Dynamic Java Program Analysis Using Virtual Machine Modification

This article focuses on practical questions of performing program analysis for applications executed using interpreters and virtual machines. Using Dalvik virtual machine in Android operating system as target interpreter layer, we showcase the possibilities of program analysis through automatic execution data extraction and profiling. The article describes functional modifications for Dalvik virtual machine which allow generating extra statistics and data to be intercepted by a debugger client for further processing. We conclude with the brief overview of a set of experiments performed on a set of standard Android applications, identifying several memory usage trends; lastly, we discuss possible future improvements for the implemented system.