--- name: conducting-mobile-app-penetration-test description: 'Conducts penetration testing of iOS and Android mobile applications following the OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) to identify vulnerabilities in data storage, network communication, authentication, cryptography, and platform-specific security controls. The tester performs static analysis of application binaries, dynamic analysis at runtime, and API security testing to evaluate the complete mobile attack surface. Activates for requests involving mobile app pentest, iOS security assessment, Android security testing, or OWASP MASTG assessment. ' domain: cybersecurity subdomain: penetration-testing tags: - mobile-pentest - OWASP-MASTG - Android-security - iOS-security - mobile-application-security version: 1.0.0 author: mahipal license: Apache-2.0 nist_ai_rmf: - MEASURE-2.7 - MAP-5.1 - MANAGE-2.4 atlas_techniques: - AML.T0070 - AML.T0066 - AML.T0082 nist_csf: - ID.RA-01 - ID.RA-06 - GV.OV-02 - DE.AE-07 mitre_attack: - T1426 - T1409 - T1521.003 - T1633 - T1417 - T1422 --- # Conducting Mobile App Penetration Test ## When to Use - Testing mobile applications before release to identify security vulnerabilities and data protection issues - Conducting compliance assessments against OWASP MASVS (Mobile Application Security Verification Standard) levels L1 and L2 - Evaluating the security of mobile banking, healthcare, or government applications handling sensitive data - Testing mobile apps that interact with backend APIs to assess the end-to-end security of the mobile ecosystem - Assessing mobile application resistance to reverse engineering, tampering, and runtime manipulation **Do not use** against mobile applications without written authorization from the application owner, for distributing modified or repackaged applications, or for testing apps on the public app stores without a separate test build. ## Prerequisites - Target application IPA (iOS) and APK (Android) files or access to download from a private distribution channel - Rooted Android device or emulator (Genymotion, Android Studio AVD) with Frida, Objection, and Magisk installed - Jailbroken iOS device or Corellium virtual device with Frida, Objection, and SSL Kill Switch installed - Static analysis tools: jadx (Android decompilation), Hopper/Ghidra (iOS binary analysis), MobSF (automated scanning) - Burp Suite Professional configured as proxy for intercepting mobile app traffic with CA certificate installed on the test device > **Legal Notice:** This skill is for authorized security testing and educational purposes only. Unauthorized use against systems you do not own or have written permission to test is illegal and may violate computer fraud laws. ## Workflow ### Step 1: Static Analysis Analyze the application binary without executing it: **Android Static Analysis:** - Decompile the APK: `jadx -d output/ target.apk` to obtain Java/Kotlin source code - Review `AndroidManifest.xml` for exported components (activities, services, receivers, content providers), permissions, and debuggable flag - Search for hardcoded secrets: `grep -rn "api_key\|password\|secret\|token\|aws_" output/` - Identify insecure data storage patterns: SharedPreferences with sensitive data, SQLite databases without encryption, files in external storage - Check for WebView vulnerabilities: `setJavaScriptEnabled(true)`, `addJavascriptInterface()`, and loading untrusted content - Run MobSF automated scan: `python manage.py runserver` and upload the APK for automated static analysis **iOS Static Analysis:** - Extract the IPA and locate the Mach-O binary - Use `otool -L ` to list linked frameworks and identify third-party libraries - Analyze with Ghidra or Hopper for hardcoded URLs, API endpoints, and embedded credentials - Check Info.plist for App Transport Security (ATS) exceptions that allow insecure HTTP connections - Review embedded entitlements for excessive capabilities ### Step 2: Network Security Testing Intercept and analyze all network communications: - Configure Burp Suite as proxy on the test device and install the Burp CA certificate - Exercise all application functionality while Burp captures API traffic - **SSL/TLS validation**: Verify the app validates server certificates properly. If the app fails to connect through the proxy, it may implement certificate pinning. - **Certificate pinning bypass**: - Android: Use Frida script: `frida -U -f com.target.app -l ssl-pinning-bypass.js --no-pause` - iOS: Use SSL Kill Switch or Objection: `objection -g "Target App" explore --startup-command "ios sslpinning disable"` - **API traffic analysis**: Review all API calls for: - Sensitive data transmitted without encryption - Authentication tokens in URL parameters (visible in logs) - Excessive data in API responses beyond what the UI displays - Missing or weak authentication on API endpoints - **WebSocket and custom protocols**: Check for non-HTTP communication channels that may bypass standard proxy interception ### Step 3: Data Storage Analysis Test for insecure local data storage: **Android Data Storage:** - Access app data directory: `/data/data/com.target.app/` - Check SharedPreferences XML files for stored credentials, tokens, and PII - Examine SQLite databases: `sqlite3 /data/data/com.target.app/databases/*.db ".dump"` - Check for sensitive data in application logs: `logcat -d | grep -i "password\|token\|key"` - Verify that application data is excluded from backups: `android:allowBackup="false"` in AndroidManifest.xml - Check clipboard for sensitive data leakage **iOS Data Storage:** - Examine the Keychain for stored credentials: `objection -g "Target App" explore` then `ios keychain