Mobile Application Security Testing
Mobile Application Security Testing
Nowadays, people can conduct almost all their business, social activities, and financial transactions over mobile networks. Nearly every company has its own mobile application, and these apps are highly efficient, making our daily transactions smoother. However, a major concern remains the security and safety of our data. Hackers have evolved and developed numerous ways to intercept transactions occurring on 3G or 4G networks. There is always a risk that our data could be exposed through social or other mobile apps. To ensure the security of these apps—whether social, commercial, or financial—it is crucial to perform thorough security testing.
Need for Mobile Application Security Testing
- Detection and management of risks
- Reduction of costs
- Earning customer trust
- Adhering to industry standards and regulatory compliance
- A worry-free app launch process
- Collaboration with third-party vendors to enhance security
- Testing an enterprise’s security team
Mobile Application Security Testing Process
Effective security testing starts with understanding the application’s business purpose and the data it handles. Then, a comprehensive assessment is conducted to identify vulnerabilities across different platforms, using a combination of static analysis, dynamic analysis, and penetration testing. The security testing process includes:
- Interacting with the mobile app to understand how it receives, stores, and transmits data.
- Decrypting encrypted parts of the application.
- Analyzing the source code obtained by decompiling the app.
- Using static analysis to find security weaknesses in the decompiled code.
- Performing dynamic code analysis and penetration tests based on the previous findings. Dynamic analysis scans running apps to identify vulnerabilities, while penetration testing simulates attacks to discover weaknesses.
- Reviewing the results of dynamic analysis and penetration tests to assess the effectiveness of security controls, such as authentication and authorization.
The team at Acme Infosoft Pty Ltd utilizes both static and dynamic analysis tools specifically designed for mobile apps, alongside manual verification methods, to uncover vulnerabilities. We focus on both the mobile app and its backend services to ensure comprehensive security testing. Once vulnerabilities are found, we provide solutions to fix them, ensuring the mobile application remains secure.
Mobile Application Testing Methodology and Approach
The security team at Acme Infosoft Pty Ltd performs a time-boxed manual security assessment of the target application. This assessment includes an automated scan using tools to discover common vulnerabilities, as well as manual testing. Manual testing involves validating all the issues identified in the automated scan and checking for problems that automated tools typically miss, such as authentication, authorization, and business logic flaws.
A Vulnerability Assessment involves simulating an attack to evaluate the security of the application. This method involves actively analyzing the application for weaknesses, flaws, and vulnerabilities. Identified security issues are explained with an assessment of their impact and recommended mitigations. The OWASP Mobile Application Methodology.
- Information Gathering: The first step is gathering information about the target mobile application, much like a hacker would.
- Threat Modelling: Identifying potential threats, such as structural vulnerabilities or inadequate safeguards, and prioritizing mitigation strategies.
- Vulnerability Analysis: Analysing the app’s functionality and systems to identify weaknesses and determine corrective actions.
- Exploitation: Exploiting identified vulnerabilities to perform unauthorized actions.
- Post-Exploitation: This phase involves analysing compromised systems for valuable data and maintaining access for future exploitation.
- Reporting: Preparing a detailed report on the vulnerabilities found, including proof of concept and recommendations for remediation.
Mobile Apps Audit Test Standard:
The scanning tools used in the mobile application test can assess the OWASP Top 10 Risks, which include:
- M1: Improper Platform Usage
- M2: Insecure Data Storage
- M3: Insecure Communication
- M4: Insecure Authentication
- M5: Insufficient Cryptography
- M6: Insecure Authorization
- M7: Client Code Quality
- M8: Code Tampering
- M9: Reverse Engineering
- M10: Extraneous Functionality
Mobile Application Vulnerability Rating Definitions
- Critical: Exploitation may result in complete compromise of the database server or application server, with significant business impact (CVSS Score 9.0–10.0).
- High: Exploitation may lead to the complete compromise of the application or the disclosure of sensitive information (CVSS Score 7.0–8.9).
- Medium: Exploitation may result in partial control of the application or disclosure of semi-sensitive information (CVSS Score 4.0–6.9).
- Low: Exploitation has little or no impact on the application or the disclosure of less sensitive information (CVSS Score 0.0–3.9).
Conclusion
Mobile application security testing is challenging, as it requires a deep understanding of various aspects of the app and the potential threats. Ensuring a mobile app’s security is crucial for maintaining its integrity and safeguarding user data. At Acme Infosoft Pty Ltd, we have specialized expertise in Android and iOS mobile application security testing. Our OSCP-certified and CERT-IN impanelled team, with over two decades of experience, provides top-notch security testing and consulting services to strengthen the security posture of your mobile applications.