How to Prevent Code Tampering in Android & iOS Apps

Last updated February 22, 2024 by Appdome

Learn to Prevent code tampering in Mobile apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is code tampering?

Tampering involves the modification of a mobile app (either the compiled app or the running process), or the mobile app’s environment, thereby affecting the app behavior. For example, an app might not run on your rooted test device, thus preventing any option to run some of your tests.

Why Prevent code tampering in Mobile Apps?

Tamper prevention protects your app against unwanted changes, mods, and hacks – all without adding development work or time to your release cycles. This is done by sealing your app and actively detecting modifications during initialization and at multiple other points during run-time (whenever the app is being used).
Mobile Anti-Tampering protects against the following static and dynamic modifications to the application:

  • Re-signing the application.
  • Attempting to Modify the Appdome adapter.
  • Modifying the application’s main executable (app binary – ipa in iOS and DEX file in Android).

Prerequisites for Using Prevent Code Tampering:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Prevent code tampering , you’ll need:

Prevent code tampering on Mobile apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Prevent code tampering without an SDK or gateway:

  1. 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. Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
    4. Prevent Code Tampering Compatible With: Obj-C, C+, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more
  2. Build the feature: Prevent Code Tampering.

    1. Building Prevent Code Tampering by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Prevent Code Tampering feature as shown below:
      2. fusion set that contains Prevent Code Tampering

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Prevent Code Tampering feature
        Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required).

      3. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Prevent Code Tampering feature via Appdome Console, to add the Prevent Code Tampering feature to this Fusion Set.

      4. 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): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      5. 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:
        1. Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
    2. Building the Prevent Code Tampering feature via Appdome Console

      To build the Prevent Code Tampering protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

      1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Security Tab > ONEShield™ section.
      2. When you select the Prevent Code Tampering you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Prevent Code Tampering

        Fusion Set applied Prevent Code Tampering

        Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Prevent Code Tampering protection

      3. Extra Configuration with Prevent Code Tampering:
        1. Checksum Validation

        2. App Integrity/Structure Scan

        3. Prevent Static App Patching

        4. Prevent Code Tampering

        5. Prevent App Repacking

      4. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
    Congratulations!  The Prevent Code Tampering protection is now added to the mobile app

Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Mobile Apps by using Prevent Code Tampering. 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 Prevent Code Tampering

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:

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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