
Analyzing Android Malware With Apktool
- 481 installs
- 27.3k repo stars
- Updated August 2, 2026
- mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills
analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool is a Claude Code security skill that decompiles and inspects suspicious Android APKs using apktool-driven workflows for developers performing malware-oriented static analysis.
About
analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool is a cybersecurity skill from mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills that guides apktool-based decompilation and inspection of suspicious Android APK files. The skill supports malware-oriented static analysis—recovering manifests, resources, and smali code to trace permissions, network endpoints, obfuscation, and suspicious API usage without executing the sample. Developers and security engineers reach for analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool during incident triage, mobile threat research, or validation of potentially malicious apps flagged in enterprise environments. It fits workflows where safe static review precedes dynamic analysis in isolated sandboxes.
- Android malware analysis workflow centered on apktool decompilation
- Static inspection of APK structure, resources, and smali-level artifacts
- Fits cybersecurity skill packs aimed at agent-assisted mobile threat review
- Apache License 2.0 upstream licensing context in skill materials
- Advanced mobile appsec lane for indie security researchers and builders
Analyzing Android Malware With Apktool by the numbers
- 481 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +40 installs in the week ending Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #511 of 2,203 Security skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
- Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 481 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 27.3k |
| Security audit | 1 / 3 scanners passed |
| Last updated | August 2, 2026 |
| Repository | mukul975/anthropic-cybersecurity-skills ↗ |
How do you statically analyze Android malware with apktool?
Decompile and inspect suspicious Android APKs with apktool-driven workflows when you need malware-oriented static analysis.
Who is it for?
Security engineers and mobile researchers who need apktool static analysis workflows for suspicious Android APK triage.
Skip if: Developers building benign Android apps without malware analysis needs, or teams requiring only dynamic/runtime sandbox detonation.
When should I use this skill?
A developer or security engineer needs to decompile an APK with apktool, inspect Android malware statically, or extract manifest and smali indicators.
What you get
Decompiled APK tree, AndroidManifest.xml review, smali inspection notes, and static IOC findings from apktool output.
- decompiled APK directory
- manifest review notes
- static IOC summary
Files
Analyzing Android Malware with Apktool
Overview
Android malware distributed as APK files can be statically analyzed to extract permissions, activities, services, broadcast receivers, and suspicious API calls without executing the sample. This skill uses androguard for programmatic APK analysis, identifying dangerous permission combinations, obfuscated code patterns, dynamic code loading, reflection-based API calls, and network communication indicators.
When to Use
- When investigating security incidents that require analyzing android malware with apktool
- When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
- When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
- When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques
Prerequisites
- Python 3.9+ with
androguard - apktool (for resource decompilation)
- jadx (for Java source recovery, optional)
- Isolated analysis environment (VM or sandbox)
- Sample APK files for analysis
Steps
1. Parse APK with androguard to extract manifest metadata 2. Enumerate requested permissions and flag dangerous combinations 3. List activities, services, receivers, and providers from manifest 4. Scan for suspicious API calls (reflection, crypto, SMS, telephony) 5. Detect dynamic code loading patterns (DexClassLoader, Runtime.exec) 6. Extract hardcoded URLs, IPs, and C2 indicators from strings 7. Generate risk assessment report with MITRE ATT&CK mobile mappings
Expected Output
- JSON report with permission analysis, component listing, suspicious API calls, network indicators, and risk score
- Extracted strings and potential IOCs from the APK
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API Reference — Analyzing Android Malware with Apktool
Libraries Used
- androguard: Python APK/DEX analysis —
AnalyzeAPK(), permission enumeration, API call scanning - re: Regex extraction of URLs, IPs, base64 patterns from DEX strings
- json: JSON serialization for analysis reports
CLI Interface
python agent.py sample.apk permissions
python agent.py sample.apk manifest
python agent.py sample.apk apis
python agent.py sample.apk strings
python agent.py sample.apk full
python agent.py sample.apk # defaults to full analysisCore Functions
analyze_permissions(apk) — Permission risk assessment
Calls apk.get_permissions(). Flags 20 dangerous permissions including SEND_SMS, READ_CONTACTS, BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN, BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE. Risk: CRITICAL >= 8 dangerous, HIGH >= 5, MEDIUM >= 2, LOW < 2.
analyze_manifest(apk) — Manifest component extraction
Calls apk.get_activities(), get_services(), get_receivers(), get_providers(). Returns package name, version, SDK levels, and all component lists.
scan_suspicious_apis(dx) — Suspicious API call detection
Searches DEX analysis for 14 patterns including:
Runtime.exec,ProcessBuilder.start— command executionDexClassLoader.loadClass— dynamic code loadingMethod.invoke,Class.forName— reflectionCipher.getInstance— cryptographic operationsSmsManager.sendTextMessage— SMS abuse
extract_strings(dx, apk) — IOC extraction from DEX strings
Regex extraction of HTTP/HTTPS URLs, external IP addresses, and base64 strings. Filters out private IP ranges (10.x, 192.168.x, 172.16.x, 127.x).
