HACKING PROJECT · mobile · Advanced
Root/Jailbreak Detection & Bypass Toolkit
Deliver a paired detection-and-bypass toolkit that teaches how to build and defeat mobile anti-tamper/root-detection controls.
High-assurance apps (banking, payments, DRM, enterprise) rely on root/jailbreak detection as a resilience control, but weak implementations are trivially bypassed, giving a false sense of security. Defenders need to understand how detection is defeated to build layered, tamper-resistant checks, while testers must validate MASVS-RESILIENCE controls. There is a gap in a single toolkit that both implements robust detection and demonstrates realistic bypasses for training.
**What you'll build**
Build a two-sided toolkit: a defensive SDK/module implementing layered root/jailbreak detection (Magisk/Zygisk artifact checks, su binary and path checks, mount/SELinux inspection, Frida/hooking detection, integrity attestation via Play Integrity/DeviceCheck), and an offensive lab of Frida/objection scripts and Magisk modules that bypass naive checks. Pair them so students attack, observe the bypass, then harden. Map every control and bypass to OWASP MASVS-RESILIENCE and provide a hardening scorecard.
**Objective** — Deliver a paired detection-and-bypass toolkit that teaches how to build and defeat mobile anti-tamper/root-detection controls.
**Expected outcome** — A defensive detection module plus an offensive bypass script suite and a MASVS-RESILIENCE hardening scorecard for a demo app.
**Difficulty** — Advanced — requires deep Android/iOS internals, anti-instrumentation techniques, and attestation integration.
**Primary category** — Mobile AppSec; Secondary = Application Hardening, Penetration Testing
**Security domains** — Primary = Purple Team; Secondary = Red Team, Blue Team, DevSecOps, Security Research
**Technical focus** — Root/jailbreak detection, anti-instrumentation, Frida/hook detection, integrity attestation (Play Integrity/DeviceCheck), Magisk/Zygisk internals, SELinux/mount analysis, tamper resistance, bypass development, MASVS-RESILIENCE testing
**Core technologies** — Languages: Kotlin/Java, Swift/Objective-C, JavaScript (Frida), C/C++ (native checks); Frameworks/Libraries: Play Integrity API, Apple DeviceCheck/App Attest, Frida, objection; Security Tools: Magisk, Zygisk, Frida, objection, jadx; Cloud/Infra: attestation backend, Android/iOS devices/emulators; AI/Data: N/A (optional telemetry analytics); Databases: backend store for attestation results/telemetry
**Where it's valued** — Banking/fintech, payments, gaming/DRM, streaming media, enterprise mobility, security vendors
**Careers it builds toward** — Mobile Security Engineer, Application Security Engineer, Anti-Tamper/DRM Engineer, Red/Purple Team Specialist
**Framework alignment**
• MITRE ATT&CK: ATT&CK for Mobile — Hooking (T1617), Process Injection (T1631), Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, Impair Defenses (evade resilience controls)
• NIST CSF 2.0: Protect (device integrity/hardening), Detect (tamper/root detection), Identify (control gap analysis)
• OWASP: MASVS-RESILIENCE (all — anti-tampering, anti-hooking, device-binding), MASVS-PLATFORM
• CIS Controls v8: 4 (Secure Configuration), 16 (Application Software Security)
**Innovation** — Improved Existing Solution — detection/bypass techniques exist individually, but a paired, attestation-backed, MASVS-scored teaching toolkit has strong training and product angles. Scores: Innovation 7/10, Startup 6/10, Enterprise-Readiness 6/10, Patent = Possible.