Course Overview:

Android is an open platform for mobile devices such as handsets and tablets. It has a large variety of security features to make developing secure software easier; however, it is also missing certain security aspects that are present in other hand-held platforms. This advanced course gives a comprehensive overview of these features putting an equal emphasis on both native code issues and Java security, allowing a deeper analysis of the vulnerabilities, attacks, protection techniques and counter attacks in three days.

The course is recommended to those developers who extensively use both Java and native code to develop complex Android applications.

Target Audience:

Android application developers, architects and testers

Learning Objectives:

Individuals certified at this level will have demonstrated:

• Understand basic concepts of security, IT security and secure coding
• Learn the security solutions on Android
• Learn to use various security features of the Android platform
• Get information about some recent vulnerabilities in Java on Android
• Get understanding on native code vulnerabilities on Android
• Learn about typical coding mistakes and how to avoid them
• Get practical knowledge in using security testing tools
• Get sources and further reading on secure coding practices

Prerequisites:

None

Course Materials:

Students will receive a course manual with presentation slides and reference materials.

Examination:

No Exam

Technical Requirements:

For eBooks:

Internet for downloading the eBook

Laptop, tablet, Smartphone, eReader (No Kindle)

Adobe DRM supported software (e.g. Digital Editions, Bluefire Reader)

eBook download and activation instructions

Agenda:

IT security and secure coding

• Nature of security
• IT security related terms
• Definition of risk
• IT security vs. secure coding
• From vulnerabilities to botnets and cybercrime
• Classification of security flaws

Android security overview

• Android fragmentation challenges
• The Android software stack
• OS security features and exploit mitigation techniques
• The Linux kernel
• Filesystem security
• Dalvik
• Deploying applications

Application security

• Permissions
• Writing secure Android applications
• Digital Rights Management (DRM)
• Reverse engineering and debugging

Basics of cryptography

• Cryptosystems
• Symmetric-key cryptography
• Other cryptographic algorithms
• Asymmetric (public-key) cryptography
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Cryptography on Android

Android native code security

• Buffer overflow possibilities in Android
• ARM architecture
• Buffer overflow on the stack
• Protection techniques – ASLR, XN, RELRO, …

Android and Java vulnerabilities

• Input validation
• SQL Injection
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Improper use of security features
• Improper error and exception handling
• Code quality problems

Testing Android code

• Testing Android code
• Android Lint
• Android Lint – Security features
• Lint exercise
• PMD
• PMD exercise
• FindBugs
• FindBugs exercise

Advices and principles

• Matt Bishop’s principles of robust programming
• The security principles of Saltzer and Schroeder

Knowledge sources

• Secure coding sources – a starter kit
• Vulnerability databases