| category | mobile |
| name | rev-dex-dumper |
| description | Dump DEX files from a running Android app for unpacking/deobfuscation. Activate when the user wants to unpack an Android APK, dump DEX from memory, extract decrypted DEX files, or defeat class-loading packing. |
rev-dex-dumper - Android DEX Dumper
Dump DEX files from a running Android application's memory using panda-dex-dumper via ADB.
Tool Location
The panda-dex-dumper binary is bundled in this skill's directory. Resolve its absolute path relative to this SKILL.md file:
skills/rev-dex-dumper/panda-dex-dumper
Workflow
1. Push the tool to device
adb push <path-to>/panda-dex-dumper /data/local/tmp/
adb shell chmod +x /data/local/tmp/panda-dex-dumper
2. Determine target package name
If the user provides a package name, use it directly. Otherwise, get the foreground app:
adb shell dumpsys activity top | grep 'ACTIVITY' | tail -1 | awk '{print $2}' | cut -d/ -f1
3. Run the dumper
adb shell "cd /data/local/tmp && ./panda-dex-dumper -p $(adb shell pidof <package_name>)"
The dumped DEX files are saved to /data/local/tmp/panda/ on the device.
4. Pull DEX files to host
adb pull /data/local/tmp/panda/ ./
Pull to the user's current working directory.
5. Clean up device cache
adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/panda/
adb shell rm /data/local/tmp/panda-dex-dumper
Guidelines
- Always verify ADB connection first — run
adb devices and confirm a device is listed before proceeding.
- Root may be required —
panda-dex-dumper uses ptrace to attach to the target process. If the device is not rooted, the dump will fail. Suggest adb root or running via su if needed.
- Wait for app to fully load — if the user is dumping a packed app, the real DEX is only available after the packer's class loader has decrypted it. Advise the user to navigate past the splash screen before dumping.
- Handle pidof failure — if
pidof returns empty, the app may not be running. Launch it first with adb shell monkey -p <package_name> -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1.
- Multiple DEX files are normal — packed apps often produce several DEX files. All files in
/data/local/tmp/panda/ should be pulled.
- Always clean up — remove both the dumped DEX files and the tool binary from the device after pulling results to avoid leaving artifacts.
