Mobile App Security Testing and Testing Tools
Mobile App Security Testing and Testing Tools
Mobile app security testing has become a powerful part of protecting consumers and companies from cyberattacks that exploit vulnerabilities in mobile apps, because of the rise in mobile Internet usage.
Security features are available on all main mobile platforms to assist software developers in creating secure applications. However, the developer is frequently left to pick from a variety of security choices. Due to a lack of screening, security features may be implemented that are readily bypassed by attackers.
Key Areas in Mobile App Security
Local data storage
Mobile security involves the protection of sensitive data such as user passwords and personal information. If an app misuses operating system APIs like local storage or an inter-process communication (IPC), sensitive data may be exposed to other apps on the same device. It may potentially leak data to cloud storage, backups, or the keyboard cache accidentally.
Moreover, mobile devices are more readily lost or stolen than other types of devices, making it more probable that an individual would acquire physical access to the device, making data retrieval simpler.
Communication with Trusted Endpoints
Mobile devices connect to a variety of networks daily, including public Wi-Fi networks that are shared with other customers. This opens the door to a wide range of network-based assaults, from the basic to the complex, ancient to new. The confidentiality and integrity of data sent between the mobile app and distant service endpoints are critical.
Authentication and Authorization
The majority of the authentication and authorization logic is handled at the endpoint, however, there are some implementation issues on the mobile app side. Mobile applications, unlike online apps, frequently keep long-term session
tokens that may be unlocked using user-to-device authentication capabilities like fingerprint scanning. While this facilitates faster login and a better user experience, it also adds to the complexity and potential for mistakes.
Common Issues that Affect Mobile Apps
- Storing or inadvertently leaking sensitive data in a way that other apps on the user’s phone can read it.
- Implementing weak authentication and authorization controls that might be exploited by hostile software or people.
- Using data encryption technologies that are known to be weak or readily cracked.
- Sending sensitive data over the Internet without encryption.
Security Testing Process
The security testing process includes these steps;
- Understanding how the application stores, receives and transfers data by interacting with it.
- Decrypting the application’s encrypted sections.
- Analyzing the resultant code after decompiling the program.
- Static analysis is used to find security flaws in decompiled code.
- Dynamic analysis and penetration testing are driven by the knowledge gained from reverse engineering and static analysis.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of security controls used within the application, use dynamic analysis and penetration testing.
Free Mobile Security Testing Tools
With the changing cyber risk landscape, it’s more important than ever to thoroughly test each application for any potential security problems. Such testing services are available through mobile app security testing tools, as well as advice for when these tests should be conducted in your pipeline.
There are multiple mobile app security testing tools available that may help with active threat monitoring, malware analysis, real-time security testing, and other areas of mobile app security. including;
iMAS
iMAS is an open-source mobile app security testing tool for iOS devices that assists developers with encrypting application data, prompting for passwords, preventing app tampering, and enforcing organizational regulations. iMAS helps your iOS app protect itself in a hostile environment, whether it’s checking for jailbreaks or debuggers, securing critical information in memory, or mitigating binary patching.
MobSF
Mobile Security Framework is a security testing tool for Android and iOS apps that can do static, dynamic, and web API testing. In a few of seconds, MobSF can analyze the security of Android and iOS apps. Binaries (APK & IPA) are supported, as well as zipped source code.
Drozer
Drozer is a feature-rich Android security and attack framework. This mobile app security testing tool allows you to assume the role of an Android app and communicate with other apps via Android’s Inter-Process Communication (IPC) protocol and the underlying operating system.
QARK
QARK is a mobile app security testing tool that analyses source code and detects potential security problems in Android applications. It’s a community-based, open-to-the-public, and free-to-use resource. It also tries to provide dynamically generated Android Debug Bridge (ADB) instructions to aid in the validation of potential flaws.
OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP is a free and open-source mobile app security testing tool that is updated on a regular basis by hundreds of volunteers all around the world. OWASP ZAP is a tool that assists in the automatic discovery of security vulnerabilities in apps throughout the development and testing phases. For expert pen testers who wish to use it for manual security testing, it’s also a terrific tool.
Conclusion
Sapizon Technologies is a Top leading software testing company in India. We began with the goal of enhancing our clients’ companies through our services.
Our Software Testers have a wealth of expertise and abilities that they use to successful testing methodologies that result in the delivery of high-quality software. Get a free consultation from our experts to know more about security testing.