SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW: Now More Hidden Than Ever

SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW has been a long-standing concern of mine, due to its relationship to tapjacking attacks. And, due to some changes that Google has made, now apps can get that permission, without user knowledge.

SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW is the permission that allows apps to draw over top of other apps from the background. It’s what powers things like the Facebook “chatheads”, for example.

For a long time, SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW was dangerous . The user would be informed, at install time, that the app was requesting the ability to draw over other apps. In Android 6.0, it was upgraded to signature|system|appop , requiring the user to go into Settings and manually grant this right to apps requesting it, if your targetSdkVersion is 23 or higher — you could not request it even using the new runtime permission system.

However, a few weeks ago, this Stack Overflow question appeared, pointing out that apps like Evernote were getting SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW without telling the user.

Mattia Maestrini responded that Android 6.0.1 further modified SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW . Apps with targetSdkVersion of 23 or higher that request SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW get it without telling the user… if the user installs the app from the Play Store. If the user installs the app by other means, the previous Android 6.0 rules apply, and the user has to manually grant the right to draw over other apps.

Users of Android 6.0.1+ device should go into Settings > Apps > (gear icon) > “Draw over other apps” and see what all shows up. The answer may surprise you. You may want to revoke that right for some apps.

I tossed together a “SAW Monitor” sample app that watches app installs and upgrades and raises a Notification if the app in question has requested SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW and is not on a whitelist. I’ll keep that app on my own device, so that at least I find out when some app decides to obtain this permission behind my back, with Google’s approval. Of course, where possible, I get my apps from F-Droid, rather than the Play Store.

Want an expert opinion on your Android app architecture decisions? Perhaps Mark Murphy can help!

— Mar 24, 2016