dump` - Check NSUserDefaults/plist files: `find /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/ -name "*.plist" -exec plutil -p {} \;` - Inspect SQLite databases and Core Data stores for unencrypted sensitive data - Check for data leaking through screenshots (iOS captures screenshots during app backgrounding) - Verify data protection class: sensitive files should use NSFileProtectionComplete ### Step 4: Authentication and Session Management Test mobile-specific authentication controls: - **Biometric bypass**: Test if biometric authentication can be bypassed by hooking the authentication callback with Frida to always return success - **Token storage**: Verify that authentication tokens are stored in the Keychain (iOS) or Android Keystore, not in SharedPreferences or files - **Session timeout**: Verify that sessions expire after a reasonable idle timeout and that tokens are invalidated server-side on logout - **Root/jailbreak detection bypass**: Test if the app detects rooted/jailbroken devices and if the detection can be bypassed with Frida or Magisk Hide - **Deep link abuse**: Test if custom URL schemes or universal links can be used to bypass authentication or access restricted functionality ### Step 5: Runtime Manipulation Test the application's resistance to runtime attacks: - **Frida hooking**: Use Frida to hook and modify application functions at runtime: - Bypass root detection: hook the detection function to return false - Modify return values of authentication checks - Intercept encryption functions to capture plaintext data before encryption - Bypass certificate pinning by hooking SSL verification - **Method swizzling** (iOS): Use Frida to replace Objective-C method implementations - **Intent manipulation** (Android): Send crafted intents to exported components: `adb shell am start -n com.target.app/.InternalActivity -e "user_id" "admin"` - **Tampering detection**: Modify the APK/IPA (add code, change resources), re-sign, and install. Verify whether the app detects tampering. ## Key Concepts | Term | Definition | |------|------------| | **OWASP MASTG** | Mobile Application Security Testing Guide; comprehensive manual for mobile app security testing covering both iOS and Android platforms | | **Certificate Pinning** | A mobile security control that restricts which TLS certificates the app trusts, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks through proxy interception | | **Frida** | Dynamic instrumentation toolkit that allows injection of JavaScript into running processes to hook functions, modify behavior, and bypass security controls | | **Root/Jailbreak Detection** | Application-level checks to detect if the device has been modified to grant root access, typically blocking app usage on compromised devices | | **Android Keystore** | Hardware-backed credential storage on Android that protects cryptographic keys and secrets from extraction even on rooted devices | | **App Transport Security (ATS)** | iOS security feature that enforces HTTPS connections by default; ATS exceptions may indicate insecure network communication | | **Deep Links** | URL schemes that open specific screens within a mobile application, which may bypass normal navigation and authentication flows if not properly validated | ## Tools & Systems - **Frida / Objection**: Dynamic instrumentation tools for hooking functions, bypassing security controls, and manipulating application behavior at runtime - **MobSF (Mobile Security Framework)**: Automated static and dynamic analysis platform for Android and iOS applications - **jadx**: Android decompiler that converts APK bytecode to readable Java source code for manual code review - **Burp Suite Professional**: HTTP proxy for intercepting and modifying mobile app API traffic after bypassing certificate pinning ## Common Scenarios ### Scenario: Mobile Banking Application Security Assessment **Context**: A bank is launching a new mobile banking app for iOS and Android. The app handles account viewing, fund transfers, bill payment, and check deposit. OWASP MASVS L2 compliance is required due to the financial data handled. **Approach**: 1. Static analysis of the Android APK reveals API endpoints, a hardcoded staging server URL, and an AWS API key in a configuration file 2. Certificate pinning is implemented but bypassed with Frida SSL pinning bypass script 3. API traffic analysis reveals that the balance check endpoint returns all account numbers associated with the user, not just the requested account 4. Local data storage analysis finds that the app caches the last 10 transactions in an unencrypted SQLite database 5. Biometric authentication bypass: Frida hook on the biometric callback always returns success, granting access without fingerprint 6. Root detection is present but bypassed with Magisk Hide module, allowing the app to run on a rooted device with full data access **Pitfalls**: - Testing only on an emulator and missing hardware-specific security features (Android Keystore hardware backing, iOS Secure Enclave) - Not testing both iOS and Android versions, as they may have different implementations and different vulnerabilities - Ignoring the backend API security because it was "tested separately" when the mobile app may call API endpoints differently than the web app - Failing to test certificate pinning bypass, resulting in an incomplete network analysis ## Output Format ``` ## Finding: Biometric Authentication Bypass via Frida Instrumentation **ID**: MOB-003 **Severity**: High (CVSS 7.7) **Platform**: Android and iOS **OWASP MASVS**: MASVS-AUTH-2 (Biometric Authentication) **Description**: The mobile banking app's biometric authentication can be bypassed