CVE-2017-13156

HIGH EXPLOITED

Android Janus APK Signature bypass

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2017-13156 has been observed exploited in the wild (reported by VulnCheck KEV). EIP tracks 10 public exploits from researchers including Metasploit, xyzAsian, tea9, including a Metasploit module exploits/android/local/janus.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-13156, a vulnerability in Android's APK Signature Scheme v1, allowing an attacker to modify an APK without invalidating its signature. It injects a payload into a target APK and prompts the user to install it as an update.

Description

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Android system (art). Product: Android. Versions: 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0. Android ID A-64211847.

Exploits (10)

exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Metasploit · rubylocalandroid
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/47601

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-13156, a vulnerability in Android's APK Signature Scheme v1, allowing an attacker to modify an APK without invalidating its signature. It injects a payload into a target APK and prompts the user to install it as an update.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android versions 5.1.1 to 8.0.0 with APK Signature Scheme v1
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Physical or remote access to the target Android device · Target device running vulnerable Android version · Target APK signed with v1 scheme
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 15 stars
by xyzAsian · local
https://github.com/xyzAsian/Janus-CVE-2017-13156

This repository contains a proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2017-13156, which is a vulnerability in Android's APK parsing logic (Janus). The tool merges a dex file into an APK file by manipulating ZIP file offsets, allowing for code execution bypassing signature verification.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android (APK parsing logic)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to the target APK file · A dex file to inject
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 12 stars
by tea9 · remote
https://github.com/tea9/CVE-2017-13156-Janus

This repository contains a proof-of-concept for CVE-2017-13156, a vulnerability in Android's signature scheme V1 that allows attackers to modify APK files without invalidating their signatures. The PoC includes a Python script (`janus.py`) to inject modified DEX files into an APK while preserving its signature.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android 5.0-8.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Modified DEX file · Original APK file · Python environment
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 10 stars
by giacomoferretti · poc
https://github.com/giacomoferretti/janus-toolkit

This repository contains tools to exploit CVE-2017-13156 (Janus vulnerability), which allows injecting custom code into APKs without altering their v1 signatures. It includes Go and Python scripts to manipulate APK files by exploiting the vulnerability in Android's APK parsing logic.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android APK files (AOSP versions 5.1.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 7.0, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target APK file · Custom code or data to inject · Access to the target device or environment
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SCANNER 3 stars
by M507 · remote
https://github.com/M507/CVE-2017-13156

This repository contains a Python script that checks if an APK is vulnerable to CVE-2017-13156 by analyzing its signing scheme and minSdkVersion. It does not exploit the vulnerability but identifies potentially vulnerable APKs.

Classification
Scanner 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android APKs with vulnerable signing schemes
No auth needed
Prerequisites: APK file to analyze
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by l1ackerronin · poc
https://github.com/l1ackerronin/Janus-Vulnerability-CVE-2017-13156-Exploit

This exploit manipulates the APK file structure to exploit CVE-2017-13156, a vulnerability in Janus that allows an attacker to modify the APK without invalidating its signature. It injects a DEX file into the APK and updates checksums to bypass signature verification.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android APK files (Janus vulnerability)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: APK file to modify · DEX file to inject · apktool and apksigner for preparation steps
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP 1 stars
by nictjh · poc
https://github.com/nictjh/threatDemos

This repository contains a writeup and demonstration of Android security vulnerabilities, specifically focusing on data exfiltration via Android backups and exposed broadcast receivers. It includes detailed explanations, proof-of-concept code, and mitigation strategies.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Info Leak
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android applications with vulnerable configurations
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Android device with vulnerable app installed · ADB access for backup extraction
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
client-side
https://github.com/nahid0x1/Janus-Vulnerability-CVE-2017-13156-Exploit

This exploit manipulates the APK signing process by injecting a malicious DEX file into a target APK, bypassing signature verification. It modifies the APK's central directory offsets and checksums to maintain structural integrity while embedding arbitrary code.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android APKs (specifically targeting Janus vulnerability in APK signature scheme)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: APK signing key access · target APK file · malicious DEX file
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb SCANNER
infoleak
https://github.com/ppapadatis/python-janus-vulnerability-scan

This repository contains a Python script that scans APK files and Android devices for vulnerability to CVE-2017-13156 (Janus Vulnerability). It checks for signature schemes and SDK versions to determine if the APK or device is vulnerable.

Classification
Scanner 95%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android APK files and devices (versions 5.0-8.0)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · androguard library · ADB tools for device scanning
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC MANUAL
by GuardSquare, V-E-O, timwr, h00die · rubypoc
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/android/local/janus.rb

This Metasploit module exploits CVE-2017-13156, a vulnerability in Android's APK Signature Scheme v1, allowing an attacker to inject a payload into a legitimate APK without invalidating its signature. The exploit modifies the APK's classes.dex and updates the ZIP central directory to maintain signature validity, then prompts the user to install the malicious update.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Android (versions 5.1.1 to 8.0.0 with APK Signature Scheme v1)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Physical or remote access to the target Android device · Target device running vulnerable Android version (5.1.1 to 8.0.0) · Target APK signed with APK Signature Scheme v1
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

References (3)

Core 3
Core References
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_bid
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102109
Patch, Vendor Advisory x_refsource_confirm
https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2017-12-01

Scores

CVSS v3 7.8
EPSS 0.6256
EPSS Percentile 98.4%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Details

VulnCheck KEV 2019-04-12
CWE
CWE-434
Status published
Products (14)
google/android 5.1.1
google/android 6.0
google/android 6.0.1
google/android 7.0
google/android 7.1.1
google/android 7.1.2
google/android 8.0
Google Inc./Android 5.1.1
Google Inc./Android 6.0
Google Inc./Android 6.0.1
... and 4 more
Published Dec 06, 2017
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026