rr3-apk/RR3-NETWORK-ANALYSIS-AND-CONFIG-SYSTEM.md

# RR3 APK Network Analysis & Configuration System

**Analysis Date:** February 22, 2026  
**APK Version:** Real Racing 3 v14.0.1  
**Status:** Complete Network Stack Analyzed ✅

---

## 📡 Network Communication Architecture

### 1. Primary Network Stack

**Game-Specific HTTP Clients:**

1. **com.firemint.realracing.Http** (189 lines)
   - Simple POST-only HTTP client
   - Uses native `HttpURLConnection`
   - **SSL Validation:** DISABLED (accepts all certificates) ⚠️
   - Content-Type: `application/x-www-form-urlencoded`
   - Timeout: 10,000ms
   - Async callbacks to native JNI layer
   - Methods: `completeCallback()`, `dataCallback()`, `errorCallback()`, `headerCallback()`

2. **com.firemonkeys.cloudcellapi.HttpRequest/HttpThread** (116 lines)
   - More robust HTTP client with GET/POST support
   - Configurable SSL validation (`m_bSSLCheck` flag)
   - Custom headers support
   - Streaming response (chunk-based callbacks)
   - Configurable timeout per request
   - Content-Type: `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` (default)

3. **EA Nimble SDK** (Synergy Backend)
   - Primary authentication/configuration system
   - Director API for service discovery
   - Environment switching: INTEGRATION, STAGE, LIVE, CUSTOMIZED
   - Base URLs:
     - Integration: `https://director-int.sn.eamobile.com`
     - Staging: `https://director-stage.sn.eamobile.com`
     - Production: `https://syn-dir.sn.eamobile.com`

### 2. CloudCell API Services

**Core Services Integrated:**
- **Billing:** Google Play IAB, Amazon Appstore, Facebook payments
- **Authentication:** Google Play Games, Facebook Graph API
- **Notifications:** Local & push notification system
- **Store Integration:** GooglePlayWorker, FacebookWorker, AmazonStoreWorker
- **UI:** WebView dialogs, in-app prompts

**Key Classes:**
```
com.firemonkeys.cloudcellapi/
├── HttpRequest.java           - Main HTTP client
├── HttpThread.java            - Async execution
├── GooglePlayWorker.java      - Play Store APIs
├── FacebookWorker.java        - FB Graph API
├── NetworkStatusMonitor.java  - Connectivity tracking
├── LocalNotificationsCenter   - Scheduled notifications
├── Security.java              - Signature verification
└── util/
    ├── Inventory.java         - IAB inventory
    ├── Purchase.java          - Purchase data
    └── FacebookAccessToken    - Token storage
```

### 3. Third-Party SDK Network Stack

**Analytics & Ads (20+ SDKs):**
- Firebase (Google backend infrastructure)
- Facebook SDK (Graph API)
- Google Play Services
- IronSource, Vungle, Fyber, mBridge
- Tapjoy (reward ads)
- Singular, AppsFlyer (analytics)

**HTTP Libraries Used:**
- `HttpURLConnection` - Native Java (game code)
- `OkHttp3` - Ad networks & modern SDKs
- `Apache HttpClient` - Legacy support
- `Retrofit` - Indirect via ad networks
- Firebase Performance Monitoring wraps all HTTP

---

## ⚙️ Current Configuration System

### Existing SharedPreferences Files

**1. rr3_community_server.xml** (Custom)
```xml
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
    <string name="server_url">https://rr3.example.com:5001</string>
</map>
```
**Location:** `/data/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/shared_prefs/rr3_community_server.xml`  
**Managed by:** `CommunityServerManager.java`  
**Purpose:** Server URL storage for community servers

**2. rr3_offline_settings.xml** (Custom)
```xml
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
    <boolean name="offline_mode_enabled" value="false" />
</map>
```
**Location:** `/data/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/shared_prefs/rr3_offline_settings.xml`  
**Managed by:** `OfflineModeManager.java`  
**Purpose:** Online/Offline mode toggle

**3. EA Nimble Persistence** (SDK)
- Cached Synergy environment configuration
- Session tokens & authentication data
- Various SDK-managed preferences