detect_obfuscation(apk, dx) — Obfuscation indicator detection
Checks for single-letter class names (ProGuard), multi-DEX, native libraries.
full_analysis(apk_path) — Comprehensive malware assessment
Androguard API
| Method | Returns |
|---|---|
AnalyzeAPK(path) | (APK, list[DEX], Analysis) tuple |
apk.get_permissions() | List of Android permissions |
apk.get_activities() | Activity component names |
apk.get_services() | Service component names |
apk.get_receivers() | BroadcastReceiver names |
apk.get_package() | Package name string |
dx.find_methods(classname, methodname) | Matching method analysis objects |
dx.get_strings() | All strings from DEX files |
dx.get_classes() | All class analysis objects |
Risk Scoring
| Factor | Max Points |
|---|---|
| Dangerous permissions (8 pts each) | 40 |
| Suspicious API calls (10 pts each) | 30 |
| External IPs (5 pts each) | 15 |
| Obfuscation detected | 15 |
Dependencies
androguard>= 3.4.0- Isolated analysis environment recommended
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Agent for static analysis of Android APK malware using androguard."""
import json
import re
import argparse
from datetime import datetime
try:
from androguard.core.apk import APK
from androguard.core.dex import DEX
from androguard.misc import AnalyzeAPK
except ImportError:
APK = None
AnalyzeAPK = None
DANGEROUS_PERMISSIONS = [
"android.permission.SEND_SMS", "android.permission.READ_SMS",
"android.permission.RECEIVE_SMS", "android.permission.READ_CONTACTS",
"android.permission.READ_CALL_LOG", "android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO",
"android.permission.CAMERA", "android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION",
"android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE", "android.permission.CALL_PHONE",
"android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE", "android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE",
"android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES", "android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES",
"android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW", "android.permission.BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE",
"android.permission.BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN", "android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED",
"android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS", "android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE",
]
SUSPICIOUS_API_PATTERNS = [
r"Ljava/lang/Runtime;->exec",
r"Ljava/lang/ProcessBuilder;->start",
r"Ldalvik/system/DexClassLoader;->loadClass",
r"Ljava/lang/reflect/Method;->invoke",
r"Ljava/lang/Class;->forName",
r"Ljavax/crypto/Cipher;->getInstance",
r"Landroid/telephony/SmsManager;->sendTextMessage",
r"Landroid/app/admin/DevicePolicyManager;->lockNow",
r"Landroid/content/pm/PackageManager;->setComponentEnabledSetting",
r"Ljava/net/HttpURLConnection;->connect",
r"Lokhttp3/OkHttpClient;->newCall",
r"Landroid/webkit/WebView;->loadUrl",
r"Landroid/os/Build;->SERIAL",
r"Landroid/provider/Settings\$Secure;->getString",
]
def analyze_permissions(apk):
"""Analyze requested permissions and flag dangerous ones."""
permissions = apk.get_permissions()
dangerous = [p for p in permissions if p in DANGEROUS_PERMISSIONS]
return {
"total_permissions": len(permissions),
"permissions": permissions,
"dangerous_permissions": dangerous,
"dangerous_count": len(dangerous),
"permission_risk": "CRITICAL" if len(dangerous) >= 8 else "HIGH" if len(dangerous) >= 5 else "MEDIUM" if len(dangerous) >= 2 else "LOW",
}
def analyze_manifest(apk):
"""Extract manifest components: activities, services, receivers, providers."""
activities = apk.get_activities()
services = apk.get_services()
receivers = apk.get_receivers()
providers = apk.get_providers()
return {
"package_name": apk.get_package(),
"app_name": apk.get_app_name(),
"version_name": apk.get_androidversion_name(),
"version_code": apk.get_androidversion_code(),
"min_sdk": apk.get_min_sdk_version(),
"target_sdk": apk.get_target_sdk_version(),
"activities": list(activities),
"services": list(services),
"receivers": list(receivers),
"providers": list(providers),
"activity_count": len(activities),
"service_count": len(services),
"receiver_count": len(receivers),
"provider_count": len(providers),
}
def scan_suspicious_apis(dx):
"""Scan DEX analysis for suspicious API calls."""
findings = []
if not dx:
return findings
for pattern in SUSPICIOUS_API_PATTERNS:
class_name = pattern.split(";->")[0] + ";"
method_name = pattern.split(";->")[1] if ";->" in pattern else None
for method in dx.find_methods(classname=class_name, methodname=method_name):
xrefs = list(method.get_xref_from())
if xrefs:
findings.append({
"api": pattern,
"callers": len(xrefs),
"first_caller_class": str(xrefs[0][0].name) if xrefs else None,
})
return findings
def extract_strings(dx, apk):
"""Extract suspicious strings: URLs, IPs, base64 patterns."""