using Frida dynamic instrumentation. The authentication callback function accepts a boolean result from the biometric API, which can be hooked and forced to return true without presenting a valid fingerprint or face scan. **Proof of Concept (Android)**: frida -U -f com.bank.mobileapp -l bypass-biometric.js --no-pause // bypass-biometric.js Java.perform(function() { var BiometricCallback = Java.use("com.bank.mobileapp.auth.BiometricCallback"); BiometricCallback.onAuthenticationSucceeded.implementation = function(result) { console.log("[*] Biometric bypassed"); this.onAuthenticationSucceeded(result); }; }); **Impact**: An attacker with physical access to an unlocked device can bypass biometric authentication and access the victim's bank accounts, initiate transfers, and view financial data without biometric verification. **Remediation**: 1. Implement server-side biometric verification using Android BiometricPrompt CryptoObject tied to a Keystore key 2. Require the biometric operation to decrypt a server-side challenge, making client-side bypass ineffective 3. Add runtime integrity checks to detect Frida and other instrumentation frameworks 4. Implement step-up authentication for high-risk operations (transfers > threshold) ``` --- Source attribution: mukul975 Original project: https://github.com/mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills/blob/54a798831d2266a3ca61ce68a7acb80b81160d57/skills/conducting-mobile-app-penetration-test/SKILL.md License: Apache-2.0 License information: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004 http://www.apache.org/licenses/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION 1. Definitions. "License" shall mean the terms and conditions for use, reproduction, and distribution as defined by Sections 1 through 9 of this document. "Licensor" shall mean the copyright owner or entity authorized by the copyright owner that is granting the License. "Legal Entity" shall mean the union of the acting entity and all other entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common control with that entity. For the purposes of this definition, "control" means (i) the power, direct or indirect, to cause the direction or management of such entity, whether by contract or otherwise, or (ii) ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding shares, or (iii) beneficial ownership of such entity. "You" (or "Your") shall mean an individual or Legal Entity exercising permissions granted by this License. "Source" form shall mean the preferred form for making modifications, including but not limited to software source code, documentation source, and configuration files. "Object" form shall mean any form resulting from mechanical transformation or translation of a Source form, including but not limited to compiled object code, generated documentation, and conversions to other media types. "Work" shall mean the work of authorship, whether in Source or Object form, made available under the License, as indicated by a copyright notice that is included in or attached to the work (an example is provided in the Appendix below). "Derivative Works" shall mean any work, whether in Source or Object form, that is based on (or derived from) the Work and for which the editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications represent, as a whole, an original work of authorship. For the purposes of this License, Derivative Works shall not include works that remain separable from, or merely link (or bind by name) to the interfaces of, the Work and Derivative Works thereof. "Contribution" shall mean any work of authorship, including the original version of the Work and any modifications or additions to that Work or Derivative Works thereof, that is intentionally submitted to the Licensor for inclusion in the Work by the copyright owner or by an individual or Legal Entity authorized to submit on behalf of the copyright owner. For the purposes of this definition, "submitted" means any form of electronic, verbal, or written communication sent to the Licensor or its representatives, including but not limited to communication on electronic mailing lists, source code control systems, and issue tracking systems that are managed by, or on behalf of, the Licensor for the purpose of discussing and improving the Work, but excluding communication that is conspicuously marked or otherwise designated in writing by the copyright owner as "Not a Contribution." "Contributor" shall mean Licensor and any individual or Legal Entity on behalf of whom a Contribution has been received by the Licensor and subsequently incorporated within the Work. 2. Grant of Copyright License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare Derivative Works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute the Work and such Derivative Works in Source or Object form. 3. Grant of Patent License. Subject to the terms and conditions of this License, each Contributor hereby grants to You a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable (except as stated in this section) patent license to make, have made, use, offer to sell, sell, import, and otherwise transfer the Work, where such license applies only to those patent claims licensable by such Contributor that are necessarily infringed by their Contribution(s) alone or by combination of their Contribution(s) with the Work to which such Contribution(s) was submitted. If You institute patent litigation against any entity (including a cross-claim or counterclaim in a lawsuit) alleging that the Work or a Contribution incorporated within the Work constitutes direct or contributory patent infringement, then any patent licenses granted to You under this License for that Work shall terminate as of the date such litigation is filed. 