**4. Firebase/Google/Facebook** (Third-party)
- Remote config values
- Analytics settings
- Ad preferences
- OAuth tokens

### Current Configuration Flow

```
APK Startup
    ↓
MainActivity.onCreate()
    ↓
OfflineModeManager.init(context)  ← Load offline_mode_enabled
    ↓
CommunityServerManager.checkServerUrl()  ← Check if server_url exists
    ↓
    ├─ No URL? → ServerSetupActivity → User inputs URL → Save to SharedPrefs
    ↓
    └─ Has URL? → Continue boot
    ↓
SynergyEnvironmentImpl.getSynergyDirectorServerUrl()
    ↓
    ├─ 1. Check CommunityServerManager.getServerUrl() (SharedPreferences)
    ├─ 2. Check AndroidManifest.xml (NimbleCustomizedSynergyServerEndpointUrl)
    └─ 3. Use EA default (LIVE/STAGE/INT based on build)
    ↓
Director API Call → Service Discovery
    ↓
Game Loads → Ready to play
```

---

## 🔍 Additional Endpoints Discovered

### Hardcoded URLs in APK

**1. Community Server Examples:**
```smali
# ServerSelectionActivity$1.smali:60
const-string v0, "https://rr3.barrer.net:8443"

# ServerSelectionActivity$1.smali:73
const-string p1, "http://localhost:3000"
```

**2. External Links:**
```smali
# Platform.smali:692
const-string v0, "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ea.game.nfs14_row&hl=en_IN"
```

**3. URL Format Validation:**
```smali
# ServerSetupActivity.smali:85
const-string v1, "❌ Invalid URL format. Example: https://rr3.example.com:5001"

# Checks for:
const-string v0, "http://"     # Line 152
const-string v0, "https://"    # Line 161
```

### No Additional Game-Specific Endpoints Found

**Key Finding:** The game **exclusively uses EA Nimble SDK's Synergy system** for all game-related network communication. No hardcoded game API endpoints exist outside of:
- EA Synergy Director URLs (environment-based)
- Third-party SDK endpoints (ads, analytics, social)
- Community server URL (user-configured)

This means our server **must implement the Synergy API format** that EA originally used. ✅ Already doing this!

---

## 🛠️ Enhanced Configuration System Design

### Current Limitations

1. **Only stores server URL** - No other settings persisted
2. **No SSL configuration** - Can't pin certificates or configure SSL
3. **No connection preferences** - Timeout, retry, etc. not configurable
4. **No server metadata** - Can't store server name, description, region
5. **No backup servers** - Single point of failure
6. **No validation** - URL format checked but no connectivity pre-validation

### Proposed Enhanced Configuration

**File:** `rr3_community_config.xml` (SharedPreferences)

```xml
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?>
<map>
    <!-- Server Configuration -->
    <string name="server_url">https://rr3.example.com:5001</string>
    <string name="server_name">Official Community Server</string>
    <string name="server_region">US-East</string>
    <string name="backup_server_url">https://rr3-backup.example.com:5001</string>
    
    <!-- Connection Settings -->
    <int name="connection_timeout_ms" value="10000" />
    <int name="read_timeout_ms" value="15000" />
    <int name="max_retries" value="3" />
    <boolean name="auto_reconnect" value="true" />
    
    <!-- SSL/TLS Configuration -->
    <boolean name="ssl_validation_enabled" value="true" />
    <boolean name="allow_self_signed" value="false" />
    <string name="ssl_certificate_pin">sha256/ABCD1234...</string>
    
    <!-- Mode Settings -->
    <boolean name="offline_mode_enabled" value="false" />
    <boolean name="auto_sync_enabled" value="true" />
    
    <!-- Feature Flags (Server Override) -->
    <boolean name="enable_multiplayer" value="false" />
    <boolean name="enable_leaderboards" value="true" />
    <boolean name="enable_time_trials" value="true" />
    <boolean name="enable_custom_content" value="true" />
    
    <!-- Cache Settings -->
    <boolean name="cache_enabled" value="true" />
    <int name="cache_size_mb" value="500" />
    <long name="cache_expire_hours" value="24" />
    
    <!-- Debug/Logging -->
    <boolean name="debug_logging" value="false" />
    <boolean name="log_network_requests" value="false" />
    
    <!-- Last Update/Sync -->
    <long name="last_sync_timestamp" value="1771746759000" />
    <long name="config_version" value="1" />
</map>
```

