Securing your mobile app doesn’t have to be complicated. In this quick guide, I’ll show you how to use AppSweep, a free static analysis tool (SAST) from Guardsquare, to find vulnerabilities.
🧠What is SAST?
SAST (Static Application Security Testing) analyzes your source code without running it. It’s an essential technique to catch security issues early in your development process.
🔍 SAST helps you detect:
- Code injections
- Data leakage
- Misconfigurations
- Insecure coding practices
🛡️ What is AppSweep?
AppSweep is a free security scanner by Guardsquare that analyzes Android apps. It scans your APK and gives you a detailed report with vulnerabilities, risks, and practical remediation tips.
âś… Free and easy to use
âś… CI/CD integration
âś… Actionable recommendations
âś… Based on OWASP MASVS, CWE, and industry standards
🚀 How to Use AppSweep
- Upload your APK to the AppSweep website, or
- Use the official CLI to automate scans in your workflow.
You’ll get a full report with detailed findings and recommendations to help you fix issues fast.
đź’» Installing the CLI
To use AppSweep via the terminal or in CI pipelines, install the CLI:
npm install -g @guardsquare/appsweep-cli
Authenticate with your API key:
appsweep auth --api-key YOUR_API_KEY
Then scan your APK:
appsweep scan --app-id YOUR_APP_ID ./path/to/your-app.apk
📦 CI/CD Integration
AppSweep works seamlessly with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, and others.
Example with GitHub Actions:
- name: Scan with AppSweep
run: |
npm install -g @guardsquare/appsweep-cli
appsweep auth --api-key ${{ secrets.APPSWEEP_API_KEY }}
appsweep scan --app-id ${{ secrets.APPSWEEP_APP_ID }} ./build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk
đź“Š Custom Reports
Export results in JSON for further processing or integration:
appsweep scan --app-id ... --output report.json
📦 Demo Repository
👉 Check out the full working example here:
đź”— https://github.com/Brunoenr02/AppSweepDemo
âś… Conclusion
With tools like AppSweep, adding security checks to your mobile development workflow is easy, fast, and free. Don’t wait for production to find critical issues—scan early and often!
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