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Normally, if I have to install an apk(say from SD card), I need to enable “Unknown Sources” in my phone's settings. But when I transfer and install any APK from another phone using "ShareIt", no such permission is required by my phone.

How is ShareIt able to bypass this permission?

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  • Did ShareIt come pre-installed on your device, or did you install it yourself?
    – Izzy
    Commented May 10, 2017 at 16:15

2 Answers 2

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I did a bit of digging and it is possible without System permissions from API 21 onwards https://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/pm/PackageInstaller.html.

In fact, there is a code sample by Google which shows how to do it. https://github.com/googlesamples/android-testdpc/blob/master/app/src/main/java/com/afwsamples/testdpc/cosu/CosuUtils.java

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  • Kudos for digging this up, now to find whether the app actually used this...
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 8:01
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    @beeshyams - Not really. The app cannot do a "silent" install. Through the pending intent, the user's explicit "click" is required at the time of installation.
    – Neo
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 8:13
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    @Neo Damn, so I just assumed a silent install when I wrote my answer... My bad.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 8:16
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    In other news, the package of ShareIt seems to be somehow obfuscated, so even though my tools succeeded in the Java code generation, nothing significant can be seen from the stubs.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 8:19
  • Wait - I used another tool, and I think I might've got it. I'll have it edited into your answer after verification.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 8:33
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If the apps are installed silently (i.e.without the usual installation dialog), presumably these apps directly call pm, i.e. PackageManager, which as a system app bears the permission android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES.

The phone has to be rooted so the app could call pm in a root context, else you will be greeted with the message "Neither user xxxx nor current process has android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES".

EDIT: As @Izzy pointed out in the comment, android.permission.INSTALL_PACKAGES is also granted to apps installed to /system. See below comment and this SO question for more insight.

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  • Note that I didn't actually try ShareIt and analyse what it really does, just putting forward the most likely theory. If you are not rooted and it still worked, then we might have a much more interesting problem to look into.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 6:28
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    @beeshyams In China here, a lot of 3rd party app markets would do silent or automated install. The 1st way is as described here, and they will ask for root permission on first install; the 2nd is to ask you to turn on an accessibility service, then automate the clicks on the "install" buttons.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 6:57
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    My phone is not rooted. And it did not ask for root permissions either. But in India, ShareIt is a very popular method of installing apps through peer-to-peer.
    – Neo
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 7:21
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    @beeshyams Avoid that app and its horrendous mole of required permissions. Consider using the open source Share via HTTP (available on F-Droid), instead. I'm in no way affiliated with the app.
    – Grimoire
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 17:30
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    @beeshyams It works with any device connected to the same network. As far as I can tell, the host must be Android, but any device can then connect to the same network and visit the HTTP address shown in the app to download the file(s).
    – Grimoire
    Commented Apr 1, 2017 at 17:51

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