Security considerations for PendingIntent?

When creating a PendingIntent in Android, it is essential to consider security implications to safeguard your application and user data. PendingIntent is a powerful feature that allows an application to pass intents to other applications, typically to execute actions on behalf of the application. However, improper usage can expose your app to various vulnerabilities.

Security Considerations for PendingIntent

• Mutability: Starting from Android 12, PendingIntent can be mutable or immutable. Use PendingIntent.FLAG_IMMUTABLE if possible to prevent unauthorized modification of the intent.
• Use Specific Flags: Utilize the appropriate flags when creating a PendingIntent to limit the operations allowed on it.
• Limit Scope: Restrict the type of intents you send through PendingIntent to prevent leakage of sensitive information.

Example of Creating a Secure PendingIntent

Below is an example of creating a secure PendingIntent with the immutable flag:

Intent intent = new Intent(context, TargetActivity.class);
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(
    context,
    0,
    intent,
    PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT | PendingIntent.FLAG_IMMUTABLE
);