Techniques for Analysis of Mobile Malware

Abstract

The rapid rise in the number of mobile devices has resulted in an alarming increase in mobile software and applications. The mobile application markets/stores too have created a fundamental shift in the way mobile applications are delivered to users, with apps being added and updated in thousands every day. Even though research progresses have been achieved towards detection and mitigation of mobile security, open challenges still remain and also keep evolving in this area. Several studies reveal that mobile application markets/stores do harbor applications that are either vulnerable or malicious in nature, leading to compromises of millions of devices. This chapter (1) captures the attack surface of mobile devices, (2) lists the various mobile malware analysis techniques, and (3) lays the ground for research on mobile malware by providing mobile malware dataset resources, tools for malware analysis, patent landscaping for mobile malware detection, and a few open challenges in malware analysis.