apkutil is a useful utility for mobile security testing.
This tool makes it easy to resign the APK, check for potentially sensitive files and AndroidManifest.xml in the APK.
It is a wrapper for apktool, apksigner, aapt, and zipalign commands.
iOS version is here.
- Android SDK build tools
- Apktool
Also, place ~/apkutil.json containing the keystore information necessary for signing apk in your home directory.
{
"keystore_path": "hoge.keystore",
"ks-key-alias": "fuga",
"ks-pass": "pass:foo"
}
Since apkutil is implemented in Python, it can be installed with the pip command, which is a Python package management system.
$ pip install git+ssh://git@github.com/aktsk/apkutil.git
The command outputs are displayed in color. You can use a function with subcommands.
The GIF shows the scene where the APK is changed to debuggable and res/xml/network_security_config.xml is created.
Most of the subcommands are assigned with alias, which is useful.
| subcommand | alias | desc |
|---|---|---|
all |
- | set debuggable & networkSecurityConfig, build & sign APK |
debuggable |
debug, dg |
set debuggable, build & sign APK |
network |
net, n |
set networkSecurityConfig, build & sign APK |
info |
i |
identify the package name |
screenshot |
ss |
get screenshot from connected device |
decode |
d |
decode APK |
build |
b |
build APK |
sign |
s |
sign APK |
align |
a |
align APK |
all subcommand sets networkSecurityConfig, makes the APK debuggable.
Decode the APK, set debuggable attribute to true, set networkSecurityConfig attribute to @xml/network_security_config in AndroidManifest, make res/xml/network_security_config.xml, and rebuild it.
This feature is useful to make APK accept user certs, and use aktsk/apk-medit.
$ apkutil all sample.apk
Decoding APK by Apktool...
I: Using Apktool 2.4.1 on sample.apk
I: Loading resource table...
I: Decoding AndroidManifest.xml with resources...
I: Loading resource table from file: /Users/taichi.kotake/Library/apktool/framework/1.apk
I: Regular manifest package...
I: Decoding file-resources...
I: Decoding values */* XMLs...
I: Baksmaling classes.dex...
I: Copying assets and libs...
I: Copying unknown files...
I: Copying original files...
Potentially Sensitive Files:
sample/README.md
sample/hoge.sh
Checking AndroidManifest.xml...
Permission:
android.permission.INTERNET
Debuggable:
False
AllowBackup:
False
Custom schemas:
None
Set debuggable attribute to true in AndroidManifest!
Set networkSecurityConfig attribute to true in AndroidManifest!
Building APK by Apktool...
I: Using Apktool 2.4.1
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali folder into classes.dex...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources...
I: Copying libs... (/lib)
I: Building apk file...
I: Copying unknown files/dir...
I: Built apk...
Signing APK by apksigner...
Signed
Output: sample.patched.apk
network subcommand sets networkSecurityConfig.
Decode the APK, set networkSecurityConfig attribute to @xml/network_security_config in AndroidManifest, make res/xml/network_security_config.xml, and rebuild it.
This feature is useful to make APK accept user certs.
$ apkutil network sample.apk
...
Output: sample.patched.apk
debuggable subcommand makes the APK debuggable.
Decode the APK, set debuggable attribute to true in AndroidManifest, and rebuild it.
This feature is useful to use aktsk/apk-medit.
$ apkutil debuggable sample.apk
...
Output: sample.patched.apk
info subcommand allows you to see the package name.
$ apkutil info sample.apk
Getting package name by aapt...
A: package="jp.aktsk.sample" (Raw: "jp.aktsk.sample")
screenshot subcommand allows you to get the screenshot from connected device.
$ apkutil screenshot
Getting a screenshot from connected device...
/data/local/tmp/screenshot-2020-05-21-16-58-20.png: 1 file pulled. 2.1 MB/s (14419 bytes in 0.007s)
Output: screenshot-2020-05-21-16-58-20.png
decode subcommand make the APK decode by apktool.
When decoding the APK, check for potentially sensitive files and check the AndroidManifest.xml.
$ apkutil decode sample.apk
Decoding APK by Apktool...
...
Potentially Sensitive Files:
sample/README.md
sample/hoge.sh
Checking AndroidManifest.xml...
Permission:
android.permission.INTERNET
Debuggable:
False
AllowBackup:
False
Custom schemas:
None
build subcommand make the APK build by apktool.
It also sign the APK after the build is complete.
$ apkutil build sample
Building APK by Apktool...
...
Signing APK by apksigner...
Signed
Output: sample.patched.apk
sign subcommand make the apk sign by apksigner.
$ apkutil sign sample.apk
Signing APK by apksigner...
Signed
align subcommand make the apk sign by apksigner.
$ apkutil align base.patched.apk
Aligning APK by zipalign...
MIT License