Obscured Shared Preferences for Android

What are Shared Preferences for?

Shared Preferences on Android are great for keeping information that you use in an app. But this information is all stored in plain text. If a user has a rooted device, then they can simply go in and examine what you have in your preferences under /data/data/com.package/shared_prefs/AppPrefs.xml.

The data is all right there in plain view:

AppPrefs.xml

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
<string name="UserName">JoeBlow</string>
<int name="UserNum" value="2" />
<string name="auth_modified_date">2014-04-21 16:15:32</string>
<string name="Password">pass123</string>
</map>

So if you plan on storing passwords or other data that you don't want people to have easy access to, that is obviously no good. So to help secure the data in your shared Preferences, use the ObscuredSharedPreferences.java code here.

The encrypted data will look like this:

AppPrefs.xml

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
<string name="UserName">vbBchG+mE+/QGg+3+YuDW9MEI16hC7</string>
<string name="UserNum">PK8XONc4=</string>
<string name="auth_modified_date">C441dQ1G7L4=</string>
<string name="Password">Fx8kG7rWXqQ=</string>
</map>

How to Make Your Shared Preferences Encrypted

Thanks to emmby at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/785973/what-is-the-most-appropriate-way-to-store-user-settings-in-android-application/6393502#6393502. Simply wrap your own SharedPreferences object in this one, and any data you read/write will be automatically encrypted and decrypted. This is a drop in replacement for SharedPreferences and includes some additional functionality over the code in the StackOverflow post. Usage:

ObscuredSharedPreferences prefs = ObscuredSharedPreferences.getPrefs
                                 (this, MY_APP_NAME, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);

//save data
prefs.edit().putString("foo","bar").commit();     //retrieve data
prefs.getString("foo", null);

Additional Features

• This code has built-in logic to handle the case where the information was not previously encrypted such as when you upgrade your existing app to this code.
• The secret key is not hard coded, but is generated at runtime, so that a compromised device only affects that individual device.

The code can be retrieved for download here at the WorxForUs github repository for ObscuredSharedPreferences.

The Code - ObscuredSharedPreferences.java

package com.worxforus.android;

import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;

import javax.crypto.Cipher;
import javax.crypto.SecretKey;
import javax.crypto.SecretKeyFactory;
import javax.crypto.spec.PBEKeySpec;
import javax.crypto.spec.PBEParameterSpec;

import com.worxforus.Base64Support;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.provider.Settings;
import android.provider.Settings.Secure;
import android.util.Log;

/**
 * Thanks to emmby at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/785973/
 * what-is-the-most-appropriate-way-to-store-user-settings-in-android-application/6393502#6393502
 * This class has the following additions over the original:
 * additional logic for handling the case for when the preferences were not originally encrypted, 
 * but now are.
 *  The secret key is no longer hard coded, but defined at runtime based on the individual device.
 *  The benefit is that if one device is compromised, it now only affects that device.
 *
 * Simply replace your own SharedPreferences object in this one, 
 * and any data you read/write will be automatically encrypted and decrypted.
 *
 * Updated usage:
 *    ObscuredSharedPreferences prefs = 
 *     ObscuredSharedPreferences.getPrefs(this, MY_APP_NAME, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
 *    //to get data
 *    prefs.getString("foo", null);
 *    //to store data
 *    prefs.edit().putString("foo","bar").commit();
 */
public class ObscuredSharedPreferences implements SharedPreferences {
    protected static final String UTF8 = "UTF-8";
    //this key is defined at runtime based on ANDROID_ID which is 
    //supposed to last the life of the device
    private static char[] SEKRIT=null;


    protected SharedPreferences delegate;
    protected Context context;
    private static ObscuredSharedPreferences prefs = null;
  
    //Set to true if a decryption error was detected
    //in the case of float, int, and long we can tell if there was a parse error
    //this does not detect an error in strings or boolean - that requires more sophisticated checks
    public static boolean decryptionErrorFlag = false;
 
    /**
     * Constructor
     * @param context
     * @param delegate - SharedPreferences object from the system
     */
    public ObscuredSharedPreferences(Context context, SharedPreferences delegate) {
        this.delegate = delegate;
        this.context = context;
        SEKRIT = Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID.toCharArray();
    }
  
    /**
     * Only used to change to a new key during runtime.
     * If you don't want to use the default per-device key for example
     * @param key
     */
    public static void setNewKey(String key) {
        SEKRIT = key.toCharArray();
    }

    /**
     * Accessor to grab the preferences in a singleton. 
     * This stores the reference in a singleton so it can be accessed repeatedly with
     * no performance penalty
     * @param c - the context used to access the preferences.
     * @param appName - domain the shared preferences should be stored under
     * @param contextMode - Typically Context.MODE_PRIVATE
     * @return
     */
    public synchronized static 
    ObscuredSharedPreferences getPrefs(Context c, String appName, int contextMode) {
        if (prefs == null) {
            //make sure to use application context since preferences live outside an Activity
            //use for objects that have global scope like: prefs or starting services
                prefs = new ObscuredSharedPreferences(
                        c.getApplicationContext(), 
                        c.getApplicationContext().getSharedPreferences(appName, contextMode) );
        }
        return prefs;
    }
  
    public class Editor implements SharedPreferences.Editor {
        protected SharedPreferences.Editor delegate;

        public Editor() {
            this.delegate = ObscuredSharedPreferences.this.delegate.edit();                  
        }

