How to Detect Invalid Device Properties in Android Apps Using AI

Last updated July 2, 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 Invalid Device Properties in Android apps.

What are Invalid Device Properties?

In Android, device properties refer to system-level settings that define how the operating system identifies and reports information about the device. These include values which indicate when the system is in release or test mode, if the device passed Android’s secure boot check, and whether debugging is enabled.

Attackers may tamper with these properties to disguise a compromised or emulated device as a legitimate one. For example, using Magisk, they might change system values to hide that the device is rooted, running in an emulator, or using a custom operating system. These manipulations help attackers bypass app protections, steal credentials, intercept sessions, or manipulate transactions.

The ability to modify these properties undermines anti-fraud controls, disrupts telemetry accuracy, and increases the difficulty of establishing reliable trust in user sessions. Failure to detect tampered properties may violate compliance standards, such as PCI DSS and GDPR.

How Appdome Protects Android Apps Against Invalid Device Properties

Appdome’s dynamic Detect Invalid Device Properties plugin checks Android system values in real time for signs of spoofing or tampering. It inspects key properties for unexpected or dangerous changes.

Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Detect Invalid Device Properties Plugins:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Invalid Device Properties , you’ll need:

How to Implement Detect Invalid Device Properties in Android Apps Using Appdome

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

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

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Invalid Device Properties feature

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

      3. When you select the Detect Invalid Device Properties you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Invalid Device Properties.

        Fusion Set applied Detect Invalid Device Properties

        Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Invalid Device Properties 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 Invalid Device Properties feature to your security template.

      1. Navigate to Build > Anti Malware tab > Detect Android Exploit section in the Appdome Console.
      2. Toggle On > Detect Invalid Device Properties.
        Detect Invalid Device Properties option

        Figure 4: Selecting Detect Invalid Device Properties

        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 Invalid Device Properties:
        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 Invalid Device Properties

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

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

Using Threat-Events™ for Invalid Device Properties Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

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

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Invalid Device Properties are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Detect Invalid Device Properties Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name Detect Invalid Device Properties
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 Invalid Device Properties 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 Invalid Device Properties are detected.


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


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 Invalid Device Properties. 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 Invalid Device Properties

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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