2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
# AVD - Android Virtual Device
2020-09-10 15:57:58 +00:00
Thank you very much to [**@offsecjay** ](https://twitter.com/offsecjay ) for his help while creating this content.
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
## What is
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
Android Studio allows to **run virtual machines of Android that you can use to test APKs** . In order to use them you will need:
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
* The **Android SDK tools** - [Download here ](https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/sdk-tools ).
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
* Or **Android Studio** (with Android SDK tools) - [Download here ](https://developer.android.com/studio ).
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
In Windows (in my case) **after installing Android Studio** I had the **SDK Tools installed in** : `C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools`
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-04-07 12:08:35 +00:00
## JDK
For MacOS machines I recommend you to install the following version to be able to use the CLI commands mentioned in the following sections:
```bash
brew install openjdk@8
```
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
## GUI
### Prepare Virtual Machine
2022-02-02 15:35:20 +00:00
If you installed Android Studio, you can just open the main project view and access: _**Tools**_ --> _**AVD Manager.**_
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 330 ) . png > )
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
Then, click on _**Create Virtual Device**_ , _**select** the phone you want to use_ and click on _**Next.**_ \
2022-04-05 22:24:52 +00:00
\_\_In the current view you are going to be able to **select and download the Android image** that the phone is going to run:
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 331 ) . png > )
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2022-04-05 22:24:52 +00:00
So, select it and click on _**Download**_ ** (**now wait until the image is downloaded).**\
**Once the image is downloaded, just select \_**Next**\_ and \_**Finish**\_.
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 332 ) . png > )
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
The virtual machine will be created. Now **every time that you access AVD manager it will be present** .
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
### Run Virtual Machine
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
In order to **run** it just press the _**Start button**_ .
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 334 ) . png > )
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
## Command Line tool
### Prepare Virtual Machine
2021-04-07 12:08:35 +00:00
{% hint style="info" %}
In **MacOS** systems the executable is located in `/Users/<username>/Library/Android/sdk/tools/bin`
{% endhint %}
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
First of all you need to **decide which phone you want to use** , in order to see the list of possible phones execute:
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
```
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\avdmanager.bat list device
id: 0 or "tv_1080p"
Name: Android TV (1080p)
OEM : Google
Tag : android-tv
---------
id: 1 or "tv_720p"
Name: Android TV (720p)
OEM : Google
Tag : android-tv
---------
id: 2 or "wear_round"
Name: Android Wear Round
OEM : Google
Tag : android-wear
---------
id: 3 or "wear_round_chin_320_290"
Name: Android Wear Round Chin
OEM : Google
Tag : android-wear
---------
id: 4 or "wear_square"
Name: Android Wear Square
OEM : Google
Tag : android-wear
---------
id: 5 or "Galaxy Nexus"
Name: Galaxy Nexus
OEM : Google
---------
id: 6 or "Nexus 10"
Name: Nexus 10
OEM : Google
---------
id: 7 or "Nexus 4"
Name: Nexus 4
OEM : Google
---------
id: 8 or "Nexus 5"
Name: Nexus 5
OEM : Google
---------
id: 9 or "Nexus 5X"
Name: Nexus 5X
OEM : Google
```
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
Once you have decide the name of the device you want to use, you need to **decide which Android image you want to run in this device.** \
2022-04-05 22:24:52 +00:00
You can list all the options using `sdkmanager` :
2020-09-10 15:57:58 +00:00
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\sdkmanager.bat --list
```
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
And **download** the one (or all) you want to use with:
2020-09-10 15:57:58 +00:00
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\sdkmanager.bat "platforms;android-28" "system-images;android-28;google_apis;x86_64"
```
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
Once you have downloaded the Android image you want to use you can **list all the downloaded Android images** with:
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
```
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\avdmanager.bat list target
----------
id: 1 or "android-28"
Name: Android API 28
Type: Platform
API level: 28
Revision: 6
----------
id: 2 or "android-29"
Name: Android API 29
Type: Platform
API level: 29
Revision: 4
```
At this moment you have decided the device you want to use and you have downloaded the Android image, so **you can create the virtual machine using** :
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\avdmanager.bat -v create avd -k "system-images;android-28;google_apis;x86_64" -n "AVD9" -d "Nexus 5X"
```
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
In the last command **I created a VM named** "_AVD9_" using the **device** "_Nexus 5X_" and the **Android image** "_system-images;android-28;google\_apis;x86\_64_".\
2022-02-02 15:35:20 +00:00
Now you can **list the virtual machines** you have created with:
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\bin\avdmanager.bat list avd
Name: AVD9
Device: Nexus 5X (Google)
Path: C:\Users\cpolo\.android\avd\AVD9.avd
Target: Google APIs (Google Inc.)
