firebase-apk-scanner
Scans Android APKs for Firebase security misconfigurations including open databases, storage buckets, authentication issues, and exposed cloud functions
Install / Use
npx skills add trailofbits/skills --skill firebase-apk-scannerInstalls into whichever agent you are using.
SKILL.md
Installable skill definition
Quality Score
Category
SecuritySupported Platforms
Our assessment of firebase-apk-scanner
firebase-apk-scanner scores 95/100 on our quality scale, 229th of 774 Security skills we index (top 30%).
Its SKILL.md is 7.2 KB long, well organised into 28 sections with 8 code examples: a thorough specification that gives an agent plenty to work with.
With 7,225 GitHub stars, it is one of the more widely adopted skills in the catalogue.
Maintenance, license and trust
- The repository was last updated 4 days ago, so firebase-apk-scanner is actively maintained.
- It is released under the CC-BY-SA-4.0 license; check its terms before commercial use.
- Its trust signals score 100/100, with no cautions. These come from repository metadata, not a code audit — read the skill file before letting an agent act on it.
Safety scan
No issues foundOur scan of the whole file found no instruction hijacking, hidden characters, credential access, data exfiltration or destructive commands.
Automated pattern scan on 2026-09-28. It catches known dangerous patterns, not every risk — read a skill before letting an agent act on it.
firebase-apk-scanner compared with similar skills
All 4 of these similar skills score higher than firebase-apk-scanner; compare them before choosing.
| Skill | Score | Stars | Updated | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| firebase-apk-scanner (this skill)by trailofbits | 95 | 7.2k | 4d ago | SKILL.md |
| algorithmic-artby anthropics | 100 | 177.9k | 5d ago | SKILL.md |
| pptxby anthropics | 100 | 177.9k | 5d ago | SKILL.md |
| designby nextlevelbuilder | 100 | 130.2k | 6d ago | SKILL.md |
| ui-ux-pro-maxby nextlevelbuilder | 100 | 130.2k | 6d ago | SKILL.md |
Frequently asked questions
- How do I install firebase-apk-scanner?
- Run
npx skills add trailofbits/skills --skill firebase-apk-scanner. The install tabs above show the steps for each supported agent. - Which AI agents does firebase-apk-scanner work with?
- It is written for Zed, as a SKILL.md file. Other agents that read the same format can often use it too.
- Is firebase-apk-scanner safe to use?
- Our scan of the whole file found no instruction hijacking, hidden characters, credential access, data exfiltration or destructive commands. It is CC-BY-SA-4.0-licensed and scores 100/100 on trust signals. Skills are instructions an agent will follow, so read the file before installing it and do not approve commands you do not understand.
- Is firebase-apk-scanner still maintained?
- The repository was last updated 4 days ago, so firebase-apk-scanner is actively maintained.
Skill content
View source on GitHubname: firebase-apk-scanner description: Scans Android APKs for Firebase security misconfigurations including open databases, storage buckets, authentication issues, and exposed cloud functions. Use when analyzing APK files for Firebase vulnerabilities, performing mobile app security audits, or testing Firebase endpoint security. For authorized security research only. argument-hint: [apk-file-or-directory] allowed-tools: Bash({baseDir}/scanner.sh:) Bash(apktool:) Bash(curl:*) Read Grep Glob disable-model-invocation: true
Firebase APK Security Scanner
You are a Firebase security analyst. When this skill is invoked, scan the provided APK(s) for Firebase misconfigurations and report findings.
When to Use
- Auditing Android applications for Firebase security misconfigurations
- Testing Firebase endpoints extracted from APKs (Realtime Database, Firestore, Storage)
- Checking authentication security (open signup, anonymous auth, email enumeration)
- Enumerating Cloud Functions and testing for unauthenticated access
- Mobile app security assessments involving Firebase backends
- Authorized penetration testing of Firebase-backed applications
When NOT to Use
- Scanning apps you do not have explicit authorization to test
- Testing production Firebase projects without written permission
- When you only need to extract Firebase config without testing (use manual grep/strings instead)
- For non-Android targets (iOS, web apps) - this skill is APK-specific
- When the target app does not use Firebase
Rationalizations to Reject
When auditing, reject these common rationalizations that lead to missed or downplayed findings:
- "The database is read-only so it's fine" - Data exposure is still a critical finding; PII, API keys, and business data may be leaked
- "It's just anonymous auth, not real accounts" - Anonymous tokens bypass
auth != nullrules and can access "authenticated-only" resources - "The API key is public anyway" - A public API key does not justify open database rules or disabled auth restrictions
- "There's no sensitive data in there" - You cannot know what data will be stored in the future; insecure rules are vulnerabilities regardless of current content
- "It's an internal app" - APKs can be extracted from any device; "internal" apps are not protected from reverse engineering
- "We'll fix it before launch" - Document the finding; pre-launch vulnerabilities frequently ship to production
Reference Documentation
For detailed vulnerability patterns and exploitation techniques, consult:
How to Use This Skill
The user will provide an APK file or directory: $ARGUMENTS
Workflow
Step 1: Validate Input
First, verify the target exists:
ls -la $ARGUMENTS
If $ARGUMENTS is empty, ask the user to provide an APK path.
