-root alternatives to help app gain a higher privilege on Android. It used to be considered as a secure practice until some cases of ADB privilege leakage have been found. In this paper, we propose an approach to identify the potential privilege leakage in Android apps that using ADB workaround. We apply our approach to analyze three real-world apps that are downloaded from Google Play Store. We then present a general methodology to conduct exploitation on those apps using ADB workaround. Based on our study, we suggest some mitigation techniques to help developers create their apps that not only satisfy users’ needs but also protect users’ privacy from similar attacks in future.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Information Security and Cryptology
Subtitle of host publication	14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers
Editors	Fuchun Guo, Xinyi Huang, Moti Yung
Place of Publication	Cham Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	349-369
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030142346
ISBN (Print)	9783030142339
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19
Publication status	Published - 2019
Event	International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology (Inscript) 2018 - Fuzhou, China Duration: 14 Dec 2018 → 17 Dec 2018 Conference number: 14th http://xxhb.fjnu.edu.cn/inscrypt2018/ https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6 (Proceedings)

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer
Volume	11449
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology (Inscript) 2018
Abbreviated title	Inscrypt 2018
Country/Territory	China
City	Fuzhou
Period	14/12/18 → 17/12/18
Internet address	http://xxhb.fjnu.edu.cn/inscrypt2018/ https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6 (Proceedings)

Keywords

ADB workaround
Android security
Application analysis
Exploit
Privilege escalation

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19

Cite this

Meng, M. H., Bai, G., Liu, J. K., Luo, X., & Wang, Y. (2019). Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications. In F. Guo, X. Huang, & M. Yung (Eds.), Information Security and Cryptology: 14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers (pp. 349-369). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science ; Vol. 11449 ). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19

Meng, Mark H. ; Bai, Guangdong ; Liu, Joseph K. et al. / Analyzing use of high privileges on android : an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications. Information Security and Cryptology: 14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers. editor / Fuchun Guo ; Xinyi Huang ; Moti Yung. Cham Switzerland : Springer, 2019. pp. 349-369 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science ).

@inproceedings{f3964a423e2b47bf92547adadf148c82,

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abstract = "The number of Android smartphone and tablet users has experienced a rapid growth in the past few years and it raises users{\textquoteright} awareness on privacy and security issues of their mobile devices. There are lots of users rooting their Android devices for some useful functions, which are not originally provided to developers and users, such as taking screenshot and screen recording. However, after observing the danger of rooting devices, the developers begin to look for non-root alternatives to implement those functions. Android Debug Bridge (ADB) workaround is one of the best known non-root alternatives to help app gain a higher privilege on Android. It used to be considered as a secure practice until some cases of ADB privilege leakage have been found. In this paper, we propose an approach to identify the potential privilege leakage in Android apps that using ADB workaround. We apply our approach to analyze three real-world apps that are downloaded from Google Play Store. We then present a general methodology to conduct exploitation on those apps using ADB workaround. Based on our study, we suggest some mitigation techniques to help developers create their apps that not only satisfy users{\textquoteright} needs but also protect users{\textquoteright} privacy from similar attacks in future.",

keywords = "ADB workaround, Android security, Application analysis, Exploit, Privilege escalation",

author = "Meng, {Mark H.} and Guangdong Bai and Liu, {Joseph K.} and Xiapu Luo and Yu Wang",

year = "2019",

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Meng, MH, Bai, G, Liu, JK, Luo, X & Wang, Y 2019, Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications. in F Guo, X Huang & M Yung (eds), Information Security and Cryptology: 14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Computer Science , vol. 11449 , Springer, Cham Switzerland, pp. 349-369, International Conference on Information Security and Cryptology (Inscript) 2018, Fuzhou, China, 14/12/18. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19

Analyzing use of high privileges on android : an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications. / Meng, Mark H.; Bai, Guangdong; Liu, Joseph K. et al.

Information Security and Cryptology: 14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers. ed. / Fuchun Guo; Xinyi Huang; Moti Yung. Cham Switzerland : Springer, 2019. p. 349-369 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science ; Vol. 11449 ).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research

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Meng MH, Bai G, Liu JK, Luo X, Wang Y. Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications. In Guo F, Huang X, Yung M, editors, Information Security and Cryptology: 14th International Conference, Inscrypt 2018 Fuzhou, China, December 14–17, 2018 Revised Selected Papers. Cham Switzerland: Springer. 2019. p. 349-369. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science ). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14234-6_19

Analyzing use of high privileges on android: an empirical case study of screenshot and screen recording applications

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

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