How to Block Second Space in Android Apps

Last updated November 23, 2023 by Appdome

Learn to Block second space environments in Android apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is Second Space?

Second Space is a feature of Android devices that allows running multiple copies of a single app, or running several instances of an app at the same time.

On each Android device the feature has a different name, for example:

Device User
Second Space
Second Spaces
Secure Folders
Parallel Spaces
Dual Spaces

Why Should Second Spaces be Detected and Blocked?

Running mobile apps in a second space environment such as Parallel Spaces, DualSpaces, and Secure Folders allow fraudsters to manipulate game properties that would give them unfair advantages. Such advantages include increasing the number of user accounts (using multiple accounts at the same time), RAM, and networking elements.

Prerequisites for Using Block Second Space:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Block second space environments , you’ll need:

Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
A license for Block Second Space
Mobile App (.apk or .aab for Android)
Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)

Block second space environments on Android apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Block second space environments without an SDK or gateway:

Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.
1. Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System
2. Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
3. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
4. Block Second Space Compatible With: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps
Build the feature: Block Second Space.
1. Building Block Second Space by using Appdome’s DEV-API:
  1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Block Second Space feature as shown below:
  2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Block Second Space feature via Appdome Console, to add the Block Second Space feature to this Fusion Set.
  3. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set, as shown in Figure 1 above, and get the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):
    
    Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
    Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).
  4. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, App Center, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Cirlce CI or other system:
    
    Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
    
    Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
2. Building the Block Second Space feature via Appdome Console
  
  To build the Block Second Space protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.
  1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Anti Fraud Tab > Mobile Fraud Detection section.
    Like all other options in ONEShield™, Block Second Space is turned on by default, as shown below:
    Figure 3: Block Second Space option
    Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.
  2. How: Toggle (turn ON) Block Second Space, as shown below.
    If needed, Customize the Threat Notification to be displayed to the mobile end-user in a standard OS dialog notification when Appdome Blocks second space environments.
    
    Figure 3: Block second space environments option
    Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.
  3. When you select the Block Second Space you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Block Second Space
    
    Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Block Second Space protection
  4. Select the Threat-Event™ in-app mobile Threat Defense and Intelligence policy for Block Second Space:
    
    Threat-Events™ OFF > In-App Defense
    If the Threat-Events™ setting is cleared (not selected). Appdome will detect and defend the user and app by enforcing Block second space environments.
    
    Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Detection
    When this setting is used, Appdome detects a second space environment and passes Appdome’s Threat-Event™ attack intelligence to the app’s business logic for processing, enforcement, and user notification. For more information on consuming and using Appdome Threat-Events™ in the app, see section Using Threat-Events™ for Block Second Space Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
    
    Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Defense
    When this setting is used, Appdome detects and defends against second space environments (same as Appdome Enforce) and passes Appdome’s Threat-Event™ attack intelligence the app’s business logic for processing. For more information on consuming and using Appdome Threat-Events™ in the app, see section Using Threat-Events™ for Block Second Space Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
  5. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
Congratulations! The Block Second Space protection is now added to the mobile app
Certify the Block Second Space feature in Android Apps.

After building Block Second Space, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Block Second Space protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Block Second Space protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:

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 Block Second Space has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Block Second Space and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app

Using Threat-Events™ for second space environments Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

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

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for second space environments are:

Threat-Event™ Elements	Block second space environments Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name	Block Second Space
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
Visible in ThreatScope™
Developer Parameters for Blocking second space environments Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME	BlockSecondSpace
Threat-Event DATA	reasonData
Threat-Event CODE	reasonCode
Threat-Event REF	6937
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
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
deviceID	Current device ID
reasonCode	Reason code of the occured event
buildDate	Appdome fusion date of the current application
devicePlatform	OS name of the current device
carrierName	Carrier name of the current device
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

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 second space environments is detected.

The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Block Second Space:

                    IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter();
                    intentFilter.addAction("BlockSecondSpace");
                    BroadcastReceiver threatEventReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
                        @Override
                        public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
                            String message = intent.getStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user
                            String reasonData = intent.getStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
                            String reasonCode = intent.getStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
                            String currentThreatEventScore = intent.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
                            String threatEventsScore = intent.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
                            String variable = intent.getStringExtra(""); // Any other event specific context key

                            // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                        }
                    };

                    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
                        registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);
                    } else {
                        registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter);
                    }

