How to Detect Cloak & Dagger Attack
Learn to Detect Cloak & Dagger attack in Android apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.
What is a Cloak & Dagger Attack?
Cloak & Dagger is a type of Screen Overlay Attack that affects Android devices. A Screen Overlay Attack is an attack technique where part of the application screen is covered by a fake (malicious) screen that the user is tricked into clicking on or interacting with. There are many variations of overlay attacks, but in all overlay attacks the users think they are interacting with a legitimate app or service, but they are in fact interacting with the attacker-controlled overlay screen.
Cloak & Dagger attacks allow a malicious app to completely control the UI feedback loop and take over the device — without giving the user a chance to notice the malicious activity.
How does Appdome Detect Cloak & Dagger Attacks?
When the feature Prevent Accessibility Service Malware is enabled, Appdome detects apps capable of launching a Cloak & Dagger attack on Android 8 and earlier. Upon detection, the app exits and the user is presented with the option to turn off accessibility services.
Detect Cloak & Dagger attack on Android apps using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Detect Cloak & Dagger attack without an SDK or gateway:
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Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.
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Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System
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Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
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Android Formats: .apk or .aab
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Detect Cloak & Dagger Compatible With: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and more
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Build the feature: Detect Cloak & Dagger.
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Building Detect Cloak & Dagger by using Appdome’s DEV-API:
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Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect Cloak & Dagger feature as shown below:
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Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Detect Cloak & Dagger feature via Appdome Console, to add the Detect Cloak & Dagger feature to this Fusion Set.
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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). -
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:
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Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
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Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
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Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Cloak & Dagger feature
Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required). -
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Building the Detect Cloak & Dagger feature via Appdome Console
To build the Detect Cloak & Dagger protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.
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Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Anti Fraud Tab > Mobile Malware Prevention section
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How: Check whether Prevent Accessibility Service Malware is toggled On (enabled), otherwise enable it . You can see that the feature Detect Cloak & Dagger is enabled by default, as shown below.
Figure 3: Detect Cloak & Dagger attack 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. -
When you enable Prevent Accessibility Service Malware you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Cloak & Dagger
Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Cloak & Dagger protection
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Select the Threat-Event™ in-app mobile Threat Defense and Intelligence policy for Detect Cloak & Dagger:
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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 Detect Cloak & Dagger attack.
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Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Detection
When this setting is used, Appdome detects a Cloak & Dagger attack 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 Detect Cloak & Dagger Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
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Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Defense
When this setting is used, Appdome detects and defends against Cloak & Dagger attack (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 Detect Cloak & Dagger Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
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Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
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Congratulations! The Detect Cloak & Dagger protection is now added to the mobile app -
Using Threat-Events™ for Cloak & Dagger attack Intelligence and Control in Android Apps
Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Cloak & Dagger attack is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Cloak & Dagger attack in Android Apps, use registerReceiver in the Application OnCreate, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Cloak & Dagger attack shown below.
The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Cloak & Dagger attack are:
Threat-Event™ Elements | Detect Cloak & Dagger attack Method Detail |
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Appdome Feature Name | Detect Cloak & Dagger |
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 Detecting Cloak & Dagger attack Threat-Event™ | |
Threat-Event NAME | CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected |
Threat-Event DATA | reasonData |
Threat-Event CODE | reasonCode |
Threat-Event REF | 6940 |
Threat-Event SCORE | |
currentThreatEventScore | Current Threat-Event score |
threatEventsScore | Total Threat-events score |
Threat-Event Context Keys | |
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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 long |
locationLat | Location lat |
locationState | Location state |
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 Cloak & Dagger attack is detected.
The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Detect Cloak & Dagger:
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IntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter();
intentFilter.addAction("CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected");
BroadcastReceiver threatEventReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() {
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);
}
x
val intentFilter = IntentFilter()
intentFilter.addAction("CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected")
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(
"CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected",
(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("CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected"));
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)"CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected", // 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("CloakAndDaggerCapableAppDetected", 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...)
});
Prerequisites to Using Detect Cloak & Dagger:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Cloak & Dagger attack , you’ll need:
- Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
- A license for Detect Cloak & Dagger
- Mobile App (.apk or .aab For Android)
- Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using Detect Cloak & Dagger. 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 Cloak & Dagger
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.
All apps protected by Appdome are fully compatible with any public app store, including Apple App Store, Google Play, Huawei App Gallery and more.
Related Articles:
- Protecting Android Apps from Accessibility Service Malware
- Set Trusted Accessibility Services
- Accessibility Service Abuse
- User Accessibility Service Consent
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.