How to Detect Custom ROM in Android Apps Using AI

Last updated July 3, 2025 by Liri Alexandroni

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

What is Custom ROM?

A custom ROM is a modified version of the Android operating system installed on a device in place of the original factory-installed stock ROM. Mobile attackers use custom ROMs to remove manufacturer restrictions, inject malicious services, or conceal root and debugging frameworks. This creates a high-risk environment where the OS cannot be trusted to enforce security, validate signatures, or provide reliable system data. Also, custom ROMs enable attackers to manipulate APIs, bypass security checks, or spoof trusted device states. As AI agents become more common on mobile, adversaries are also embedding them inside customized ROM environments to perform credential harvesting, fraud, and bypass biometric authentication. This threat undermines compliance with standards like PCI DSS and PSD2, especially where device integrity is required.

How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps by Detecting Custom ROM

Appdome’s dynamic Detect Custom ROM plugin for Android apps determines whether the device is running a factory-installed ROM or a modified version. It evaluates system properties, boot parameters, and firmware-level artifacts that indicate non-standard OS versions.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Custom ROM Plugins:

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

How to Implement Detect Custom ROM in Android Apps Using Appdome

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

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

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Custom ROM feature

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

      3. When you enable Detect Unlocked Bootloader you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Custom ROM.

        Fusion Set applied Detect Custom ROM

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

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti Malware tab > Detect Android Exploit section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On Detect Unlocked Bootloader > Detect Custom ROM.
        Note: The checkmark feature Detect Custom ROM is enabled by default, as shown below. Detect Custom ROM option

        Figure 4: Selecting Detect Custom ROM

        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 Custom ROM:
        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 Custom ROM

        4. Detect Custom ROM Threat Code™. Appdome uses AI/ML to generate a unique code each time Detect Custom ROM 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 Custom ROM protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the Detect Custom ROM feature in Android Apps

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

Using Threat-Events™ for Custom ROM Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

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

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Custom ROM are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Detect Custom ROM Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect Custom ROM
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 Custom ROM 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
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 Custom ROM is detected.


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


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 Custom ROM. 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 Custom ROM

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:

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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