How to check a mobile app's dependencies for known vulnerabilities
Apps bundle third-party libraries that can carry known CVEs. Here's how to build an SBOM of an app's components and match it against vulnerability data.
Last updated 2026-09-05
Read in context. These instructions need to be adapted to your app and platform version. New scans provide static detections; they do not establish current backend access. Current methodology.
What an SBOM is
A software bill of materials is a structured list of every component an application includes, with versions. For a mobile app that means the bundled SDKs and native libraries. The common machine-readable format is CycloneDX.
Why it matters
A vulnerability in a library you bundled is your exposure, even though you didn't write the code. Supply-chain issues (an outdated networking or image-parsing library, say) are among the most common — and most overlooked — risks in shipped apps.
How to build one from an APK
You don't need source. Components are recoverable from the packaged app: library package signatures in the DEX, native .so files, and embedded version strings. Tooling can emit a CycloneDX SBOM from the APK directly.
Match components to CVEs
apk-scanner.com provides static findings, build details and analysis coverage. Scans check whether a referenced backend answers an unauthenticated request, never using a detected credential and never reading stored data. Review the current methodology and each report’s limitations.
Then fix it
Upgrade any flagged dependency to a patched version, and add SBOM generation to your CI so regressions are caught before release. This maps to MASVS-CODE-3 and CWE-937.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an SBOM and a dependency scan?
The SBOM is the inventory (what's in the app); the dependency scan is matching that inventory against known vulnerabilities. You need the SBOM first, then the CVE match.
Can you SBOM an app you didn't build?
Yes — components and versions are recoverable from the packaged APK itself, so you can inventory and vulnerability-check any app, including a vendor's or a competitor's.
Does a CVE in a bundled library mean the app is exploitable?
Not always — exploitability depends on whether the vulnerable code path is reachable in the app's context. Treat a CVE match as a prioritized lead to investigate and patch, not automatic proof of exploitability.