DynDebloater: Dynamically Debloating Unwanted Features of Android Apps without APK Modification
Modern Android apps are bloated with rarely used features, increasing resource use and security risks. Static debloating methods modify APKs but struggle with anti-tampering and require reinstallations. This paper introduces DynDebloater, the first dynamic Android app debloater, built on a customized OS and management app. It intercepts method calls via a modified ART for DEX methods and removes native method code at runtime, with a graceful termination. A user study shows DynDebloater effectively debloats even tamper-resistant apps, with high stability, satisfaction, and improved user experience. The code and data example are available at https://github.com/zzc1010/DynDebloater, and the demonstration video can be found at https://youtu.be/zEzBMxf1Vf8.
Authors
- Lwin Khin Shar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5130-0407)
- Ferdian Thung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5566-3819)
- Wei Minn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3191-9795)
- Xing Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0093-3292)
- Debin Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9412-9961)
- David Lo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4367-7201)
- Yan Naing Tun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2899-4637)
- Jiakun Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7273-6709)
- Zicheng Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9631-4316)
Institutions
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Singapore Management University (SG)
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-06-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3696630.3728580
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Malware Detection Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Research Foundation Singapore
- Singapore Management University