diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
index db1b5a61ef6..f518dbd2802 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/ExternalFlow.qll
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ private module Frameworks {
   private import internal.ContainerFlow
   private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.Android
   private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.ContentProviders
+  private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.ExternalStorage
   private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.Intent
   private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.Notifications
   private import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.SharedPreferences
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/FlowSources.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/FlowSources.qll
index 2c44d7a15b6..fcd4fe90b6d 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/FlowSources.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/dataflow/FlowSources.qll
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.WebView
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.JaxWS
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.javase.WebSocket
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.Android
+import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.ExternalStorage
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.OnActivityResultSource
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.android.Intent
 import semmle.code.java.frameworks.play.Play
@@ -152,6 +153,12 @@ private class ThriftIfaceParameterSource extends RemoteFlowSource {
   override string getSourceType() { result = "Thrift Iface parameter" }
 }
 
+private class AndroidExternalStorageSource extends RemoteFlowSource {
+  AndroidExternalStorageSource() { androidExternalStorageSource(this) }
+
+  override string getSourceType() { result = "Android external storage" }
+}
+
 /** Class for `tainted` user input. */
 abstract class UserInput extends DataFlow::Node { }
 
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/frameworks/android/ExternalStorage.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/frameworks/android/ExternalStorage.qll
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..60214f8861a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/frameworks/android/ExternalStorage.qll
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/** Provides definitions for working with uses of Android external storage */
+
+import java
+import semmle.code.java.dataflow.DataFlow
+private import semmle.code.java.dataflow.ExternalFlow
+
+private class ExternalStorageDirSourceModel extends SourceModelCsv {
+  override predicate row(string row) {
+    row =
+      [
+        //"package;type;overrides;name;signature;ext;spec;kind"
+        "android.content;Context;true;getExternalFilesDir;(String);;ReturnValue;android-external-storage-dir",
+        "android.content;Context;true;getExternalFilesDirs;(String);;ReturnValue.ArrayElement;android-external-storage-dir",
+        "android.content;Context;true;getExternalCachesDir;(String);;ReturnValue;android-external-storage-dir",
+        "android.content;Context;true;getExternalCachesDirs;(String);;ReturnValue.ArrayElement;android-external-storage-dir",
+        "android.os;Environment;false;getExternalStorageDirectory;(String);;ReturnValue.ArrayElement;android-external-storage-dir",
+        "android.os;Environment;false;getExternalStoragePublicDirectory;(String);;ReturnValue.ArrayElement;android-external-storage-dir",
+      ]
+  }
+}
+
+private predicate externalStorageFlowStep(DataFlow::Node node1, DataFlow::Node node2) {
+  DataFlow::localFlowStep(node1, node2)
+  or
+  exists(ConstructorCall c | c.getConstructedType() instanceof TypeFile |
+    node1.asExpr() = c.getArgument(1) and
+    node2.asExpr() = c
+  )
+}
+
+private predicate externalStorageFlow(DataFlow::Node node1, DataFlow::Node node2) {
+  externalStorageFlowStep*(node1, node2)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Holds if `n` is a node that reads the contents of an external file in Android.
+ * This may be controlable by third-party applications, so is treated as a remote flow source.
+ */
+predicate androidExternalStorageSource(DataFlow::Node n) {
+  exists(ConstructorCall fInp, DataFlow::Node externalDir |
+    fInp.getConstructedType().hasQualifiedName("java.io", "FileInputStream") and
+    n.asExpr() = fInp and
+    sourceNode(externalDir, "android-external-storage-dir") and
+    externalStorageFlow(externalDir, DataFlow::exprNode(fInp.getArgument(0)))
+  )
+}