Comparing Capability of Static Analysis Tools to Detect Security Weaknesses in Mobile Applications

Smartphones are prevalent today and store sensitive and
private data. Malicious applications are constant threats to user data
on smartphones as they could sniff or manipulate them by exploiting
software weaknesses in legitimate mobile applications. Static analysis
tools can be used to reduce these risks during development. However, it is
important to know the capability of these tools in order to make informed
decisions and avoid false-sense of security. In this preliminary study we
investigate the detection capability of mainstream vs. Android-specific
tools to guide decision-making during tools’ selection.