### Implementation: CommunityConfigManager.java

```java
package com.firemint.realracing;

import android.content.Context;
import android.content.SharedPreferences;
import android.util.Log;

public class CommunityConfigManager {
    private static final String TAG = "RR3_ConfigManager";
    private static final String PREFS_NAME = "rr3_community_config";
    
    // Keys
    public static final String KEY_SERVER_URL = "server_url";
    public static final String KEY_SERVER_NAME = "server_name";
    public static final String KEY_BACKUP_URL = "backup_server_url";
    public static final String KEY_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = "connection_timeout_ms";
    public static final String KEY_SSL_VALIDATION = "ssl_validation_enabled";
    public static final String KEY_OFFLINE_MODE = "offline_mode_enabled";
    public static final String KEY_DEBUG_LOGGING = "debug_logging";
    
    // Defaults
    private static final int DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 10000;
    private static final boolean DEFAULT_SSL_VALIDATION = true;
    
    private static SharedPreferences getPrefs(Context context) {
        return context.getSharedPreferences(PREFS_NAME, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
    }
    
    // Server URL
    public static String getServerUrl(Context context) {
        return getPrefs(context).getString(KEY_SERVER_URL, null);
    }
    
    public static void setServerUrl(Context context, String url) {
        getPrefs(context).edit().putString(KEY_SERVER_URL, url).apply();
        Log.i(TAG, "Server URL updated: " + url);
    }
    
    // Connection Settings
    public static int getConnectionTimeout(Context context) {
        return getPrefs(context).getInt(KEY_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT);
    }
    
    // SSL Configuration
    public static boolean isSslValidationEnabled(Context context) {
        return getPrefs(context).getBoolean(KEY_SSL_VALIDATION, DEFAULT_SSL_VALIDATION);
    }
    
    // Mode
    public static boolean isOfflineMode(Context context) {
        return getPrefs(context).getBoolean(KEY_OFFLINE_MODE, false);
    }
    
    public static void setOfflineMode(Context context, boolean enabled) {
        getPrefs(context).edit().putBoolean(KEY_OFFLINE_MODE, enabled).apply();
        Log.i(TAG, "Offline mode: " + (enabled ? "ENABLED" : "DISABLED"));
    }
    
    // Debug
    public static boolean isDebugLoggingEnabled(Context context) {
        return getPrefs(context).getBoolean(KEY_DEBUG_LOGGING, false);
    }
    
    // Validation
    public static boolean hasValidConfiguration(Context context) {
        String url = getServerUrl(context);
        return url != null && !url.isEmpty() && 
               (url.startsWith("http://") || url.startsWith("https://"));
    }
    
    // Reset to defaults
    public static void resetToDefaults(Context context) {
        getPrefs(context).edit().clear().apply();
        Log.i(TAG, "Configuration reset to defaults");
    }
    
    // Export/Import for backup
    public static String exportConfig(Context context) {
        // Return JSON string of all settings
        // For backup/restore functionality
        return "{}"; // TODO: Implement
    }
    
    public static void importConfig(Context context, String json) {
        // Import from JSON string
        // TODO: Implement
    }
}
```

### Smali Implementation Required

To add these features, we need to:

1. **Create CommunityConfigManager.smali** - Convert Java to Smali
2. **Update ServerSetupActivity** - Add advanced settings dialog
3. **Modify SynergyEnvironmentImpl** - Read timeout from config
4. **Update Http.java** - Use config for SSL validation toggle
5. **Create AdvancedSettingsActivity** - UI for all config options

---

## 🎯 Recommendations

### Immediate Actions

1. ✅ **Keep current system** - Server URL in SharedPreferences works well
2. ✅ **Maintain offline mode** - OfflineModeManager is solid
3. ⚠️ **Fix SSL validation** - Http.java currently accepts ALL certificates (security risk)
4. ➕ **Add backup server** - Failover if primary down
5. ➕ **Add connection timeout config** - Let users adjust for slow connections

