Complete Guide
⚡ Intermediate

Mobile Security

Mobile application security testing involves analyzing the application binary (static analysis), interacting with the running application (dynamic analysis), and intercepting network traffic.

Mobile Pentesting Methodology

🔍

1. Reconnaissance

App Store, Permissions, Architecture

📦

2. Static Analysis

Decompile, Code Review, Secrets

⚡

3. Dynamic Analysis

Frida, Runtime Hooking, Bypass

🌐

4. Network Analysis

Proxy, SSL Pinning, API Testing

💾

5. Data Storage

Keychain, SharedPrefs, SQLite

What You'll Learn

  • APK/IPA static analysis
  • Dynamic instrumentation with Frida
  • Root/jailbreak detection bypass
  • SSL/TLS pinning bypass
  • Insecure data storage attacks
  • IPC and deep link exploitation
  • Biometric authentication bypass
  • Cross-platform framework testing

Platforms

🤖

Android

APK analysis, decompilation, root detection bypass, and dynamic instrumentation.

🍎

iOS

IPA decryption, Objective-C/Swift analysis, keychain dumping, and Frida hooking.

Advanced Topics

🔐

Certificate Pinning

SSL/TLS pinning bypass techniques
💾

Local Storage

Insecure data storage vulnerabilities
📡

IPC Attacks

Intent, deep links, URL schemes
👆

Biometric Bypass

Fingerprint & Face ID attacks
⚛️

Cross-Platform

Flutter, React Native, Xamarin

Data Storage Locations

Storage Type Android iOS Risk Level
Secure Storage Android Keystore Keychain Services Low
Preferences SharedPreferences NSUserDefaults Medium
Database SQLite / Room Core Data / SQLite Medium
Files /data/data/app/files/ Documents/Library Medium
External Storage /sdcard/ N/A High
Cache /data/data/app/cache/ Caches/ High
Logs logcat Console.app High

Quick Setup

Testing Environment

For Android, use an emulator with Google Play or a rooted physical device. For iOS, a jailbroken device is required for full dynamic analysis capabilities.

Android Setup

bash 
# Install core tools
pip install frida-tools objection

# Start emulator with writable system
emulator -avd Pixel_API_30 -writable-system

# Push Frida server
adb push frida-server /data/local/tmp/
adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/frida-server
adb shell /data/local/tmp/frida-server &

iOS Setup

bash 
# Install tools (macOS)
brew install libimobiledevice ideviceinstaller

# On jailbroken device, add Frida repo:
# https://build.frida.re

# Connect and verify
idevice_id -l
frida-ps -U

OWASP Mobile Top 10

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

Cross-Platform Tools

Frida

Instrumentation
Docs

Dynamic instrumentation toolkit for developers, reverse-engineers, and security researchers.

Installation

bash 
pip install frida-tools

Objection

Instrumentation
Docs

A runtime mobile exploration toolkit, powered by Frida.

Installation

bash 
pip install objection

MobSF

Analysis
Docs

Mobile Security Framework - automated all-in-one mobile application pen-testing framework.

Installation

bash 
docker run -p 8000:8000 opensecurity/mobile-security-framework-mobsf

Burp Suite

Proxy
Docs

The standard for intercepting and modifying HTTP/HTTPS traffic from mobile apps.

Installation

bash 
# Download from website

Drozer

Android
Docs

Comprehensive security assessment framework for Android. Test IPC endpoints and content providers.

Installation

bash 
pip install drozer

Ghidra

Reverse Engineering
Docs

NSA's software reverse engineering framework. Excellent for native library analysis.

Installation

bash 
# Download from website

Legal Disclaimer

Only test mobile applications you own, have developed, or have explicit written authorization to test. Reverse engineering apps may violate terms of service. Always get proper authorization before testing.

Related Topics

Web Application Pentesting

API Pentesting

Burp Suite Cheatsheet

OSINT Techniques