Mobile Application VAPT

As more and more businesses adopt a mobile-first approach, mobile applications are becoming conventional in the industry. With them, they bring a lot of doubts and questions regarding the security they offer. A lot of apps involve collecting user data and hence it is required to ensure the security of the data in compliance with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The design and development of these apps expose them to potential threats and make the application vulnerable to attacks. Hence, the VAPT of these mobile applications is essential.

The VAPT of mobile applications helps in determining the vulnerabilities present in the architecture, database, and APIs of the application before an attacker exploits them.

Why is Mobile Application VAPT Required?

The mobile phone, as a device, is a widely used device in today’s world. The device itself is vulnerable to different categories of cyberattacks. A lot of user data is stored on the device in different formats. Whether Android or iOS, each application installed on the device exposes the organization’s data to known and unknown vulnerabilities.

VAPT of these apps includes deep security testing of the app functionality and exposes the internal codes and design of the app to understand if proper security measures are in place or not. It also plays an important role in uncovering vulnerabilities of downloading apps that can possess potential risks and may contain bugs that make the data vulnerable.

What are the Types of Mobile Apps?

• Web apps: Normal web applications built in HTML and accessed from your mobile.
• Native apps: Specifically built for a particular OS and uses OS-specific features.
• Hybrid apps: Similar to native apps but behave like web apps leveraging the benefits of both types.

Potential Threat Parameters

• If an app maintains any logs within the app store while being downloaded, such as credentials or account information, there is a risk of data leakage.
• App developers must examine any potential harm to user data if apps keep user credentials.
• Attackers can exploit the data displayed on an app by hijacking sessions or eavesdropping.
• High-speed internet connectivity allows apps to send and receive data fast. Attackers can intercept this data; hence all transferred data should be encrypted.

A detailed vulnerability study includes checking components at an advanced level, such as the network, phone’s operating system, and hardware. One must check the app for any security problems, the responsiveness of the security measures, and whether they can counter any attack in real time. It is also necessary to safeguard connections with other apps or third-party services. Any flaw in the structure puts all of the app’s services at risk.

How to Perform Mobile Application Security Testing?

There are certain important things to keep in mind while conducting penetration testing on mobile applications. The following checklist can help:

• Nature of the app: Apps involving money transactions require deeper security testing compared to gaming, education, or social media apps.
• Time required for testing: The testing process should be time-bound with appropriate allocation for security testing.
• Efforts needed: Security testing is more complex than functionality or UI testing.
• Knowledge transfer: Teams may need additional training to understand tools and perform tests on specific functionalities.

Based on these pointers, a security testing strategy can be built.

The VAPT Process

The first step is to define the objectives of the test. These could include checking if security mechanisms are in place, detecting and managing threats, or verifying authentication processes.

Threat Analysis and Modelling

Threat analysis and modeling usually involve four components:

• App architecture
• App resources
• Third-party interaction
• Threat agents

During this phase, testers consider all possible attack vectors and develop use cases for them.
Tools for conducting threat analysis and modeling include Mobile Security Framework (MSF), Android Debug Bridge, and iOS Mobile Application Security (iMAS).

Exploitation

After identifying vulnerabilities, testers attempt to exploit them to understand their potential impact.
Free tools like QARK (Quick Android Review Kit), ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy), and Mitmproxy are often used for this stage.

Risk Mitigation

Once testing is complete, identified risks must be mitigated by updating the app regularly and applying security patches. This ensures a more secure version of the existing application.

Conclusion

Mobile application VAPT is crucial in understanding and securing vulnerabilities in modern apps. With the right testing methods, organizations can protect sensitive data, maintain user trust, and comply with security regulations. To further explore vulnerabilities, refer to the OWASP Top 10 for Mobile App Security.