Java
x
 
IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter();
intentFilter.addAction("BlockSecondSpace");
BroadcastReceiver threatEventReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
    @Override
    public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
        String message = intent.getStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user
        String reasonData = intent.getStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
        String reasonCode = intent.getStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
        String currentThreatEventScore = intent.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
        String threatEventsScore = intent.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
        String variable = intent.getStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Any other event specific context key
​
        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
    }
};
​
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
    registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);
} else {
    registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter);
}

                    val intentFilter = IntentFilter()
                    intentFilter.addAction("BlockSecondSpace")
                    val threatEventReceiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
                        override fun onReceive(context: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
                            var message = intent?.getStringExtra("message") // Message shown to the user
                            var reasonData = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonData") // Threat detection cause
                            var reasonCode = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonCode") // Event reason code
                            var currentThreatEventScore = intent?.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore") // Current threat event score
                            var threatEventsScore = intent?.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore") // Total threat events score
                            var variable = intent?.getStringExtra("") // Any other event specific context key

                            // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                        }
                    }

                    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
                        registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED)
                    } else {
                        registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter)
                    }

                         
                        Kotlin
                    
x
 
val intentFilter = IntentFilter()
intentFilter.addAction("BlockSecondSpace")
val threatEventReceiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
    override fun onReceive(context: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
        var message = intent?.getStringExtra("message") // Message shown to the user
        var reasonData = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonData") // Threat detection cause
        var reasonCode = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonCode") // Event reason code
        var currentThreatEventScore = intent?.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore") // Current threat event score
        var threatEventsScore = intent?.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore") // Total threat events score
        var variable = intent?.getStringExtra("<Context Key>") // Any other event specific context key
​
        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
    }
}
​
if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) {
    registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED)
} else {
    registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter)
}

const { ADDevEvents } = NativeModules;
                const aDDevEvents = new NativeEventEmitter(ADDevEvents);

                function registerToDevEvent(action, callback) {
                    NativeModules.ADDevEvents.registerForDevEvent(action);
                    aDDevEvents.addListener(action, callback);
                }

                export function registerToAllEvents() {
                    registerToDevEvent(
                        "BlockSecondSpace",
                        (userinfo) => Alert.alert(JSON.stringify(userinfo))

                        var message = userinfo["message"] // Message shown to the user
                        var reasonData = userinfo["reasonData"] // Threat detection cause
                        var reasonCode = userinfo["reasonCode"] // Event reason code
                        var currentThreatEventScore = userinfo["currentThreatEventScore"] // Current threat event score
                        var threatEventsScore = userinfo["threatEventsScore"] // Total threat events score
                        var variable = userinfo["<Context Key>"] // Any other event specific context key

                        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                    );
                }

                     
                    React Native
                
​x
 
const { ADDevEvents } = NativeModules;
const aDDevEvents = new NativeEventEmitter(ADDevEvents);
​
function registerToDevEvent(action, callback) {
    NativeModules.ADDevEvents.registerForDevEvent(action);
    aDDevEvents.addListener(action, callback);
}
​
export function registerToAllEvents() {
    registerToDevEvent(
        "BlockSecondSpace",
        (userinfo) => Alert.alert(JSON.stringify(userinfo))
​
        var message = userinfo["message"] // Message shown to the user
        var reasonData = userinfo["reasonData"] // Threat detection cause
        var reasonCode = userinfo["reasonCode"] // Event reason code
        var currentThreatEventScore = userinfo["currentThreatEventScore"] // Current threat event score
        var threatEventsScore = userinfo["threatEventsScore"] // Total threat events score
        var variable = userinfo["<Context Key>"] // Any other event specific context key
​
        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
    );
}
​

RegisterReceiver(new ThreatEventReceiver(), new IntentFilter("BlockSecondSpace"));
                class ThreatEventReceiver : BroadcastReceiver
                {
                public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
                {
                    String message = intent.GetStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user
                    String reasonData = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
                    String reasonCode = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
                    String currentThreatEventScore = intent.GetStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
                    String threatEventsScore = intent.GetStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
                    String variable = intent.GetStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Any other event specific context key

                    // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                }
                }

                    
                    Xamarin/MAUI Android
                
​x
 
RegisterReceiver(new ThreatEventReceiver(), new IntentFilter("BlockSecondSpace"));
​
class ThreatEventReceiver : BroadcastReceiver
{
  public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
  {
    String message = intent.GetStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user
    String reasonData = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
    String reasonCode = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
    String currentThreatEventScore = intent.GetStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
    String threatEventsScore = intent.GetStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
    String variable = intent.GetStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Any other event specific context key
​
    // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
  }
}

                NSNotificationCenter.DefaultCenter.AddObserver(
                    (NSString)"JailbrokenDevice", // Threat-Event Identifier
                    delegate (NSNotification notification)
                    {
                        var message = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("message"); // Message shown to the user
                        var reasonData = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
                        var reasonCode = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
                        var currentThreatEventScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
                        var threatEventsScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
                        var variable = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey(""); // Any other event specific context key
                        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                    });

