Install Android-x86 with VirtualBox on Ubuntu 22.04

References:

• https://www.android-x86.org/documentation/virtualbox.html

1. Download an ISO image (https://sourceforge.net/projects/android-x86/files/Release%209.0/ )
   • android-x86_64-9.0-r2.iso , in my case.
2. Create a new VirtualBox VM
   • Type: Linux, Version: Linux 2.6/3.x/4.x/5.x (64-bit)
   • Hardware: Assign 4GB RAM
   • Hard Disk:
     • Create a Virtual Hard Disk Now
     • Give 8GB HDD
     • VDI (do not check Pre-allocate Full Size)
3. Run VM and Boot with the downloaded .iso file
   • from the Boot menu, Choose “Installation”
4. Install
   • Select “Create/Modify partitions” by pressing ‘C’
   • Decline GPT
   • Create a New, Primary partition that uses the entire space
     • Choose New, Choose Primary
     • Leave it (the maximum space Size is displayed)
     • Set it Bootable (The Flags are marked as ‘Boot’)
     • Write (yes)
     • Quit
   • Choose the just created partition
   • format ’ext4’ (for sure)
   • Install GRUB
   • Yes to install /system directory read-write
   • Run Android-x86
5. Remove the .iso image and reboot
6. it will boot with GRUB ‘Android-x86 9.0-r2" is being chosen
7. It might boot without GUI, then
   • Poweroff the VM
   • “Settings - Display - Graphics Controller” needs to be ‘VBoxVGA’
8. ETC
   • Wifi will be available as VirtWifi
   • ALT-F1 goes to the text shell, ALT-F7 comes back to GUI
   • When the screen is off due to the power saving supports, the “Power” button brings the screen back. The “ACPI Shutdown(HOST + H)” from the main menu corresponsds to the power button.

ADB

• Power off the machine. Create a “Host-Only Network” poweroff. Uncheck(disable) NAT.
• After the system is booted, figure out the IP (you can go to the text mode by ALT-F1).
• Install ADB on the host: sudo apt install adb
• Connect/Disconnect
  • adb connect 192.168.56.102:5555
  • adb disconnect
• Shell access: adb shell
• File push:
  • adb shell "cd /data/local && mkdir tmp"
  • $ adb push ***.apk /data/local/tmp

=================================================================

Install Frida-server to the Android-x86 VM

Referenes: - https://hacklido.com/blog/338-getting-started-with-frida-setting-up-on-an-emulator

• Confirm the architecture spec. of the Android VM

  $ adb shell getprop ro.product.cpu.abi
  x86_64
  

Download, install, and execute Frida

• Download a server (referring the above architecture spec.) at https://github.com/frida/frida/releases

  $ wget https://github.com/frida/frida/releases/download/16.1.11/frida-server-16.1.11-linux-x86_64.xz
  $ mkdir frida-server
  $ mv ./frida-server-16.1.11-android-x86_64.xz ./frida-server
  $ xz -d -v ./frida-server/frida-server-16.1.11-android-x86_64.xz
  

• Upload the downloaded Frida-server to the VM; Set its permission bit properly

  $ adb push ./frida-server/frida-server-16.1.11-android-x86_64 /data/local/tmp/frida-server
  $ adb shell "chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/frida-server"
  

• Execute the Frida server

  $ adb shell
  $ su
  :/ # /data/local/tmp/frida-server &                                            
  [1] 3704
  

• Troubleshooting

  • not executable: magic FD37 : decompress .xz
  • Unable to save SELinux policy to the kernel: Permission denied : disable SELinux

  $ adb shell
  x86_64:/ $ su
  :/ # setenforce 0
  

  • Unable to start: Error binding to address 127.0.0.1:27042: Address already in use : kill existing processes and re-run the Frida server

=================================================================

Frida-client

Download, install, and connect

• pip install frida-tools
• pip install frida
• Test

   frida-ps -U
  PID  Name
  ----  ----------------------------------------------
  1695  Google App                                    
  2734  Google Play Store                             
  3546  Settings                                      
  2334  Taskbar                                       
  1099  adbd