Apktool not associating resource IDs to correct names

[mildsunrise]

Information

1. Apktool Version (apktool -version) - Tested with 6231edfc and last release (v2.3.3)
2. Operating System (Mac, Linux, Windows) - Linux
3. APK From? (Playstore, ROM, Other) - Playstore

Stacktrace/Logcat

AndroidRuntime: Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: Drawable com.twitter.android:drawable/APKTOOL_DUMMY_368 with resource ID #0x7f080368
AndroidRuntime: Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: Resource "com.twitter.android:drawable/APKTOOL_DUMMY_368" (7f080368) is not a Drawable (color or path): TypedValue{t=0x12/d=0x0 a=4 r=0x7f080368}

The APK crashes on activity start because it tries to use resource 0x7f080368, which Apktool filled with a dummy:

~
[res/values/public.xml] [...]







[...]
~

However, if we search the bytecode for that constant...

~
$ grep -r 0x7f080368
smali_classes4/dug$d.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
smali_classes2/com/twitter/composer/h$e.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
smali_classes2/com/twitter/android/bi$g.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
res/values/public.xml:
~

It seems it was meant to be ic_title_recent_logo. If we search for that drawable:

~
$ grep -r ic_title_recent_logo
smali_classes4/dug$d.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
smali_classes2/com/twitter/composer/h$e.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
smali_classes2/com/twitter/android/initialization/AppStyleInitializer.smali: sget v2, Lcom/twitter/android/bi$g;->ic_title_recent_logo:I
smali_classes2/com/twitter/android/bi$g.smali:.field public static final ic_title_recent_logo:I = 0x7f080368
res/layout/highlights_social_proof.xml:
res/layout/highlights_loading_story.xml:
~

We see it's not defined in public.xml. In fact, I changed <public type="drawable" name="APKTOOL_DUMMY_368" id="0x7f080368" /> to <public type="drawable" name="ic_title_recent_logo" id="0x7f080368" /> and the app started correctly! However, when it went to another activity it crashed again, this time asking for drawable 0x7f080661. This turned out to be twitter_logo.

So it seems Apktool is interpreting some resources as broken, and not associating them correctly. Do you have any idea why?

Steps to Reproduce

1. apktool d <apk>

2. It won't build:

~
I: Using Apktool 2.3.4-SNAPSHOT
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali folder into classes.dex...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali_classes4 folder into classes4.dex...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali_classes2 folder into classes2.dex...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali_classes3 folder into classes3.dex...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali_classes5 folder into classes5.dex...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources...
W: /tmp/work/Twitter_com.twitter.android/res/layout/addressbook_contacts_settings_button.xml:5: error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'layout_height' with value '@dimen/border_thickness').
W:
W: /tmp/work/Twitter_com.twitter.android/res/layout/addressbook_permission_dialog.xml:5: error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'src' with value '@drawable/twitter_logo').
W:
W: /tmp/work/Twitter_com.twitter.android/res/layout/animated_garbage_can.xml:7: error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'src' with value '@drawable/ic_garbage_lid').
W:
W: /tmp/work/Twitter_com.twitter.android/res/layout/animated_garbage_can.xml:8: error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'src' with value '@drawable/ic_garbage_bottom').
W:
W: /tmp/work/Twitter_com.twitter.android/res/layout/app_rating_prompt_rich.xml:5: error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'src' with value '@drawable/btn_ratings_star_off').
W:
[about ~500 warnings more, and appt fails to package resources]
~

1. To workaround, I created a small transparent PNG and put copies of it in res/drawable named after every missing drawable. This, and defining two missing dimensions, made ./apktool b <apk> build the APK correctly.

2. Sign and install the APK. It crashes. (And its crash reporter crashes too, so I had to patch the bytecode to see the real stacktrace that I posted).

If you need to reproduce the stacktrace, I can supply you with the patch and workaround. :)

APK

It's Twitter's APK (Play Store version 8900172)
Download (extension changed to .zip)

Questions to ask before submission

1. Have you tried apktool d, apktool b without changing anything? Yes
2. If you are trying to install a modified apk, did you resign it? Yes
3. Are you using the latest apktool version? Yes

[mildsunrise]

Okay, out of curiosity I created an x86 emulator (nexus 6, api 27 with google apis), installed the original APK and it failed on the same resource:

~
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: Process: com.twitter.android, PID: 4078
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.twitter.android/com.twitter.android.StartActivity}: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: Resource ID #0x7f080368
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2778)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2856)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.-wrap11(Unknown Source:0)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1589)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:106)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:164)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:6494)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.android.internal.os.RuntimeInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(RuntimeInit.java:438)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:807)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: Caused by: android.content.res.Resources$NotFoundException: Resource ID #0x7f080368
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.content.res.ResourcesImpl.getValueForDensity(ResourcesImpl.java:224)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.content.res.Resources.getDrawableForDensity(Resources.java:876)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.content.res.Resources.getDrawable(Resources.java:819)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.content.res.Resources.getDrawable(Resources.java:794)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.android.initialization.AppStyleInitializer.a(Twttr:92)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.android.initialization.AppStyleInitializer.a(Twttr:80)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.android.initialization.AppStyleInitializer.a(Twttr:29)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.android.initialization.AppStyleInitializer$1.onActivityCreated(Twttr:39)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.app.common.util.ActivityLifecycleDispatcher.a(Twttr:93)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.app.common.util.a$b.onActivityCreated(Twttr:84)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.app.common.util.a$1.onActivityCreated(Twttr:42)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.Application.dispatchActivityCreated(Application.java:197)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.Activity.onCreate(Activity.java:1015)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.support.v4.app.SupportActivity.onCreate(Twttr:66)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity.onCreate(Twttr:297)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity.onCreate(Twttr:84)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.app.common.base.BaseFragmentActivity.onCreate(Twttr:63)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at com.twitter.android.StartActivity.onCreate(Twttr:18)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:7009)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:7000)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1214)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2731)
08-10 19:36:59.363 4078 4078 E AndroidRuntime: ... 9 more
~

I honestly didn't think that the original APK could be faulty since it's from Play store and (I checked) is the exact same APK I have currently installed on my phone and it works there. I'll probably close this issue.

[mildsunrise]

Okay, seems Twitter uses configuration APKs so when Play Store installs Twitter, it installs base.apk, split_config.armeabi_v7a.apk, split_config.es.apk and split_config.xxhdpi.apk together. That's why resources were missing. Tools assume just 1 apk and were giving me the base APK.

Are there plans to implement support for these kind of apps on Apktool?
Or at least, a tool that can join all these APKs into one?

[kolboch]

Just to add more description to this bug/feature, when inspecting file where to error occurs missing resource (after decompiling .apk) is named APKTOOL_DUMMY_numberhere, so seems like already during decompiling it somehow couldn't find the proper one?