url_pattern = re.compile(r'https?://[\w\-._~:/?#\[\]@!$&\'()*+,;=]+', re.IGNORECASE)
ip_pattern = re.compile(r'\b(?:\d{1,3}\.){3}\d{1,3}\b')
b64_pattern = re.compile(r'[A-Za-z0-9+/]{30,}={0,2}')
urls = set()
ips = set()
b64_strings = []
if dx:
for s in dx.get_strings():
val = str(s)
urls.update(url_pattern.findall(val))
ips.update(ip_pattern.findall(val))
b64_matches = b64_pattern.findall(val)
b64_strings.extend(b64_matches[:5])
private_ips = {"10.", "192.168.", "172.16.", "127.0."}
external_ips = [ip for ip in ips if not any(ip.startswith(p) for p in private_ips)]
return {
"urls": sorted(urls)[:30],
"external_ips": sorted(external_ips)[:20],
"suspicious_base64": b64_strings[:10],
"url_count": len(urls),
"external_ip_count": len(external_ips),
}
def detect_obfuscation(apk, dx):
"""Detect code obfuscation indicators."""
indicators = []
if dx:
short_class_names = 0
for cls in dx.get_classes():
name = str(cls.name)
parts = name.replace("/", ".").split(".")
if any(len(p) == 1 and p.isalpha() for p in parts):
short_class_names += 1
if short_class_names > 10:
indicators.append({"type": "single_letter_classes", "count": short_class_names})
dex_files = [f for f in apk.get_files() if f.endswith(".dex")]
if len(dex_files) > 1:
indicators.append({"type": "multi_dex", "dex_count": len(dex_files)})
native_libs = [f for f in apk.get_files() if f.endswith(".so")]
if native_libs:
indicators.append({"type": "native_libraries", "libs": native_libs[:10]})
return {
"obfuscation_indicators": indicators,
"likely_obfuscated": len(indicators) > 0,
}
def full_analysis(apk_path):
"""Run comprehensive APK malware analysis."""
if not APK or not AnalyzeAPK:
return {"error": "androguard not installed: pip install androguard"}
a, d, dx = AnalyzeAPK(apk_path)
perm_analysis = analyze_permissions(a)
manifest = analyze_manifest(a)
suspicious_apis = scan_suspicious_apis(dx)
strings = extract_strings(dx, a)
obfuscation = detect_obfuscation(a, dx)
risk_score = 0
risk_score += min(perm_analysis["dangerous_count"] * 8, 40)
risk_score += min(len(suspicious_apis) * 10, 30)
risk_score += min(strings["external_ip_count"] * 5, 15)
risk_score += 15 if obfuscation["likely_obfuscated"] else 0
risk_score = min(risk_score, 100)
return {
"analysis_type": "Android APK Static Analysis",
"timestamp": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
"file": apk_path,
"manifest": manifest,
"permissions": perm_analysis,
"suspicious_apis": suspicious_apis[:20],
"strings": strings,
"obfuscation": obfuscation,
"risk_score": risk_score,
"risk_level": "CRITICAL" if risk_score >= 70 else "HIGH" if risk_score >= 50 else "MEDIUM" if risk_score >= 25 else "LOW",
"mitre_techniques": [
{"id": "T1418", "name": "Software Discovery"} if manifest["service_count"] > 5 else None,
{"id": "T1417", "name": "Input Capture"} if "android.permission.BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE" in perm_analysis["permissions"] else None,
{"id": "T1582", "name": "SMS Control"} if "android.permission.SEND_SMS" in perm_analysis["permissions"] else None,
{"id": "T1404", "name": "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation"} if any("DevicePolicyManager" in a.get("api", "") for a in suspicious_apis) else None,
],
}
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Android APK Malware Analysis Agent")
parser.add_argument("apk", help="Path to APK file")
sub = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command")
sub.add_parser("permissions", help="Analyze permissions")
sub.add_parser("manifest", help="Extract manifest components")
sub.add_parser("apis", help="Scan for suspicious API calls")
sub.add_parser("strings", help="Extract URLs, IPs, and encoded strings")
sub.add_parser("full", help="Full malware analysis")
args = parser.parse_args()
if args.command == "full" or args.command is None:
result = full_analysis(args.apk)
else:
a, d, dx = AnalyzeAPK(args.apk)
if args.command == "permissions":
result = analyze_permissions(a)
elif args.command == "manifest":
result = analyze_manifest(a)
elif args.command == "apis":
result = scan_suspicious_apis(dx)
elif args.command == "strings":
result = extract_strings(dx, a)
print(json.dumps(result, indent=2, default=str))
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
Related skills
FAQ
What does analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool do?
analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool decompiles suspicious Android APKs using apktool and guides static inspection of manifests, smali, and resources for malware-oriented triage without running the sample.
Is apktool analysis dynamic or static?
analyzing-android-malware-with-apktool focuses on static analysis—apktool decompilation and manual review of APK structure—rather than executing the app in a dynamic sandbox.
Is Analyzing Android Malware With Apktool safe to install?
skills.sh reports 1 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.