Apktool: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)

Information

Apktool Version: 2.2.1
Operating System: Both Linux and Windows
APK From: Playstore (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.musixmatch.android.lyrify&hl=en)

Steps to Reproduce

Download apk from (https://apkpure.com/musixmatch-lyrics-and-music/com.musixmatch.android.lyrify)
Decompile apk using apktool d music.apk -o output (You will notice non-ascii characters in decompiled files both Smali and XML files which probably the reason recompiling fails)
Try to recompile the output using apktool b output, it would fail leaving the following errors

I: Using Apktool 2.2.1
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Smaling smali folder into classes.dex...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources...
W: /output/res/layout/abc_action_mode_bar.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/abc_action_mode_close_item_material.xml:2: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'srcCompat' in package 'android'
W:
W: /output/res/layout/abc_dialog_title_material.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v17/abc_dialog_title_material.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/abc_screen_simple.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/abc_screen_simple_overlay_action_mode.xml:5: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/abc_screen_toolbar.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v21/abc_screen_toolbar.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/com_facebook_device_auth_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v16/com_facebook_device_auth_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v17/com_facebook_device_auth_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/com_facebook_smart_device_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v16/com_facebook_smart_device_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v17/com_facebook_smart_device_dialog_fragment.xml:8: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/design_bottom_navigation_item.xml:5: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
W: /output/res/layout/design_bottom_sheet_dialog.xml:5: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'layout_behavior' in package 'android'
W:
W: /output/res/layout-v16/design_bottom_sheet_dialog.xml:5: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'layout_behavior' in package 'android'
W:
W: /output/res/layout/design_text_input_password_icon.xml:2: error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)
W:
.....................

APK

Musixmatch Lyrics (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.musixmatch.android.lyrify&hl=en)

Questions to ask before submission

Have you tried apktool d, apktool b without changing anything? - Yes
If you are trying to install a modified apk, did you resign it? -No
Are you using the latest apktool version? -Yes

About this issue

Original URL
State: open
Created 7 years ago
Reactions: 1
Comments: 25 (6 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

Happens for me with resource xml with $ in tag name, e.g.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<o.RatingCompat$1 id="@id/expanded_menu" layout_width="?panelMenuListWidth" layout_height="wrap_content"
  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" />

alexcohn on Jul 22, 2021

Is the problem not resolved yet? I am having the same problem now.

Ticket looks open and unresolved to me. So no isn’t resolved.

iBotPeaches on Dec 7, 2020

2020 update. Still an issue.

➜  1407 apktool b 1407 --use-aapt2
I: Using Apktool 2.4.2-f545c2-SNAPSHOT
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Checking whether sources has changed...
I: Checking whether resources has changed...
I: Building resources...
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/animator/2130837504.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/animator/2130837504.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/animator/2130837509.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/animator/2130837509.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099651.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099651.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099666.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099666.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099667.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099667.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099668.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099668.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099669.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099669.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099670.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099670.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099671.xml:4: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099671.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099896.xml:5: error: not well-formed (invalid token).
W: /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res/color/2131099896.xml: error: file failed to compile.
brut.androlib.AndrolibException: brut.common.BrutException: could not exec (exit code = 1): [/tmp/brut_util_Jar_8728117719843997481760221012075490107.tmp, compile, --dir, /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/res, --legacy, -o, /home/ibotpeaches/Downloads/Apktool/1407/1407/build/resources.zip]
➜  1407

iBotPeaches on Nov 29, 2020

@iBotPeaches couldn’t you - optionally - pass some params to the XML tool so that it ignores these errors? The XML format errors come from the source APK so they’re probably OK with those errors.

andrisi on May 6, 2022

@iBotPeaches would mind pointing me to the code that throws error: Error parsing XML: not well-formed (invalid token)?

I want to see if I can figure out what’s going on here, but my Java-fu is minimal. If it is indeed libexpat issue, it should be possible to patch it and include with your files, as it has no other dependencies.

That is in aapt/aapt2 so you won’t find it. You’ll want to check

iBotPeaches on Feb 1, 2022

@iBotPeaches does this have to do with a bug in libexpat as mentioned above? And if so, would you consider bundling a patched version of libexpat with your packages?

I have not done enough research to know if that is true. So unsure.

iBotPeaches on Feb 1, 2022

FWIW, this seems to come down to a bug in libexpat which doesn’t allow the proper character set for names. When a XML resources refers to proguarded names, it has good chances to crash. See https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/issues/171

gilbsgilbs on Oct 27, 2019