What is Bugbane

Bugbane is a free and open source Android app for consensual forensic analysis: it helps you detect and collect evidence of spyware and stalkerware on your own device. It runs entirely on the phone itself.

What it does #

Bugbane does two things:

Acquisition. It collects forensic data from your device: system logs, running processes, installed apps, settings, and more. It collects the same type of data as AndroidQF, a tool used by professional analysts.
Analysis. It scans the collected data for known signs of compromise, using public Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) from the mvt-indicators project, plus some heuristics.

To collect data, the app connects to your device’s own Wireless Debugging (ADB) interface. This is the same mechanism an analyst would use from a computer — Bugbane just runs it on the phone itself. The getting started guide walks you through it.

Everything stays on your device, encrypted. Bugbane never uploads your data. The only network traffic it generates is downloading updated indicators, and it does that through a privacy-preserving relay (Oblivious HTTP) so the update server never sees your IP address.

What it cannot do #

Be aware of the limits before you rely on the results:

A clean scan does not mean your phone is safe. It only means nothing matched the indicators known today.
Bugbane is unlikely to catch spyware that has never been seen before, especially sophisticated state-sponsored tools.
No app can remove spyware or “fix” a compromised phone.

The acquisition is still valuable even when nothing is found: you can keep it and scan it again when new indicators are published, or share it — encrypted — with experts. See the risks and warnings page for the full picture.

Who it is for #

Bugbane is for people who suspect their device may be compromised by stalkerware, spyware, or non-consensual forensics — and for the helplines and organizations that support them.

Warning: If you are at physical or serious personal risk, using Bugbane is discouraged: its use can be detected. Read why before installing anything.

Requirements #

Android 11 or newer.
A trusted Wi-Fi network (your home network or a personal hotspot).
Notification permission, used to enter the pairing code.

On older Android versions, use AndroidQF or MVT from a trusted computer instead.

Free, open source, verifiable #

Bugbane is developed by Osservatorio Nessuno and released under the GPL-3.0 license. The source code is on GitHub, builds are reproducible, and you can verify the APK signing certificate when installing outside an app store.