How to Detect Thread Manipulation in Android and iOS Apps

Last updated January 29, 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 Thread Manipulation in Mobile apps.

What are Threads in Mobile Apps?

A thread is the smallest unit of execution within a process, allowing multiple operations to run concurrently. In mobile applications, threads enable critical tasks such as network requests, database operations, and user interface updates to occur simultaneously, ensuring the app remains responsive and efficient.

The main thread, also known as the UI thread, handles user interface interactions and event-driven tasks. For optimal performance, resource-intensive operations are typically executed on background threads to prevent blocking or delaying UI updates. Effective thread management is essential to maintain a seamless user experience and prevent vulnerabilities, such as thread manipulation attacks, that could compromise app performance or security.

What Is Thread Manipulation in Mobile Apps?

Thread manipulation occurs when an attacker exploits or interferes with the execution flow of threads in an app. This can disrupt operations, expose sensitive data, or lead to unauthorized control of app processes. Examples of thread manipulation include suspending, resuming, or redirecting threads to execute malicious code. Identifying and mitigating these attacks is crucial to safeguarding the integrity and functionality of mobile apps.

 

How Does Appdome Protect Apps Against Thread Manipulation?

Appdome’s dynamic Detect Thread Manipulation plugin protects Android apps from thread manipulation by analyzing multiple threat signals, including signs of a debugger or debugger tracing activity during app runtime. This protection is implemented automatically, without impacting the app’s stability or user experience. By addressing the various methods attackers might use to manipulate threads, Appdome ensures robust and reliable protection for mobile apps.

 

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Thread Manipulation Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Thread Manipulation , you’ll need:

How to Implement Detect Thread Manipulation in Mobile Apps Using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Detect Thread Manipulation 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. Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
    3. Detect Thread Manipulation is compatible with: Obj-C, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more.
  2. Select the defense: Detect Thread Manipulation.

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

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Thread Manipulation feature

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

      3. When you enable Anti-Debugging you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Thread Manipulation.

        Fusion Set applied Detect Thread Manipulation

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Thread Manipulation 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 Thread Manipulation feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Security tab > ONEShield™ section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On Anti-Debugging > Detect Thread Manipulation.
        Note: The checkmark feature Detect Thread Manipulation is enabled by default, as shown below. Detect Thread Manipulation option

        Figure 4: Selecting Detect Thread Manipulation

    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 Thread Manipulation protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Detect Thread Manipulation feature in Mobile Apps

    After building Detect Thread Manipulation, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Detect Thread Manipulation protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Detect Thread Manipulation protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: Detect Thread Manipulation 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 Thread Manipulation has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect Thread Manipulation and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for Thread Manipulation Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Thread Manipulation is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Thread Manipulation in Mobile Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Thread Manipulation shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Thread Manipulation are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Detect Thread Manipulation Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect Thread Manipulation
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 Thread Manipulation 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), Mobile developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Mobile applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when Thread Manipulation is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Mobile apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Detect Thread Manipulation:


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 Apps by using Detect Thread Manipulation. 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 Thread Manipulation

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:

ONEShield™ No-Code Mobile RASP Explained

How to Use Detect App is Debuggable on Android Mobile Apps

How to Build Anti-Debugging in Android & iOS Apps

 

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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