How to Detect Android Memory Dumps Using AI

Last updated May 7, 2025 by Appdome

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

What is Memory Dumping?

Memory dumping is the process of capturing and extracting the contents of an application’s runtime memory for analysis. It allows attackers to retrieve sensitive data stored in memory, such as encryption keys, authentication tokens, passwords, and API secrets, without needing direct access to the app’s source code or storage. Memory dumps are often used in reverse engineering, debugging, and forensic investigations, but they are also exploited by hackers to bypass security controls, decrypt protected data, or manipulate an app’s behavior. Attackers may use debugging tools, root access, or malware to extract and analyze memory dumps, enabling them to uncover vulnerabilities, steal user credentials, or modify app functionality. Because memory exists only temporarily while an application runs, effective security measures must be in place to prevent unauthorized access and dumping to protect sensitive user data and ensure compliance with security and privacy regulations.

How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps Against Memory Dumping

Appdome’s dynamic Detect Android Memory Dumps plugin defends against unauthorized memory extraction by continuously monitoring app memory for suspicious access attempts. The plugin detects and blocks debugging tools, root access methods, and malware that attempt to extract sensitive data from runtime memory. It prevents unauthorized forensic analysis, reverse engineering, and decryption attempts, ensuring that encryption keys, authentication tokens, and other critical data remain protected.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Android Memory Dump Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Android Memory Dumps , you’ll need:

How to Implement Detect Android Memory Dumps in Android Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Detect Android Memory Dumps 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. Detect Android Memory Dump is compatible with: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps.
  2. Select the defense: Detect Android Memory Dump.

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect Android Memory Dump feature as shown below:
        fusion set that contains Detect Android Memory Dump

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Android Memory Dump feature

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Detect Android Memory Dump feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.

      3. When you select the Detect Android Memory Dump you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Android Memory Dump.

        Fusion Set applied Detect Android Memory Dump

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Android Memory Dump 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 Detect Android Memory Dump feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti ATO tab > Mobile Account Protection section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > Detect Android Memory Dump.
        Detect Android Memory Dump option

        Figure 4: Selecting Detect Android Memory Dumps

    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 Detect Android Memory Dump protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Detect Android Memory Dump feature in Android Apps

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

    Figure 5: 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 Detect Android Memory Dump has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect Android Memory Dump and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for Android Memory Dumps Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

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

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Android Memory Dumps are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Detect Android Memory Dumps Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect Android Memory Dump
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 Detecting Android Memory Dumps 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 Android Memory Dumps is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Detect Android Memory Dump:


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 Detect Android Memory Dump. 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 Detect Android Memory Dump

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 to Detect Memory Editing Tools for Android & iOS Apps Using AI

How to Protect iOS Memory Using AI

How to Protect Android Memory in Android Apps Using AI

 

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!

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