mandiant / mandiant/capa-rules

Xamarin.Android (Build fully native Android apps using C#)

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Description

Consider writing capa rules for `Xamarin.Android` applications:

> Xamarin.Android exposes the complete Android SDK for .NET developers. Build fully native Android apps using C# or F# in Visual Studio.

([credit](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/android/))

Developers can write cross-platform and platform-specific C# (Android, iOS) . Here, we should aim to target Android-specific C# implemented via [Mono.Android](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/android?view=xamarin-android-sdk-13):

Screen Shot 2023-02-22 at 10 42 23 AM

([credit](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/xamarin/))

`Xamarin.Android` framework has been leveraged by malware authors:
- https://blog.cyble.com/2021/10/22/fake-voicemail-app-built-through-xamarin-platform-spreads-spyware/
- https://maldr0id.blogspot.com/2015/03/android-malware-goes-mono-net-and-lua.html

Quick hunt on VT finds:
- [f22974d0d7736ed5cf04102d42d9db5f1592463c137921c02595f382411fb595](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/f22974d0d7736ed5cf04102d42d9db5f1592463c137921c02595f382411fb595)

We already have some coverage on this sample:

Screen Shot 2023-02-22 at 11 33 12 AM

Deliverables:
- understand [`Mono.Android`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/android?view=xamarin-android-sdk-13) SDK and its uses by malware authors
- develop capa rules based on this understanding

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reviewing the linked Mono.Android SDK documentation and the referenced malware reports, then inspect the existing coverage for the provided VirusTotal sample. Determine which Android-specific C# or Mono.Android behaviors are not covered; done means adding capa rules based on that understanding and checking them against the sample.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
android, csharp
Domain
mobile-dev, reverse-engineering, security
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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