Secure Android Design and Development
From App Layer to HAL
Stop Fixing Bugs. Start Preventing Exploits. A system-level guide to designing Android software that doesn’t just pass reviews — it survives real-world hostile environments.
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About
About the Book
Most Android security failures are not caused by bugs.
They are caused by design decisions made too early and questioned too late.
Secure Android Design and Development teaches you how to reason about Android security as a system — from application code and IPC to framework services and HAL — so you can spot risks before they reach production.
This is not a checklist or a collection of copy-paste fixes.
It focuses on how attackers think, why common assumptions fail, and how to design Android systems that fail safely under real-world conditions.
You’ll learn how to:
- Identify security design flaws across Android layers
- Reason clearly about Android’s security architecture
- Make defensible security decisions during reviews and audits
This book is for:
- Android engineers shipping production systems
- Tech leads and architects responsible for security
- Security engineers who need a system-level map
Not for beginners or UI-only Android development.
FAQ
- Is this for mobile or automotive?
Both, with explicit coverage of AAOS - Do I need C++ experience?
Covers Java/Kotlin but includes memory safety context - How up-to-date is this?
Aligned with Android 15, last updated April 2025 - Will this help me pass security audits?
Yes, covers threat modeling frameworks used in audits
Free Sample Chapters:
https://www.scribd.com/document/972877327/Secure-Android-Design-and-Development-By-Mohammad-Hossein-Heydarchi
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Author
About the Author
He has worked in embedded development for several years, specializing in system-level services for automotive, telecom, and industrial applications. His electronic engineering background and focus on security provide a holistic understanding of systems across embedded platforms such as AOSP/AAOS and Linux. Throughout his career, he has progressed from developer to project manager and technical lead, enhancing his expertise across various technical perspectives. Inspired by challenges in Android internal and security, especially in AAOS/AOSP, he wrote this book to guide developers.
Testimonials
Reader Testimonials
It’s rare to come across a post, article, or even a book that offers a clear, thoughtful analysis of what’s going on behind these security incidents. If you're an Android developer — or planning to become one — and you'd rather not gift your users a shiny new zero-day vulnerability, this book is a must-read
Hamid MoayeriChief Technical Officer at Samin Argham Smart Systems
Contents
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Brief
- The story of the book
- No magic at all!
- How to read the book
- Who is the book written for?
- The big picture
- Do We Need to Secure an Android Application?
- Principles and Methodologies
- Gravity of principles (The rules of the game)
- The Fail-Safe vs Fail-Secure Principle (Planning for the Unexpected)
- Least Common Mechanism
- Separation of Privilege and Least Privilege
- The Zero Trust Principle: Trust No One, Verify Everything
- KISS: The Principle of Least Complexity in Security
- Defense in Depth
- Defensive, Offensive, and Aggressive Programming
- Notes on Modularity, cohesion, and coupling
- Securing the Development Lifecycle
- Design Review
- Code Review
- Regular Security Assessments
- Security Requirements
- Integrating Security Testing
- Threat Modeling, Standards and Guidelines
- Shostack’s Four Question Framework
- Threat Modelling frameworks
- Security Standards and Guidelines
- Some keywords to know
- Attack and Defense
- We don’t need to experience it again!
- Why are we not learning from history?
- How you will be attacked
- How to Defend
- Act as a chief
- Common Programming Mistakes
- Memory safety
- C and C++
- Java
- Kotlin
- Real world examples
- Data Validation
- Untrusted Data Sources
- Input Validation
- Encoding Methods
- Sanitizing user inputs
- Android Security Model
- Let’s open the onion layers
- Application Sandbox and Android Runtime
- Application Signing
- Permission and Package Manager
- SELinux
- AndroidManifest and Components
- Inter-process communication
- HAL Layer
- Play Integrity
- Jetpack libraries
- Protecting Data
- Data life-cycle
- What Google has done to address insecure storage
- File Integrity Verification
- Private Space
- Authentication, Network, and Protocols
- Android AccountManager for Access Control
- Credential Manager
- Android Biometric Authentication
- Android Network Security Configuration
- Sniffing
- Certificate Pinning in Android Applications
- Implementing SSL/TLS for Android Network Communications
- OAuth and OpenID Connect for Android Applications
- Bluetooth
- Practical Scenarios
- Financial Android Application
- Key Provider Service
- Sensor HAL Layer Daemon
- Vehicle Data Logger Application
- Compilers and Tools
- Clang and GCC Security Features
- Obfuscation
- R8
- Notes on hiding keys, secrets and credentials
- Static and Dynamic Analysis Tools
- Last word
- About the Author
- Abbreviations Glossary
- References
- Appendix
- Security Standards and Guidelines
- A detailed STRIDE and TARA comparison
- Useful tools
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