HideApp - Albatross Hook Framework Plugin

A Android app hiding plugin for the Albatross Hook Framework. This project provides two different approaches to hide applications from the system and other apps.

中文版本

📋 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Architecture
• Installation
• Usage
• Configuration
• Technical Details
• Contributing
• License

🎯 Overview

HideApp is designed to work with the Albatross Hook Framework to provide application hiding capabilities on Android devices. It offers two distinct implementation approaches:

1. System-Level Hook (insystem) - Recommended for production use
2. App-Level Hook (inapp) - Ideal for learning and research purposes

✨ Features

System-Level Hook (insystem)

• Global App Hiding: Hides apps system-wide for all applications
• Per-App Rules: Configure hiding rules for specific applications
• System Server Integration: Hooks into PackageManagerService for comprehensive coverage
• UID-Based Filtering: Uses UID-based rules for precise control
• Production Ready: Stable and reliable for daily use

App-Level Hook (inapp)

• Targeted Hiding: Hides apps only for the specific application using the plugin
• Educational Value: Perfect for understanding app-level hooking techniques
• Package Manager Hooks: Intercepts PackageManager API calls
• Research Tool: Ideal for studying how app-level hooks work

🏗️ Architecture

HideApp/
├── inapp/                    # App-level hook implementation
│   ├── HideAppPlugin.java    # Main plugin class
│   ├── IPackageManagerH.java # PackageManager hook implementation
│   └── PluginConfigActivity.java # Configuration UI
├── insystem/                 # System-level hook implementation
│   ├── HideAppSystemPlugin.java # Main plugin class
│   ├── PackageManagerServiceH.java # System service hooks
│   ├── ComputerEngineH.java  # Additional system hooks
│   ├── AppsFilterBaseH.java  # App filtering hooks
│   └── PluginConfigActivity.java # Configuration UI
└── lib/
    └── albatross.jar         # Albatross framework library

🚀 Installation

Prerequisites

• Android device with root access
• AlbatrossManager installed
• Android Studio 2025.1.2 Patch 2 or compatible IDE

Build Instructions

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd HideApp
   

2. Build the project

   ./gradlew build
   

3. Install the plugins

   # Install system-level plugin (recommended)
   adb install insystem/build/outputs/apk/release/insystem-release.apk
   
   # Or install app-level plugin (for research)
   adb install inapp/build/outputs/apk/release/inapp-release.apk
   

📱 Usage

System-Level Plugin (Recommended)

1. Install the system plugin to device and add plugin in AlbatrossManager
2. Configure hiding rules using the format: package1:rule1,rule2|package2:rule3,rule4
3. Set target applications that should have these hiding rules applied
4. Activate the plugin through AlbatrossManager

App-Level Plugin (Research)

1. Install the app plugin to device and add plugin in AlbatrossManager
2. Configure package list using comma-separated package names
3. Apply to specific app that needs hiding functionality
4. Test and observe how app-level hooks work

⚙️ Configuration

System-Level Configuration

Rule Format: packageName:hideRule1,hideRule2|packageName2:hideRule3

Example:

com.example.app1:com.target.app1,com.target.app2|com.example.app2:com.target.app3

This means:

• com.example.app1 will hide com.target.app1 and com.target.app2
• com.example.app2 will hide com.target.app3

App-Level Configuration

Package List: Comma-separated package names to hide

Example:

com.target.app1,com.target.app2,com.target.app3

🔧 Technical Details

System-Level Hooks

The system-level implementation hooks into:

• PackageManagerService: Core package management service
• ComputerEngine: Package resolution engine
• AppsFilterBase: Application filtering system

Key Methods Hooked:

• applyPostResolutionFilter() - Filters resolved intents
• filterAppAccessLPr() - Controls app access permissions
• getInstalledApplicationsListInternal() - Filters installed apps list
• getInstalledPackages() - Filters package information

App-Level Hooks

The app-level implementation hooks into:

• IPackageManager: Package manager interface
• ResolveInfo: Intent resolution information

Key Methods Hooked:

• queryIntentActivities() - Filters activity queries
• queryIntentServices() - Filters service queries
• queryIntentReceivers() - Filters receiver queries
• getPackageInfo() - Filters package information
• getInstalledPackages() - Filters installed packages

Hook Framework Integration

Both plugins extend AlbatrossPlugin and implement:

• load() - Plugin initialization
• parseParams() - Parameter parsing
• beforeApplicationCreate() - Pre-application setup
• onConfigChange() - Configuration updates

🎓 Learning Resources

Understanding App-Level Hooks

The inapp module serves as an excellent learning resource for:

1. PackageManager API Hooking: Learn how to intercept package queries
2. Intent Resolution Hooking: Understand how to filter intent resolution
3. App-Level Security: Study app-level hiding techniques
4. Hook Implementation: See practical examples of hook implementation

Key Learning Points

• How to hook PackageManager methods
• Intent resolution filtering techniques
• ParceledListSlice manipulation
• ComponentInfo extraction and filtering
• Error handling in hook implementations

Development Guidelines

1. Follow the existing code style
2. Add appropriate comments for complex logic
3. Test both system and app-level implementations
4. Update documentation for new features

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

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