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App Protector SDK is a mobile security component built into the application's code enabling runtime protection as well as a variety of mobile application hardening techniques, including jailbreak detection.
By employing advanced security mechanisms such as anti-tampering, RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection), integrity checking and more, you can drastically reduce vulnerabilities and create an app that resists various forms of attack.
Here’s a breakdown of the most effective security solutions to ensure you pass your mobile app penetration testing stress-free.
One of the primary focuses of any penetration test is to discover vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to tamper with or reverse-engineer your app. Anti-tampering mechanisms protect your app from unauthorized modifications, such as patching the binary or altering system-level files. When attackers attempt to modify an app’s code, anti-tampering measures can detect these efforts and block the application from functioning.
Adding anti-debugging tools prevents attackers from using debuggers to analyze how your app works, stopping them from uncovering vulnerabilities or bypassing certain security measures. Anti-reversing mechanisms make it more difficult for attackers to decompile or disassemble the application, especially when coupled with code obfuscation.
These measures are crucial for stopping an attacker before they even gain an understanding of how your app functions. Many successful hacks rely on the attacker’s ability to reverse-engineer code and modify it. Anti-tampering and anti-debugging mechanisms thwart this, allowing you to pass mobile app pen testing by demonstrating robust defenses against these common attack vectors.
Pen testers often try to manipulate the core binaries or system-level files of an application to exploit weaknesses. Without protection, your app’s binaries can be patched, allowing attackers to alter the app’s behavior or bypass security features. This is where binary integrity checking becomes invaluable. Integrity checking continuously monitors the app’s code, ensuring that the binaries remain unaltered during runtime.
RASP (Runtime Application Self-Protection) is a highly effective solution in this context as well. RASP actively monitors an app’s execution and detects suspicious changes in real-time, such as unauthorized attempts to patch binaries or modify system files. By incorporating RASP, you add an active, self-defending layer that prevents these kinds of attacks from succeeding. This proactive approach strengthens your app’s defenses during a pen test and ensures that unauthorized changes are detected immediately.
Rooting (on Android) or jailbreaking (on iOS) removes important security restrictions, giving attackers full control over the device and the applications running on it. A successful mobile app penetration test will attempt to exploit these compromised environments to bypass security features and access sensitive data.
To pass your pentest, your app should include jailbreak/root detection and prevention mechanisms. In case a device has been compromised the mechanism either blocks the app from running or restricts functionality. This ensures that attackers cannot exploit a rooted or jailbroken device to access your app’s core functions. Jailbreak and root prevention can be implemented using RASP, as it monitors device integrity and takes immediate action if a device appears compromised.
Data stored on a device, whether in the app’s sandbox, preferences, or offline storage, can be an attractive target for attackers. To pass a penetration test, it’s essential that all sensitive data is encrypted while at rest. This includes encrypting data in XML strings, resources, DEX files, and offline databases.
By using strong encryption algorithms to secure data at rest, you ensure that even if an attacker gains physical access to the device or its storage, they will not be able to read or modify sensitive information. This is a critical aspect of mobile app security. Having strong encryption mechanisms in place greatly reduces the likelihood of a breach.
During a pentest, attackers will often try to reverse-engineer the apps' code to understand how the app works and uncover vulnerabilities. Code obfuscation is a powerful technique that makes the code harder to read and analyze. By obfuscating both native and non-native code, libraries, and key algorithms, you make it significantly more difficult for attackers to reverse-engineer or modify your app.
Obfuscation techniques include relocating control flows, stripping debug information, and adding junk code to confuse or mislead attackers. This adds an extra layer of security during a penetration test, making it much harder for attackers to gain insight into your app’s structure and logic. When combined with anti-debugging and anti-reversing, code obfuscation becomes a vital part of your app’s overall security posture.
Throughout this article, we’ve touched on various solutions that form the foundation of a strong mobile app security strategy. RASP is particularly effective as it provides real-time protection, detecting attacks as they happen and stopping them before they can cause damage. RASP works in tandem with integrity checking and anti-tamper detection, ensuring that your app remains protected against binary patching, debugging, and other forms of tampering.
By combining RASP with solutions like code obfuscation, data encryption, and secure communications, you create a multi-layered security approach that will help you pass your pen test painlessly. These measures make it difficult for attackers to reverse-engineer or modify your app, while also protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access.
Passing a mobile app penetration test doesn’t have to be a painful process. By integrating the above-mentioned solutions you can boost your app’s defenses. By proactively addressing potential vulnerabilities and implementing these advanced security measures, you can ensure your app passes the pen test, while also safeguarding your users and maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
App Protector by ASEE is a security solution prioritizing mobile app security. It seamlessly integrates with the app's runtime environment, offering early-stage intrusion detection, real-time attack prevention, and control over the app's execution. App Protector shields mobile applications from various threats, such as emulator attacks, jailbreak/root detection, debugging, screen recording, and hooking attempts.
App Protector SDK is a mobile security component built into the application's code enabling runtime protection as well as a variety of mobile application hardening techniques, including jailbreak detection.
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