        @Override
        public Editor putBoolean(String key, boolean value) {
            delegate.putString(key, encrypt(Boolean.toString(value)));
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public Editor putFloat(String key, float value) {
            delegate.putString(key, encrypt(Float.toString(value)));
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public Editor putInt(String key, int value) {
            delegate.putString(key, encrypt(Integer.toString(value)));
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public Editor putLong(String key, long value) {
            delegate.putString(key, encrypt(Long.toString(value)));
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public Editor putString(String key, String value) {
            delegate.putString(key, encrypt(value));
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public void apply() {
            //to maintain compatibility with android level 7
            delegate.commit();
        }

        @Override
        public Editor clear() {
            delegate.clear();
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public boolean commit() {
            return delegate.commit();
        }

        @Override
        public Editor remove(String s) {
            delegate.remove(s);
            return this;
        }

        @Override
        public android.content.SharedPreferences.Editor putStringSet
        (String key, Set<String> values) {
            throw new RuntimeException
            ("This class does not work with String Sets.");
        }
    }

    public Editor edit() {
        return new Editor();
    }

    @Override
    public Map<String, ?> getAll() {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); // left as an exercise to the reader
    }

    @Override
    public boolean getBoolean(String key, boolean defValue) {
        //if these weren't encrypted, then it won't be a string
        String v;
        try {
            v = delegate.getString(key, null);
        } catch (ClassCastException e) {
            return delegate.getBoolean(key, defValue);
        }
       
        return v!=null ? Boolean.parseBoolean(decrypt(v)) : defValue;
    }

    @Override
    public float getFloat(String key, float defValue) {
        String v;
        try {
            v = delegate.getString(key, null);
        } catch (ClassCastException e) {
            return delegate.getFloat(key, defValue);
        }
        try {
            return Float.parseFloat(decrypt(v));
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            //could not decrypt the number.  Maybe we are using the wrong key?
            decryptionErrorFlag = true;
            Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), "Warning, 
            could not decrypt the value.  Possible incorrect key.  "+e.getMessage());
        }
        return defValue;
    }

    @Override
    public int getInt(String key, int defValue) {
        String v;
        try {
            v = delegate.getString(key, null);
        } catch (ClassCastException e) {
            return delegate.getInt(key, defValue);
        }
        try {
            return Integer.parseInt(decrypt(v));
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            //could not decrypt the number.  Maybe we are using the wrong key?
            decryptionErrorFlag = true;
            Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), "Warning, 
            could not decrypt the value.  Possible incorrect key.  "+e.getMessage());
        }
        return defValue;
    }

    @Override
    public long getLong(String key, long defValue) {
        String v;
        try {
            v = delegate.getString(key, null);
        } catch (ClassCastException e) {
            return delegate.getLong(key, defValue);
        }
        try {
            return Long.parseLong(decrypt(v));
        } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            //could not decrypt the number.  Maybe we are using the wrong key?
            decryptionErrorFlag = true;
            Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), "Warning, 
            could not decrypt the value.  Possible incorrect key.  "+e.getMessage());
        }
        return defValue;
    }

    @Override
    public String getString(String key, String defValue) {
        final String v = delegate.getString(key, null);
        return v != null ? decrypt(v) : defValue;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean contains(String s) {
        return delegate.contains(s);
    }

    @Override
    public void registerOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener
    (OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener onSharedPreferenceChangeListener) {
        delegate.registerOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener
        (onSharedPreferenceChangeListener);
    }

    @Override
    public void unregisterOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener
    (OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener onSharedPreferenceChangeListener) {
        delegate.unregisterOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener(onSharedPreferenceChangeListener);
    }

    @Override
    public Set<String> getStringSet(String key, Set<String> defValues) {
        throw new RuntimeException("This class does not work with String Sets.");
    }

    protected String encrypt( String value ) {

        try {
            final byte[] bytes = value!=null ? value.getBytes(UTF8) : new byte[0];
            SecretKeyFactory keyFactory = SecretKeyFactory.getInstance("PBEWithMD5AndDES");
            SecretKey key = keyFactory.generateSecret(new PBEKeySpec(SEKRIT));
            Cipher pbeCipher = Cipher.getInstance("PBEWithMD5AndDES");
            pbeCipher.init(Cipher.ENCRYPT_MODE, key, new PBEParameterSpec
            (Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(), 
            Secure.ANDROID_ID).getBytes(UTF8), 20));
            return new String(Base64Support.encode(pbeCipher.doFinal(bytes), 
            Base64Support.NO_WRAP),UTF8);
        } catch( Exception e ) {
            throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }
    }

    protected String decrypt(String value){
        try {
            final byte[] bytes = value!=null ? 
            Base64Support.decode(value,Base64Support.DEFAULT) : new byte[0];
            SecretKeyFactory keyFactory = SecretKeyFactory.getInstance("PBEWithMD5AndDES");
            SecretKey key = keyFactory.generateSecret(new PBEKeySpec(SEKRIT));
            Cipher pbeCipher = Cipher.getInstance("PBEWithMD5AndDES");
            pbeCipher.init(Cipher.DECRYPT_MODE, key, new PBEParameterSpec
            (Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(), 
            Secure.ANDROID_ID).getBytes(UTF8), 20));
            return new String(pbeCipher.doFinal(bytes),UTF8);
        } catch( Exception e) {
            Log.e(this.getClass().getName(), "Warning, could not decrypt the value.  
            It may be stored in plaintext.  "+e.getMessage());
            return value;
        }
    }
}

Compile It

To compile this, you will also need the Base64 library. This was introduced in Android in API level 8, so earlier devices will not have the package. Include in your project the WorxForUs Base64Support package here.

Related Work

Please check out the WorxForUs library of Android solutions. The introduction is here and the framework can be found here. It includes other useful nuggets such as database access helpers for correctly handling multi-threaded environments and helpers for network access for cookies, network retry and other useful features.