Offensive Android Internals (On-demand)

Certification

This course leads to the CASR (Android Security Researcher) certification delivered by 8KSec. The exam is included in the course. 

FAQ – Offensive Android Internals (On-Demand)

How much does the course cost?
The course costs NOK 13,500 excluding VAT. With 25% Norwegian VAT, the total price is NOK 16,875 including VAT. One attempt at the Certified Android Security Researcher (CASR) certification exam is included.

How is the course delivered?
The course is delivered as self-paced, on-demand e-learning through 8kSec Academy. Participants can access recorded lessons, practical exercises and self-assessments and study at their own pace.

How long does the course take?
The course includes approximately 19.5 hours of video instruction across 114 videos. The estimated completion time is 3–5 months, depending on experience and study pace.

How long will I have access to the course?
Participants receive 365 days of access after purchase, allowing time to complete the lessons, work through the labs and prepare for certification.

Who should attend this course?
The course is designed for professionals who want to understand Android operating system internals, identify security weaknesses and develop practical vulnerability research skills.

• Android vulnerability researchers
• Penetration testers and ethical hackers
• Mobile security researchers
• Malware analysts and reverse engineers
• Android developers
• Security engineers
• Cybersecurity professionals interested in low-level mobile security

What prerequisites are required?
Participants should have basic knowledge of the Android platform, Linux command-line skills and an understanding of programming concepts in Java, Kotlin, C, C++ or a similar language.

Do I need previous experience with ARM64 assembly?
Basic knowledge of ARM or AARCH64 assembly and exploitation concepts is recommended but not required. The course includes dedicated modules introducing ARM64 architecture and assembly instructions.

What will I learn during the course?
You will develop practical knowledge of Android operating system internals, reverse engineering and vulnerability research. After completing the course, you will be able to:

• Understand Android system architecture and the AOSP source code
• Explain Android boot processes and rooting concepts
• Explore Android Binder inter-process communication
• Analyse Android crashes and debugging information
• Understand ARM64 architecture and reverse engineering techniques
• Compile and customise Android operating system and kernel builds for research
• Investigate Android security mechanisms including SELinux, RKP and MTE
• Reverse engineer Android applications and system binaries
• Analyse Android firmware and extract kernel components
• Understand memory allocation and privilege escalation concepts
• Examine publicly documented Android vulnerabilities and exploitation case studies
• Analyse JNI bindings and conduct native fuzz testing

Is the course hands-on?
Yes. The programme includes practical exercises, debugging labs, reverse-engineering activities, vulnerability research scenarios, firmware analysis and hands-on fuzz testing in controlled research environments.

Which topics are covered?
The course covers a broad range of Android security research topics, including:

• Android architecture and AOSP internals
• Research device and emulator configuration
• Android boot sequence and Zygote
• Generic Kernel Image (GKI)
• Android filesystem and sandboxing
• ARM64 assembly and reverse engineering
• APK analysis, Smali and code obfuscation
• Crash analysis and kernel debugging
• SELinux policies and Android permissions
• Package Manager Service internals
• Binder IPC architecture
• LLDB debugging and native code analysis
• Android firmware extraction and kernel symbolication
• Privilege escalation and memory protection
• Scudo memory allocator
• Kernel Data Protection (KDP) and Runtime Kernel Protection (RKP)
• Memory Tagging Extension (MTE)
• Public vulnerability and exploit case studies
• JNI reverse engineering and fuzzing with AFL++ Frida-mode

Does the course cover Android kernel security?
Yes. The course introduces Android kernel architecture, firmware analysis, kernel symbolication, memory allocators, privilege escalation concepts and security mechanisms such as KDP, RKP and MTE.

Does the course cover reverse engineering?
Yes. Participants learn to analyse Android applications, system binaries and native libraries. The curriculum includes APK analysis, Smali, obfuscated code, ARM64 instructions and techniques for investigating Android software behaviour.

Does the course cover Android rooting?
Yes. The course explores Android rooting processes, research device configuration, custom operating system builds and the role of elevated privileges in security research.

Does the course cover JNI and native fuzzing?
Yes. The programme includes JNI reverse engineering, tracing native bindings with tools such as Frida, JNINinja and Medusa, and fuzz testing using AFL++ Frida-mode.

Is this an Android application penetration testing course?
Not primarily. Offensive Android Internals focuses on operating system internals, vulnerability research and low-level security mechanisms. Participants primarily interested in mobile application security assessments may prefer Practical Mobile Application Exploitation.

Which tools are used during the course?
The curriculum includes Android Debug Bridge (ADB), Apktool, JADX, LLDB, Frida, JNINinja, Medusa, AFL++ Frida-mode and tools for firmware extraction and crash analysis.

What equipment do I need?
Participants need a laptop with at least 8 GB RAM, 40 GB of available disk space and administrative access. Completing the labs also requires a rooted physical Android device running Android 12 or later, or access to a suitable virtualised environment such as Corellium or an emulator.

What language is the course delivered in?
The video instruction is in English. Subtitles are available in English, German, Spanish, French, Arabic and Japanese.

Does the course prepare me for certification?
Yes. The course prepares participants for the Certified Android Security Researcher (CASR) certification from 8kSec Academy. The certification assesses knowledge and practical skills in advanced Android security, including userland and kernel components.

Is the certification exam included?
Yes. The Certified Android Security Researcher (CASR) certification exam is included in the course price. Participants must pass the assessment to earn the certification.

How is the certification exam structured?
The CASR certification exam is a 24-hour hands-on assessment designed to evaluate practical Android security research skills.

Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Yes. Participants receive a certificate of course completion. The CASR certification is awarded separately after successfully passing the certification exam.

Can the course be purchased for a team or organisation?
Yes. Group enrolment is available for organisations wishing to train multiple employees. The training provider offers group pricing and optional learner progress tracking for larger teams.

What makes this course valuable?
The course goes beyond conventional mobile application testing to explore how Android works internally. Through AOSP analysis, ARM64 reverse engineering, kernel security, practical labs and real-world vulnerability research examples, participants develop specialist skills for understanding and investigating Android security at a deeper technical level.