Abstract

Android devices are gaining more and more popularity and have become the all-time-used devices because of their portability and relatively cheap cost compared to other screen devices. This rise in the use of Android devices comes with security challenges, as it has grabbed the attention of illegitimate parties who often participate in stealing and compromising the system using malicious programs. The gaps in this research area must be analyzed to provide valuable insights into the current technological environment. This work illustrates the research landscape by mapping the existing literature to a comprehensive taxonomy, focusing on App Vulnerability Assessments and Machine Learning-based malware detection. This paper provides an analysis of app permissions, scan app vulnerabilities, machine learning-based malware detection, and focuses on user education about security concerns and how they can protect themselves from malicious entities. The improper handling of app permissions contributes to privacy risks and increases the attack surface. This review underscores the importance of integrating advanced technologies and user education to build a more secure Android environment.