4. Redistribution. You may reproduce and distribute copies of the Work or Derivative Works thereof in any medium, with or without modifications, and in Source or Object form, provided that You meet the following conditions: (a) You must give any other recipients of the Work or Derivative Works a copy of this License; and (b) You must cause any modified files to carry prominent notices stating that You changed the files; and (c) You must retain, in the Source form of any Derivative Works that You distribute, all copyright, patent, trademark, and attribution notices from the Source form of the Work, excluding those notices that do not pertain to any part of the Derivative Works; and (d) If the Work includes a "NOTICE" text file as part of its distribution, then any Derivative Works that You distribute must include a readable copy of the attribution notices contained within such NOTICE file, excluding any notices that do not pertain to any part of the Derivative Works, in at least one of the following places: within a NOTICE text file distributed as part of the Derivative Works; within the Source form or documentation, if provided along with the Derivative Works; or, within a display generated by the Derivative Works, if and wherever such third-party notices normally appear. The contents of the NOTICE file are for informational purposes only and do not modify the License. You may add Your own attribution notices within Derivative Works that You distribute, alongside or as an addendum to the NOTICE text from the Work, provided that such additional attribution notices cannot be construed as modifying the License. You may add Your own copyright statement to Your modifications and may provide additional or different license terms and conditions for use, reproduction, or distribution of Your modifications, or for any such Derivative Works as a whole, provided Your use, reproduction, and distribution of the Work otherwise complies with the conditions stated in this License. 5. Submission of Contributions. Unless You explicitly state otherwise, any Contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in the Work by You to the Licensor shall be under the terms and conditions of this License, without any additional terms or conditions. Notwithstanding the above, nothing herein shall supersede or modify the terms of any separate license agreement you may have executed with Licensor regarding such Contributions. 6. Trademarks. This License does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the Licensor, except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the origin of the Work and reproducing the content of the NOTICE file. 7. Disclaimer of Warranty. Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, Licensor provides the Work (and each Contributor provides its Contributions) on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties or conditions of TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. You are solely responsible for determining the appropriateness of using or redistributing the Work and assume any risks associated with Your exercise of permissions under this License. 8. Limitation of Liability. In no event and under no legal theory, whether in tort (including negligence), contract, or otherwise, unless required by applicable law (such as deliberate and grossly negligent acts) or agreed to in writing, shall any Contributor be liable to You for damages, including any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any character arising as a result of this License or out of the use or inability to use the Work (including but not limited to damages for loss of goodwill, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, or any and all other commercial damages or losses), even if such Contributor has been advised of the possibility of such damages. 9. Accepting Warranty or Additional Liability. While redistributing the Work or Derivative Works thereof, You may choose to offer, and charge a fee for, acceptance of support, warranty, indemnity, or other liability obligations and/or rights consistent with this License. However, in accepting such obligations, You may act only on Your own behalf and on Your sole responsibility, not on behalf of any other Contributor, and only if You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold each Contributor harmless for any liability incurred by, or claims asserted against, such Contributor by reason of your accepting any such warranty or additional liability. END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPENDIX: How to apply the Apache License to your work. To apply the Apache License to your work, attach the following boilerplate notice, with the fields enclosed by brackets "[]" replaced with your own identifying information. (Don't include the brackets!) The text should be enclosed in the appropriate comment syntax for the file format. Please do not remove or change the license header comment from a contributed file except when necessary. Copyright 2026 mukul975 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: mukul975 Original project: https://github.com/mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills/blob/54a798831d2266a3ca61ce68a7acb80b81160d57/skills/conducting-mobile-app-penetration-test/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Development & Engineering Roles: Mobile Developer, QA / Test Engineer, Security Engineer Specialties: Mobile, Testing Tools: Burp Suite, Ghidra, Jadx, Mobsf Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 88e772bdee5f51ab9dfef446d64f8c9930838e4623d84cebd91b7795ee4bfef8