#3953·Apktool

[BUG] invalid CEN header (bad compression method)

Author: diduk28Created Aug 22, 2025Updated Dec 9, 2025
LabelsBugjava

Information

  1. Apktool Version (apktool -version) - Apktool 2.12.0
  2. Operating System (Mac, Linux, Windows) - Mac
  3. APK From? (Playstore, ROM, Other) - I was sent this file in telegram, and I became interested in understanding it. I think this file contains a virus
  4. Java Version (java --version) - openjdk 21.0.7 2025-04-15 OpenJDK Runtime Environment Homebrew (build 21.0.7) OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Homebrew (build 21.0.7, mixed mode, sharing)

Stacktrace/Logcat

java -jar apktool.jar d app.apk -o app_src -f

I: Using Apktool 2.12.0 on app.apk with 8 threads
Exception in thread "main" brut.androlib.exceptions.AndrolibException: brut.directory.DirectoryException: java.util.zip.ZipException: invalid CEN header (bad compression method: 27639)
	at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decodeSources(SourceFile:271)
	at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decode(SourceFile:83)
	at brut.apktool.Main.main(SourceFile:524)
Caused by: brut.directory.DirectoryException: java.util.zip.ZipException: invalid CEN header (bad compression method: 27639)
	at brut.directory.ZipRODirectory.<init>(SourceFile:54)
	at brut.directory.ExtFile.getDirectory(SourceFile:51)
	at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decodeSources(SourceFile:269)
	... 2 more
Caused by: java.util.zip.ZipException: invalid CEN header (bad compression method: 27639)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.zerror(ZipFile.java:1781)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.checkAndAddEntry(ZipFile.java:1219)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.initCEN(ZipFile.java:1720)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.<init>(ZipFile.java:1495)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$Source.get(ZipFile.java:1458)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile$CleanableResource.<init>(ZipFile.java:724)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(ZipFile.java:251)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(ZipFile.java:180)
	at java.base/java.util.zip.ZipFile.<init>(ZipFile.java:194)
	at brut.directory.ZipRODirectory.<init>(SourceFile:52)
	... 4 more

Steps to Reproduce

  1. java -jar apktool.jar d app.apk -o app_src -f

APK

Download - apk Password - apktool