                    
                    Xamarin/MAUI iOS
                
 
NSNotificationCenter.DefaultCenter.AddObserver(
  (NSString)"BlockSecondSpace", // Threat-Event Identifier
  delegate (NSNotification notification)
  {
    var message = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("message"); // Message shown to the user
    var reasonData = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
    var reasonCode = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
    var currentThreatEventScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
    var threatEventsScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
    var variable = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("<Context Keys>"); // Any other event specific context key
    // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
  });

window.broadcaster.addEventListener("BlockSecondSpace", function(userInfo) {
        var message = userInfo.message // Message shown to the user
        var reasonData = userInfo.reasonData // Threat detection cause
        var reasonCode = userInfo.reasonCode // Event reason code
        var currentThreatEventScore = userInfo.currentThreatEventScore // Current threat event score
        var threatEventsScore = userInfo.threatEventsScore // Total threat events score
        var variable = userInfo.<Context Key> // Any other event specific context key

        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
            });

                    
                    Cordova
                
​x
 
window.broadcaster.addEventListener("BlockSecondSpace", function(userInfo) {
        var message = userInfo.message // Message shown to the user
        var reasonData = userInfo.reasonData // Threat detection cause
        var reasonCode = userInfo.reasonCode // Event reason code
        var currentThreatEventScore = userInfo.currentThreatEventScore // Current threat event score
        var threatEventsScore = userInfo.threatEventsScore // Total threat events score
        var variable = userInfo.<Context Key> // Any other event specific context key
​
        // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
});

                import 'dart:async';
                import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
                import 'package:flutter/services.dart';

                class PlatformChannel extends StatefulWidget {
                  const PlatformChannel({super.key});

                  @override
                  State<PlatformChannel> createState() => _PlatformChannelState();
                }

                class _PlatformChannelState extends State<PlatformChannel> {
                  static const String _eventChannelName = "BlockSecondSpace"; // Replace with your EventChannel name
                  static const EventChannel _eventChannel = EventChannel(_eventChannelName);

                  @override
                  void initState() {
                    super.initState();
                    _eventChannel.receiveBroadcastStream().listen(_onEvent, onError: _onError);
                  }

                  void _onEvent(Object? event) {
                    setState(() {
                      // Adapt this section based on your specific event data structure
                      var eventData = event as Map;

                      // Example: Accessing 'externalID' field from the event
                      var externalID = eventData['externalID'];

                      // Customize the rest of the fields based on your event structure
                      String message = eventData['message']; // Message shown to the user
                      String reasonData = eventData['reasonData']; // Threat detection cause
                      String reasonCode = eventData['reasonCode']; // Event reason code
                      String currentThreatEventScore = eventData['currentThreatEventScore']; // Current threat event score
                      String threatEventsScore = eventData['threatEventsScore']; // Total threat events score

                      // Any other event specific context key
                      String variable = eventData['<Context Key>'];
                    });
                  }

                  // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
                }

                    
                    Flutter
                
xxxxxxxxxx
 
import 'dart:async';
​
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
​
class PlatformChannel extends StatefulWidget {
  const PlatformChannel({super.key});
​
  @override
  State<PlatformChannel> createState() => _PlatformChannelState();
}
​
class _PlatformChannelState extends State<PlatformChannel> {
  static const String _eventChannelName = 'BlockSecondSpace'; // Replace with your EventChannel name
  static const EventChannel _eventChannel = EventChannel(_eventChannelName);
​
  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _eventChannel.receiveBroadcastStream().listen(_onEvent, onError: _onError);
  }
​
  void _onEvent(Object? event) {
    setState(() {
      // Adapt this section based on your specific event data structure
      var eventData = event as Map;
​
      // Example: Accessing 'externalID' field from the event
      var externalID = eventData['externalID'];
​
      // Customize the rest of the fields based on your event structure
      String message = eventData['message']; // Message shown to the user
      String reasonData = eventData['reasonData']; // Threat detection cause
      String reasonCode = eventData['reasonCode']; // Event reason code
      String currentThreatEventScore = eventData['currentThreatEventScore']; // Current threat event score
      String threatEventsScore = eventData['threatEventsScore']; // Total threat events score
​
      // Any other event specific context key
      String variable = eventData['<Context Key>'];
    });
  }
​
  // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
}

Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Block Second Space. 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 Block Second Space

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:

Customizing, Configuring & Branding Secure Mobile Apps
Deploying/Publishing Secure mobile apps to Public or Private app stores
Releasing Secured Android & iOS Apps built on Appdome.

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.

How to Block Second Space in Android Apps

What is Second Space?

Why Should Second Spaces be Detected and Blocked?

Prerequisites for Using Block Second Space:

Block second space environments on Android apps using Appdome

Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.

Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System

Build the feature: Block Second Space.

Building Block Second Space by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

Building the Block Second Space feature via Appdome Console

Certify the Block Second Space feature in Android Apps.

Using Threat-Events™ for second space environments Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

Related Articles:

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