I was wondering if it was possible to have an android app which is already installed go and download another app and install it? I figure there could be security problems with this, but is it possible for the Android OS to do this?
Share
Sign Up to our social questions and Answers Engine to ask questions, answer people’s questions, and connect with other people.
Login to our social questions & Answers Engine to ask questions answer people’s questions & connect with other people.
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this user should be reported.
I was wondering if it was possible to have an android app which is already installed go and download another app and install it? I figure there could be security problems with this, but is it possible for the Android OS to do this?
Strictly speaking no, it is not possible: each Android package (.apk) file installed on the device is given its own unique Linux user ID, creating a sandbox for it and preventing it from touching other applications.
If an application would “install” another one, it couldn’t give to the target a new user ID. Only the system applet, running at root level, can do that.
What the application can do is to indirectly invoke the package installer with the
ACTION_VIEWintent and theapplication/vnd.android.package-archiveMIME type: the system will launch the appropriate “viewer”, which of course is the package installer.Nice link about that topic: http://android.amberfog.com/?p=98