Android's package manager

Here are some package manager commands that I find useful in my day-by-day investigation of the Android operative system

Package Manager from the shell

You can use the package manager from adb shell using the command:

adb shell pm

This will print the usage guide for the pm command:

usage: pm list packages [-f] [-d] [-e] [-s] [-3] [-i] [-u] [--user USER_ID] [FILTER]
       pm list permission-groups
       pm list permissions [-g] [-f] [-d] [-u] [GROUP]
       pm list instrumentation [-f] [TARGET-PACKAGE]
       pm list features
       pm list libraries
       pm list users
       pm path PACKAGE
       pm dump PACKAGE
       pm install [-lrtsfd] [-i PACKAGE] [PATH]
       pm install-create [-lrtsfdp] [-i PACKAGE] [-S BYTES]
       pm install-write [-S BYTES] SESSION_ID SPLIT_NAME [PATH]
       pm install-commit SESSION_ID
       pm install-abandon SESSION_ID
       pm uninstall [-k] [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE
       pm set-installer PACKAGE INSTALLER
       pm clear [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE
       pm enable [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm disable [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm disable-user [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm disable-until-used [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm hide [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm unhide [--user USER_ID] PACKAGE_OR_COMPONENT
       pm grant PACKAGE PERMISSION
       pm revoke PACKAGE PERMISSION
       pm set-install-location [0/auto] [1/internal] [2/external]
       pm get-install-location
       pm set-permission-enforced PERMISSION [true|false]
       pm trim-caches DESIRED_FREE_SPACE
       pm create-user [--profileOf USER_ID] [--managed] USER_NAME
       pm remove-user USER_ID
       pm get-max-users

The same usage guide can be found in adb's documentation.

Download the apk of an installed application

Something that I find useful is to be able to retrieve installed application from a device. This can be a OEM specific application, only available on a device, or an application from the PlayStore that I want to tinker with.

In this case, my usual process is to identify the application's package name and then retrieve it. As an example, assume I want to retrieve an app named oemconfig from a Zebra device.

adb shell pm list packages | grep oemconfig
package:com.zebra.oemconfig

Now that we have the package name, we can ask to the package manager, where is the actual apk file:

adb shell pm path com.zebra.oemconfig
package:/system/priv-app/com.zebra.oemconfig/com.zebra.oemconfig.apk

The last step is just to pull the file from the device:

adb pull /system/priv-app/com.zebra.oemconfig/com.zebra.oemconfig.apk
/system/priv-app/com.zebra.oemconfig/com.zebra.oemconfig.apk: 1 file pulled. 13.2 MB/s (1242435 bytes in 0.090s)

Get to know better your Android device

What are the known permission

Android permissions are one of the key components of the security system of the operative system. A complete list of the standard permissions is available on Android documentation. What I find missing there is a description of the type of the permission () pm list permissions

If you happen to run adb on a platform with grep, you can see directly which custom permissions are known on Zebra Technologies devices:

adb shell pm list permissions -f | grep 'symbol\|zebra' -A 3

Running this on a TC56 with Android v6.0.x I see:

+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_HOMESCREEN_DEFAULT
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.multiuser.permission.MULTIUSER_STATUS
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.MULTIUSER_CHANGE
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.NET_RAW
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_USB_MODE_CHANGES
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.securestorage.permission.SECURE_STORAGE
  package:com.symbol.osx.securestorage
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.threatdetectionservice.permission.BIND_THREAT_DETECTION_SERVICE_CONTROL
  package:com.symbol.osx.threatdetectionservice
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.securitystore.permission.TRUSTED_STORE_MANAGEMENT
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.dataanalytics.permission.MESSAGING
  package:com.symbol.dataanalytics
  label:Data Analytics Messaging.
  description:Can send events to Zebra Data Analytics Engine.
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.datawedge.permission.DWPROFILESETTINGS
  package:com.symbol.datawedge
  label:permission_DWPROFILESETTINGS
  description:null
  protectionLevel:dangerous
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.SETTINGS_CHANGE
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.ENTERPRISE
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.SETTINGS_HELPER
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.settingshelper
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_PRIVILEGED_COMMAND_RUNNER
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.lockservice.permission.LOCKPATTERN
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_BLUETOOTH_MODE_CHANGES
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.FUSION_ACCESS
  package:com.symbol.fusionservice
  label:Allows an application to monitor information about the Fusion configuration
  description:Access Fusion configuration
  protectionLevel:normal
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.FUSION_CHANGE
  package:com.symbol.fusionservice
  label:Allows an application to modify information about the Fusion configuration
  description:Change Fusion configuration
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.EVENT_INJECTION_HELPER
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.helper
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.MXADDONSERVICE_CONTROL
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.APP_LOCKOUT
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.mxmf.ACCESS_MX_MANAGEMENT_FRAMEWORK_SERVICE
  package:com.symbol.mxmf
  label:MX Management Framework Permission
  description:Allow an application to access MX Management Framework
  protectionLevel:normal
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.THREATDETECTIONSERVICE_CONTROL
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.REMOTESERVICE_KEYEVENT
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.GPS
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_CONNECTIVITY_SETTINGS_CHANGES
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.settingsparser.permission.SEND_PARSE_ACTION
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.settingsparser
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.securitystore.permission.KEYSTORE_ACCESS
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.securitystore.permission.KEYSTORE_CHANGE
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_CERT_INSTALL_UNINSTALL
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.datawedge.permission.DWSETTINGS
  package:com.symbol.datawedge
  label:permission_DWSETTINGS
  description:null
  protectionLevel:dangerous
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.mxaddonservice.permission.MXADDONSERVICE_CONTROL
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.FOREGROUND_NOTIFICATON
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.EVENT_INJECTION
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.RECOVERY_STATUS
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.applist.permission.APP_LIST_MANAGEMENT
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.permission.FUSION_PRIVATE
  package:com.symbol.fusionservice
  label:Allows an application to modify information about the Fusion configuration
  description:Change Fusion configuration
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.dataanalytics.permission.ANALYTICS_ENGINE_SERVICE
  package:com.symbol.dataanalytics
  label:Data Analytics Engine.
  description:Can start the core analytics engine serivce.
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_APP_INSTALL_UNINSTALL
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.zebra.scandemo.permission.C2D_MESSAGE
  package:com.zebra.scandemo
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature
--
+ permission:com.symbol.emdk.permission.EMDK
  package:com.symbol.emdk.emdkservice
  label:emdk_permission
  description:null
  protectionLevel:normal
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.multiuser.permission.MULTIUSER_CHANGE
  package:android
  label:null
  description:null
--
+ permission:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework.permission.BIND_SYSTEM_INFO_REPORTING
  package:com.symbol.osx.proxyframework
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature|privileged
--
+ permission:com.symbol.zebravolumecontrol.permission.ZVC_PROVIDER
  package:com.symbol.zebravolumecontrol
  label:null
  description:null
  protectionLevel:signature

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package-manager.md

package-manager.md

Android's package manager

Package Manager from the shell

Download the apk of an installed application

Get to know better your Android device

What are the known permission

Package Manager from your app code

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package-manager.md

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package-manager.md

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Android's package manager

Package Manager from the shell

Download the apk of an installed application

Get to know better your Android device

What are the known permission

Package Manager from your app code