Top 10 Vulnerable Android Apps for Testing Now

Smartphones are everywhere, and Android’s open model makes mobile apps a rich target for security testing. For security learners and pentesters, intentionally vulnerable apps are a safe, legal way to practice identifying and fixing common weaknesses without harming real users.

This thread lists the Top 10 vulnerable Android apps, explains what makes them useful for learning, maps common vulnerability types, and gives guidance on how to test ethically and securely.

Why use vulnerable apps for learning? ​

Vulnerable apps are purpose-built or curated to contain common coding mistakes and configuration flaws found in real-world apps. Practicing on these apps helps you understand attack surfaces like insecure storage, improper authentication, weak cryptography, and insecure communication - but in a controlled environment where no real user data is at risk.

Benefits:

• Hands-on learning of the OWASP Mobile Top 10 vulnerabilities.
• Safe practice for reversing, secure coding, and hardening techniques.
• Reproducible test cases for training, CTFs, and workshops.

Always use vulnerable apps in an isolated lab (emulator, VM, or a disposable test device) and only for educational or authorized testing.

Key security themes to learn from these apps ​

When you work with vulnerable Android apps, focus on these recurring problems:

• Insecure Data Storage (unprotected files, shared preferences).
• Weak Authentication & Session Management (predictable tokens, unsecured storage of credentials).
• Improper Platform Usage (misuse of Android APIs).
• Insecure Communication (HTTP, missing certificate validation).
• Code Quality Flaws (hard-coded secrets, debugging left enabled).

Mapping these issues to the OWASP Mobile Top 10 will give you a structured learning path.

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The Top 10 vulnerable Android apps (for practice) ​

Below are widely used vulnerable apps and projects that the community uses for training. These are intended for defensive learning and must be used legally.

1. Appknox Vulnerable Application - A deliberately vulnerable app containing examples of insecure storage, improper crypto, and client-side logic flaws. Good for beginners.
2. PIVVA by High-Tech Bridge - A vulnerable app designed to demonstrate common mobile weaknesses and practical fixes.
3. Android InsecureBankv2 - A classic training app that simulates a banking application with intentional vulnerabilities across authentication, storage, and communication.
4. DVHMA (Damn Vulnerable Hybrid Mobile App) - Targets hybrid app flaws (Cordova/PhoneGap) and is excellent for testing hybrid-specific issues.
5. DIVA Android - An intentionally vulnerable Android app focusing on SSL issues, data leakage, and insecure storage.
6. OWASP Security Shepherd (Mobile modules) - Contains mobile-focused challenges that map to OWASP categories; great for progressive skill-building.
7. OWASP-mstg (Mobile Security Testing Guide) labs - While not a single app, the MSTG includes labs and guides to test mobile scenarios safely.
8. Vulnerable Android App (Oracle / sample challenge) - Educational samples used in enterprise training to illustrate common enterprise misconfigurations.
9. Dodo Vulnerable Bank - Another banking-sim app used to practice session management, injection, and logic flaws.
10. Digital Bank - A full-featured vulnerable banking app used in many labs and workshops to simulate end-to-end testing.

These apps are intentionally vulnerable and commonly available from project repositories and training sites. Always download them from the original project source (GitHub or official project pages) to avoid tampered builds.

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How to set up a safe testing environment ​

Never use your daily phone for testing. Set up a controlled environment:

• Use Android emulators (Android Studio) or dedicated test devices.
• Isolate the device or emulator on a separate network or VLAN.
• Maintain snapshots/backups so you can revert changes.
• Use a security-focused toolkit (MobSF, Frida, Burp Suite) for analysis - but only in defensive contexts.

Document every action and keep testing within authorized scope.

Defensive verification: inspect APKs and signatures ​

Before running any APK, verify it came from the original repo and check the signing certificate. Here’s a defensive example using the Android SDK apksigner to print certificate fingerprints:

# Defensive example: print certificate info (requires Android build tools)
apksigner verify --print-certs vulnerable-app.apk

Compare the printed certificate fingerprints against the project’s documented signing keys (if available) - this helps ensure the APK wasn’t tampered with.

Learning roadmap & practice tips ​

• Start with documentation: read the OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG).
• Work through one app at a time and map findings to OWASP categories.
• Practice fixes after you find issues - patch the app, rebuild, and validate the remediation.
• Use code analysis, dynamic instrumentation (Frida), and proxying (Burp) responsibly in your isolated lab.
• Keep logs and produce short reports to practice professional disclosure and remediation guidance.

Responsible disclosure & ethics ​

If you discover a vulnerability in a third-party or production app during authorized testing, follow a responsible disclosure process: notify the vendor privately, include reproduction steps and remediation suggestions, and give the vendor time to fix the issue. Never publish exploit details before the vendor has released a patch.

Final thoughts - build skills the right way ​

Vulnerable Android apps are a powerful and ethical way to learn real-world mobile security - provided you use them in safe, authorized environments. Focus on understanding root causes, practicing fixes, and documenting your findings professionally. With consistent study and responsible practice, you’ll gain the skills needed to secure mobile applications and contribute positively to the infosec community.