Bypassing Location Restrictions on a Android App Using Frida

Hello, Pentester! In this post, I’ll take you through an intriguing journey of bypassing location restrictions in Android applications, showcasing my findings and techniques that can elevate your pentesting skills!

Description

App Compatibility Issues: Some applications exhibit different behaviors on emulators compared to real devices due to varying security and permission policies. Many apps implement stricter checks for location services when running on emulators to prevent misuse or bypassing of location-based restrictions. These checks could include detecting the use of mock locations, verifying hardware-level sensors like GPS, or monitoring the network-based location access. As a result, even with location permissions enabled in an emulator, apps may not function as expected unless run on a physical device, where real-time hardware-based location data is available.

Steps for Bypass

I used apktool (or any decompilation tool) to decompile the APK and access the application’s source codeThere were multiple files handling location logic. And many files contained key checks and logic for fetching the device’s location like this

3. Once I identified the relevant file responsible for location-based errors, I created a JavaScript hook to manipulate the behavior using Frida.

frida -l locate.js -U -f com.package

4. After running the Frida hook, I Logged in again and the location error was successfully bypassed.

5. The app no longer displayed the “Location not available” error, and I was able to proceed with the functionality as if on a real device.

Emulator Detection: The app had checks in place to identify if it was running on an emulator, making location spoofing tricky.
Solution: Used Frida to hook the relevant function and manipulated the location data.Multiple Location Checks: There were multiple files, involved in the location logic. Identifying the correct one took time.
Solution: Thorough code inspection and testing using hooks at different points helped pinpoint the right logic.Improper Location Handling: If left unpatched, attackers could bypass location restrictions, affecting the app’s core features (like region-specific content or geofencing).Business Impact: This could lead to misuse of services, financial losses, or legal issues if the app operates in regulated industries.Use Strong Emulator Detection: Implement advanced checks beyond basic location access detection, like monitoring hardware sensors.Secure Location Services: Use server-side verification for location data instead of relying solely on client-side checks.Obfuscate Critical Code: Protect sensitive logic, such as location checks, to prevent reverse engineering attempts.

This process demonstrates how critical it is to perform dynamic analysis and instrumentation during pentesting. Bypassing location checks using Frida showcases how attackers can exploit weak validation mechanisms. Developers need to ensure robust security practices to prevent such manipulations.