How to Detect ADB Root in Android Apps Using AI

Last updated July 13, 2025 by Appdome

This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Block ADB Root in Android apps.

What is ADB Root?

ADB Root occurs when attackers use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) with root privileges to gain unrestricted control over a device and its apps. With root-level ADB access, attackers can disable security controls, inject malicious commands, extract user credentials, tamper with protected data, and alter app workflows—all from outside the app. This technique is widely used in mobile banking fraud, malware distribution, and app reverse engineering. As ADB is a trusted developer tool, malicious sessions can blend in with legitimate ones, making detection difficult. Attackers can also use automation or hide their activity using tools like Magisk. To comply with regulations such as PCI DSS and PSD2, mobile apps must detect and respond to unauthorized root-level ADB activity that compromises system integrity and secure operations.

How Appdome Protects Android Apps Against ADB Root

Appdome’s dynamic Detect ADB Root plugin for Android detects when ADB is operating with root privileges on the device. The plugin continuously monitors the runtime environment for elevated ADB activity and flags root-enabled sessions that can bypass normal app security. Mobile developers can use Appdome’s Threat-Events™ to capture ADB Root events and implement custom in-app responses when such threats are detected.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect ADB Root Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Block ADB Root , you’ll need:

How to Implement Block ADB Root in Android Apps Using Appdome

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

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

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect ADB Root feature

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

      3. When you enable Detect Android Debug Bridge (ADB) you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect ADB Root.

        Fusion Set applied Detect ADB Root

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

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti Fraud tab > Mobile Fraud Detection section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On Detect Android Debug Bridge (ADB) > Detect ADB Root.
        Detect ADB Root option

        Figure 4: Selecting Block ADB Root

        Note: The Appdome Platform displays the Mobile Operation Systems supported by each defense in real-time. For more details, see our OS Support Policy KB.

      3. Configure the User Experience Options for Detect ADB Root:
        With Threat-Events™ OFF, Appdome provides several user experience options for mobile brands and developers.
        1. App Compromise Notification: Customize the pop-up or toast Appdome uses to notify the user when a threat is present while using the protected mobile app.
        2. Short message Option. This is available for mobile devices that allow a banner notification for security events.
        3. Localized Message Option. Allows Appdome users to support global languages in security notifications.

          Localized Message

          Figure 5: Default User Experience Options for Appdome’s ADB Root

        4. Detect ADB Root Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI to generate a unique code each time Detect ADB Root is triggered by an active threat on the mobile device. Use the code in Appdome Threat Resolution Center™ to help end users identify, find and resolve active threats on the personal mobile devices.
    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 ADB Root protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Detect ADB Root feature in Android Apps

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

    Figure 6: 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 ADB Root has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect ADB Root and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.

Using Threat-Events™ for ADB Root Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

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

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for ADB Root are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Block ADB Root Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect ADB Root
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 Blocking ADB Root Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
Timestamp The exact time the threat event was triggered, recorded in milliseconds since epoch
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. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
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 ADB Root is detected.


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


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 ADB Root. 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 ADB Root

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 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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