App provenance is the record of where an application came from and whether its source can be trusted. It includes who developed or published the app, how it was packaged, and how it reached a device. An official store listing may provide useful signals, but it does not guarantee that an app is safe.
Provenance matters because attackers can disguise malware as useful tools and exploit urgency or fear to persuade people to install it. Before installing an app, verify the publisher and distribution channel, check whether the app is expected and reputable, and be cautious with installers shared through unfamiliar websites or messages. For defenders, examining package signatures, hashes, permissions, and distribution records can help establish an app’s origin and assess whether it is malicious.