Based on: Android API 28 Tag/ABI: google_apis/x86_64
The following Android Virtual Devices could not be loaded:
Name: Pixel_2_API_27
Path: C:\Users\cpolo\.android\avd\Pixel_2_API_27_1.avd
Error: Google pixel_2 no longer exists as a device
```
### Run Virtual Machine
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
We have already seen how you can list the created virtual machines, but **you can also list them using** :
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\emulator.exe -list-avds
AVD9
Pixel_2_API_27
```
You can simply **run any virtual machine created** using:
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\emulator.exe -avd "VirtualMachineName"
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\emulator.exe -avd "AVD9"
```
Or using more advance options you can run a virtual machine like:
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\emulator.exe -avd "AVD9" -http-proxy 192.168.1.12:8080 -writable-system
```
### Command line options
2022-01-31 14:51:03 +00:00
However there are **a lot of different command line useful options** that you can use to initiate a virtual machine. Below you can find some interesting options but can [**find a complete list here** ](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator-commandline )
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
2020-09-09 22:20:01 +00:00
#### Boot
* `-snapshot name` : Start VM snapshot
* `-snapshot-list -snapstorage ~/.android/avd/Nexus_5X_API_23.avd/snapshots-test.img` : List all the snapshots recorded
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
#### Network
* `-dns-server 192.0.2.0, 192.0.2.255` : Allow to indicate comma separated the DNS servers to the VM.
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
* **`-http-proxy 192.168.1.12:8080`** : Allow to indicate an HTTP proxy to use (very useful to capture the traffic using Burp)
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
* `-port 5556` : Set the TCP port number that's used for the console and adb.
* `-ports 5556,5559` : Set the TCP ports used for the console and adb.
* **`-tcpdump /path/dumpfile.cap`** : Capture all the traffic in a file
#### System
2022-02-02 15:35:20 +00:00
* `-selinux {disabled|permissive}` : Set the Security-Enhanced Linux security module to either disabled or permissive mode on a Linux operating system.
2020-09-09 20:29:38 +00:00
* `-timezone Europe/Paris` : Set the timezone for the virtual device
* `-screen {touch(default)|multi-touch|o-touch}` : Set emulated touch screen mode.
* **`-writable-system`** : Use this option to have a writable system image during your emulation session. You will need also to run `adb root; adb remount` . This is very useful to install a new certificate in the system.
2020-09-09 20:40:34 +00:00
## Install Burp certificate on a Virtual Machine
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
First of all you need to download the Der certificate from Burp. You can do this in _**Proxy**_ --> _**Options**_ --> _**Import / Export CA certificate**_
2020-09-09 20:40:34 +00:00
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 367 ) ( 1 ) . png > )
2020-09-09 20:40:34 +00:00
2021-11-30 16:46:07 +00:00
**Export the certificate in Der format** and lets **transform** it to a form that **Android** is going to be able to **understand.** Note that **in order to configure the burp certificate on the Android machine in AVD** you need to **run** this machine **with** the ** `-writable-system` ** option.\
2020-09-09 20:40:34 +00:00
For example you can run it like:
```bash
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\tools\emulator.exe -avd "AVD9" -http-proxy 192.168.1.12:8080 -writable-system
```
Then, to **configure burps certificate do** :
```bash
openssl x509 -inform DER -in burp_cacert.der -out burp_cacert.pem
CERTHASHNAME="`openssl x509 -inform PEM -subject_hash_old -in burp_cacert.pem | head -1`.0"
mv burp_cacert.pem $CERTHASHNAME #Correct name
adb root && adb remount #Allow to write on /syste
adb push $CERTHASHNAME /sdcard/ #Upload certificate
adb shell mv /sdcard/$CERTHASHNAME /system/etc/security/cacerts/ #Move to correct location
adb shell chmod 644 /system/etc/security/cacerts/$CERTHASHNAME #Assign privileges
adb reboot #Now , reboot the machine
```
Once the **machine finish rebooting** the burp certificate will be in use by it!
2020-09-10 15:57:58 +00:00
## Take a Snapshot
2020-09-09 22:20:01 +00:00
You can **use the GUI** to take a snapshot of the VM at any time:
2021-10-18 11:21:18 +00:00
![](< .. / . . / . gitbook / assets / image ( 336 ) . png > )