`shadowhook_init()` fails with error 12 ("Init linker mod failed") on Android 15 (API 35)

[HanSoBored]

ShadowHook Version

2.0.0

Android OS Version

15

Android ABIs

arm64-v8a

Device Manufacturers and Models

Realme 5 Pro

Describe the Bug

int ret = shadowhook_init(SHADOWHOOK_MODE_UNIQUE, false);
// ret == 12  ("Init linker mod failed")

shadowhook_init() fails during sh_linker_init() → sh_linker_get_symbol_info() → xdl_dsym() returns NULL for linker internal symbols.

---

sh_linker_get_symbol_info() fails on arm64-v8a, API 35. The function tries to resolve from linker64:

• __dl__ZN6soinfo17call_constructorsEv
• __dl__ZN6soinfo16call_destructorsEv

SH_LINKER_HOOK_WITH_DL_MUTEX is 0 on arm64, so g_dl_mutex is not involved.

---

The symbols exist in the binary (verified via strings):

$ strings /apex/com.android.runtime/bin/linker64 | grep call_.*structor
__dl__ZN6soinfo17call_constructorsEv
__dl__ZN6soinfo16call_destructorsEv

xdl_dsym() returns NULL for both symbols despite their presence. The cause is unknown — could be symbol table layout changes, visibility changes, or XDL iteration behavior on Android 15.

No ANDROID_API_V (API 35) definitions exist anywhere in the ShadowHook codebase. The symbol selection logic uses api_level >= ANDROID_API_M as a catch-all for API 23+.

The failure cascades: sh_linker_get_symbol_info() returns -1 → sh_linker_init() returns -1 → shadowhook_init() returns error 12. All hooking APIs become unusable afterward.

---

#include "shadowhook.h"

int ret = shadowhook_init(SHADOWHOOK_MODE_UNIQUE, false);
// Always returns 12 on Android 15, arm64-v8a

[soranerai]

same issue. android 16 arm64-v8a

[Starexify]

I also tried this on my phone (Samsung M35, Android 16) and seems to happen aswell
The result from init returns 12 (Init linker mod failed)

I try use it in this repo for the curious: https://github.com/Starexify/PvZ2TestMod

[Starexify]

I found the reason! (Thanks to someone on discord)
It was because I didnt have the libshadowhook_nothing.so alongside the libshadowhook.so
Hope this helps 👍