A technique to detect malware on a mobile device which stores a virtual machine image involves establishing a connection from an electronic malware detection apparatus to the mobile device, the electronic malware detection apparatus being external to the mobile device. The technique further involves transferring mobile device data from the mobile device to the electronic malware detection apparatus through the connection to form a copy of the virtual machine image within the electronic malware detection apparatus. The technique further involves performing, by the electronic detection apparatus, a set of malware detection operations on the copy of the virtual machine image to determine whether the mobile device is infected with malware.