Step 2: Run the Scanner
Execute the bundled scanner script on the target:
{baseDir}/scanner.sh $ARGUMENTS
The scanner will:
- Decompile the APK using apktool
- Extract Firebase configuration from all sources (google-services.json, XML resources, assets, smali code, DEX strings)
- Test authentication endpoints (open signup, anonymous auth, email enumeration)
- Test Realtime Database (unauthenticated read/write, auth bypass)
- Test Firestore (document access, collection enumeration)
- Test Storage buckets (listing, write access)
- Test Cloud Functions (enumeration, unauthenticated access)
- Test Remote Config exposure
- Generate reports in text and JSON format
Step 3: Present Results
After the scanner completes, read and summarize the results:
cat firebase_scan_*/scan_report.txt
Present findings in this format:
Scan Summary
| Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | APKs Scanned | X | | Vulnerable | X | | Failed to scan | X | | No Firebase config | X | | Total Issues | X |
Take these from failed_apks and untested_apks in scan_report.json. Neither
group was tested — a failed APK never decompiled, and one with no Firebase config
had no endpoint to probe — so both are neither vulnerable nor clean. Report them
explicitly instead of letting them disappear into a "0 vulnerable" line, and say
what a NO_CONFIG result means: the app may not use Firebase at all, or its
config may be obfuscated or packed beyond what the scanner extracts.
Extracted Configuration
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Project ID | extracted_value |
| Database URL | extracted_value |
| Storage Bucket | extracted_value |
| API Key | extracted_value |
| Auth Domain | extracted_value |
Vulnerabilities Found
| Severity | Issue | Evidence | |----------|-------|----------| | CRITICAL | Description | Brief evidence | | HIGH | Description | Brief evidence |
Remediation
Provide specific fixes for each vulnerability found. Reference the Vulnerability Patterns for secure code examples.
Manual Testing (If Scanner Fails)
If the scanner script is unavailable or fails, perform manual extraction and testing:
Extract Configuration
Search for Firebase config in decompiled APK:
# Decompile
apktool d -f -o ./decompiled $ARGUMENTS
# Find google-services.json
find ./decompiled -name "google-services.json"
# Search XML resources
grep -r "firebaseio.com\|appspot.com\|AIza" ./decompiled/res/
# Search assets (hybrid apps)
grep -r "firebaseio.com\|AIza" ./decompiled/assets/
Test Endpoints
Once you have the PROJECT_ID and API_KEY:
Authentication:
# Test open signup
curl -s -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"email":"test@test.com","password":"Test123!","returnSecureToken":true}' \
"https://identitytoolkit.googleapis.com/v1/accounts:signUp?key=API_KEY"
# Test anonymous auth
curl -s -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"returnSecureToken":true}' \
"https://identitytoolkit.googleapis.com/v1/accounts:signUp?key=API_KEY"
Database:
# Realtime Database read
curl -s "https://PROJECT_ID.firebaseio.com/.json"
# Firestore read
curl -s "https://firestore.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/databases/(default)/documents"
Storage:
# List bucket
curl -s "https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/PROJECT_ID.appspot.com/o"
Remote Config:
curl -s -H "x-goog-api-key: API_KEY" \
"https://firebaseremoteconfig.googleapis.com/v1/projects/PROJECT_ID/remoteConfig"
Severity Classification
- CRITICAL: Unauthenticated database read/write, storage write, open signup on private apps
- HIGH: Anonymous auth enabled, storage bucket listing, collection enumeration
- MEDIUM: Email enumeration, accessible cloud functions, remote config exposure
- LOW: Information disclosure without sensitive data
Important Guidelines
- Authorization required - Only scan APKs you have permission to test
- Clean up test data - The scanner automatically removes test entries it creates
- Save tokens - If anonymous auth succeeds, use the token for authenticated bypass testing
- Test all regions - Cloud Functions may be deployed to us-central1, europe-west1, asia-east1, etc.
- Multiple instances - Some apps use multiple Firebase projects; test all discovered configurations
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Languages
Trust signals
From repository metadata: license, adoption, age and documentation. Not a code audit — see the Safety scan above for what the skill file itself contains.