### Phase 2 Enhancements

1. **Settings Menu** - In-game settings UI for:
   - Server URL switching
   - Offline mode toggle
   - Connection preferences
   - Debug logging toggle

2. **Server Discovery** - Auto-detect available community servers:
   - Broadcast/multicast on LAN
   - Public server directory
   - QR code server setup

3. **Configuration Sync** - Server pushes config to APK:
   - Feature flags from server
   - Server MOTD
   - Maintenance mode notification

4. **Certificate Pinning** - For production security:
   - Pin Let's Encrypt certificates
   - Validate server identity
   - Prevent MITM attacks

### Security Improvements

**Critical Issue:** SSL validation is DISABLED in Http.java

```java
// CURRENT CODE (INSECURE):
HostnameVerifier allHostsValid = HttpsURLConnection.getDefaultHostnameVerifier();
HttpsURLConnection.setDefaultHostnameVerifier(
    HttpsURLConnection.ALLOW_ALL_HOSTNAME_VERIFIER); // ⚠️ DANGER!

// RECOMMENDED FIX:
if (CommunityConfigManager.isSslValidationEnabled(context)) {
    // Use default SSL validation
} else {
    // Only allow in development builds
    HttpsURLConnection.setDefaultHostnameVerifier(
        HttpsURLConnection.ALLOW_ALL_HOSTNAME_VERIFIER);
}
```

---

## 📊 Network Communication Summary

| Component | Purpose | Protocol | Status |
|-----------|---------|----------|--------|
| EA Nimble SDK | Auth, config, services | HTTPS | ✅ Implemented |
| CloudCell API | Billing, social, UI | HTTPS | ✅ Integrated |
| Http.java | Game HTTP client | HTTP/HTTPS | ⚠️ No SSL validation |
| HttpRequest | CloudCell HTTP | HTTP/HTTPS | ✅ Configurable SSL |
| Firebase | Analytics, config | HTTPS | ✅ Third-party |
| Ad Networks | Monetization | HTTPS | ✅ Third-party |

---

## 🔧 Configuration File Locations

**APK Internal:**
- `assets/` - Could store default config.json (not currently used)
- `res/xml/` - Could store XML preferences (not currently used)
- `AndroidManifest.xml` - Has NimbleCustomizedSynergyServerEndpointUrl

**Device Storage (Runtime):**
- `/data/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/shared_prefs/rr3_community_server.xml` ✅ In use
- `/data/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/shared_prefs/rr3_offline_settings.xml` ✅ In use
- `/data/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/shared_prefs/rr3_community_config.xml` ⭐ Proposed

**External Storage (Optional):**
- `/sdcard/Android/data/com.ea.games.r3_row/files/config.json` - Backup/import
- `/sdcard/RealRacing3/community_settings.json` - User-accessible config

---

## ✅ Current Implementation Status

**What We Have:**
- ✅ Server URL storage (SharedPreferences)
- ✅ Offline mode toggle (SharedPreferences)
- ✅ Server URL validation (basic)
- ✅ First-launch server setup dialog
- ✅ Settings menu with mode switching
- ✅ Integration with Nimble SDK

**What We Need:**
- ⬜ Enhanced configuration options
- ⬜ SSL certificate validation
- ⬜ Connection timeout configuration
- ⬜ Backup server support
- ⬜ Server discovery mechanism
- ⬜ Configuration import/export
- ⬜ Advanced settings UI

---

## 📝 Next Steps

1. **Phase 1:** Keep current system, fix SSL validation ⚠️
2. **Phase 2:** Add enhanced config options (timeout, backup server)
3. **Phase 3:** Build advanced settings UI
4. **Phase 4:** Implement server discovery & auto-configuration

**Priority:** Fix SSL validation in Http.java immediately for security!

---

**Analysis Complete** ✅  
**Configuration System:** Currently functional, recommended enhancements documented  
**Security Status:** ⚠️ SSL validation needs fixing  
**Network Stack:** Fully mapped and understood