androguard

What it is and what it does

Androguard is a comprehensive Python framework for static and dynamic analysis of Android applications. It can parse and extract information from APK files, DEX/ODEX bytecode, Android binary XML, and resource files. The package includes a basic decompiler for DEX bytecode, disassembly capabilities, and integration with Frida for dynamic analysis. It also supports saving analysis sessions to SQLite databases.

The tool is widely used in mobile security research, malware analysis, and app auditing. It serves as a foundation for higher-level security frameworks and is actively maintained, though versions 4.0.0 and later introduced breaking changes from the 3.3.5 release. The package has 14 runtime dependencies including cryptography, lxml, networkx, and IPython, providing a rich ecosystem for programmatic Android app inspection.

Use it for:

• Analyze APK files to extract package names, permissions, activities, and other metadata for security audits.
• Disassemble and decompile DEX bytecode to review application logic and identify potential vulnerabilities.
• Integrate Android app analysis into automated security scanning pipelines or malware detection systems.
• Perform dynamic analysis using Frida integration to monitor app behavior at runtime.
• Build custom Android security tools or frameworks that need programmatic access to app internals.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Androguard is a Python tool for analyzing, disassembling, and decompiling Android application files (APK, DEX, ODEX) and extracting metadata from Android binary resources.

Yes, if you need to analyze Android applications programmatically. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, permissive licensing, and is battle-tested in production security tools. Be aware that version 4.1.4 represents a substantial rewrite from earlier releases, so existing code may need updates. Documentation is incomplete but improving.

Install

androguard on PyPI

pip install androguard

uv add androguard

poetry add androguard

Installing androguard

Before you install

Low friction installation with a pure-Python wheel. Active maintenance with recent releases; the project underwent substantial changes in version 4.0.0 and later, so some older workflows may need adjustment.

License in practice

Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive). You can use, modify, and distribute the software freely as long as you include a copy of the license and state significant changes.

Quickstart

pip install androguard

from androguard.apk import APK

apk = APK('path/to/app.apk')
print(apk.get_package())

Requires Python 3.9 or later; earlier Python versions are not supported.

Verify before relying

• Whether the decompiler output is suitable for production reverse-engineering workflows or primarily for analysis.
• Current state of documentation accuracy given the note that it is 'in progress of updating'.
• Stability of the Frida integration for dynamic analysis across different Android versions.

Package facts

Evidence: androguard-4.1.4-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More Security packages