Android: "change/intercept network settings and traffic" permission

Question

There is a "change/intercept network settings and traffic" permission listed in some Android apps, ex: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nqmobile.antivirus20&hl=en

But from the latest android permission doc: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html there is no such permission at all.

I'm trying to build a app to monitor/intercept/change network traffic in Android, is that possible to do that without rooting the device? TIA.

Answer 1

The permission you're looking for is WRITE_APN_SETTINGS

"change/intercept network settings and traffic"

"Allows an application to change network settings and to intercept and inspect all network traffic, for example to change the proxy and port of any APN. Malicious applications could monitor, redirect or modify network packets without your knowledge."

Source: http://androidxref.com/source/raw/frameworks/base/core/res/res/values-en-rGB/strings.xml

Answer 2

I don't believe this is possible without a rooted device.