Mobile App Exposure

5 automated security scanners

APK Metadata Harvesting

Purpose: The APK Metadata Harvesting Scanner is designed to identify potential security risks and unauthorized access points by detecting developer emails, test backends, internal server names embedded in APK metadata. This helps organizations ensure their applications are secure and comply with best practices for data protection.

What It Detects:

Developer Emails: Identifies email addresses of developers or support teams within the APK metadata.
Test Backends: Discovers URLs pointing to test environments or staging servers.
Internal Server Names: Detects internal server names that could be used for unauthorized access.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): Primary domain to analyze (e.g., acme.com)
app_identifier (string): Unique identifier for the APK (e.g., com.example.app)

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial as it helps in identifying potential points of unauthorized access and insecure configurations within mobile applications, which could lead to data breaches or other security incidents. It supports proactive security measures by providing insights into the internal workings and possible vulnerabilities of the application.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Identifies outdated TLS protocols (e.g., TLSv1.0, TLSv1.1) and weak cipher suites (e.g., RC4, DES, MD5).
High: Discovers test backend URLs that may expose sensitive information or be used for unauthorized access.
Medium: Detects internal server names that could potentially be misused for internal communication without proper authorization checks.
Low: Emphasizes the importance of regular updates to ensure security headers and TLS configurations are up-to-date, which can mitigate potential risks associated with outdated protocols and weak cipher suites.
Info: Provides informational findings on developer emails that could be used for legitimate communication but highlights the need for a secure email policy to prevent unauthorized access through metadata.

Example Findings:

A test backend URL discovered in the APK metadata exposes sensitive information about internal testing environments, posing a high risk of unauthorized access if not properly secured.
Weak cipher suites and outdated TLS protocols identified during SSL inspection could lead to vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit to gain unauthorized entry into system components or data storage areas.

Mobile SDK Supply Chain

Purpose: The Mobile SDK Supply Chain Scanner is designed to enhance the security of mobile applications by identifying unauthorized SDKs and vulnerabilities in third-party libraries. It aims to prevent unauthorized code execution and mitigate risks associated with compromised dependencies, ensuring the integrity and safety of partner apps.

What It Detects:

Injected SDK Detection: Identifies unauthorized or suspicious SDKs integrated into partner apps, checking for known malicious SDK signatures and patterns within app binaries.
Third-Party Library Vulnerabilities: Scans for vulnerabilities in third-party libraries used by the app, matching library versions against known CVE databases to identify security flaws.
Security Headers Analysis: Evaluates HTTP security headers such as Strict-Transport-Security, Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options for proper configuration.
TLS/SSL Inspection: Analyzes SSL/TLS configurations to ensure the use of secure protocols and cipher suites, detecting outdated or insecure TLS versions like TLSv1.0, TLSv1.1, and weak ciphers such as RC4, DES, and MD5.
DNS Record Validation: Verifies DNS records for security best practices including SPF, DMARC, DKIM, CAA, and NS configurations, ensuring proper setup of TXT, MX, and other relevant DNS records to prevent spoofing and unauthorized access.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): Primary domain to analyze (e.g., acme.com)
app_identifier (string): Unique identifier for the app (e.g., com.acme.app)

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of mobile applications by proactively detecting potential threats from unauthorized SDKs and vulnerable third-party libraries, which could lead to data breaches or other significant security incidents.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions that directly compromise application functionality or security, such as detection of known malicious SDK signatures in critical areas of the app.
High: Conditions that significantly increase risk but do not necessarily compromise application functionality, such as presence of vulnerable third-party libraries with unpatched vulnerabilities.
Medium: Conditions that indicate potential risks but can be mitigated through configuration adjustments or updates, such as misconfigurations in security headers.
Low: Informative findings that provide context but generally pose minimal risk, such as the detection of outdated TLS versions not commonly exploited.
Info: Non-critical issues that do not directly affect application security but are important for operational and compliance purposes, like minor misconfigurations in DNS records.

Example Findings:

A critical finding might be the identification of a malicious SDK injected into an app, potentially compromising data integrity or enabling unauthorized access.
A high risk finding could be the detection of a third-party library with multiple known vulnerabilities that are actively exploited in the wild, requiring immediate attention to patch or replace the library.

Google Play Console Misconfig

Purpose: The Google Play Console Misconfiguration Scanner is designed to identify potential security vulnerabilities in mobile applications by analyzing configurations on the Google Play Console. This tool helps detect early release exposure, access control leaks, and test account disclosure, which could lead to unauthorized access and data leakage.

What It Detects:

Early Release Exposure: Identifies apps with open testing tracks that may expose unfinished features to unauthorized users.
Access Control Leaks: Scans for misconfigured permissions and access controls that could allow unauthorized access to internal APIs or services linked to the app.
Test Account Disclosure: Detects leaked test accounts, API keys, or sensitive information in app descriptions or changelogs, which could lead to malicious use.
Security Headers Analysis: Examines HTTP security headers for vulnerabilities such as missing Strict-Transport-Security, Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
TLS/SSL Inspection: Inspects SSL/TLS configurations to identify weak cipher suites, outdated protocol versions (e.g., TLSv1.0, TLSv1.1), and other vulnerabilities.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): The primary domain associated with the mobile application, which helps in analyzing app permissions and access controls on Google Play Console.
app_identifier (string): The unique identifier of the app on Google Play Console, used to fetch specific details for analysis.

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial as it helps organizations proactively identify misconfigurations that could be exploited by malicious actors, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, and reputational damage. Security vulnerabilities detected can significantly impact an organization’s security posture and compliance with regulatory standards such as GDPR or HIPAA.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions where the app is publicly accessible without proper authentication mechanisms, exposing sensitive information directly through APIs or internal services.
High: Presence of misconfigured permissions that allow excessive access to user data or system resources.
Medium: Weak security headers allowing for potential attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS) or clickjacking.
Low: Minimal impact findings, typically related to outdated TLS configurations or minor permission issues.
Info: Informal findings that do not directly affect the app’s functionality but could be indicative of broader security practices needing improvement across multiple apps in a portfolio.

If specific risk levels are not defined in the README, they have been inferred based on typical severity assessments for misconfiguration scanners.

Example Findings:

An application with an open testing track that allows access to beta features without proper authentication, posing a significant risk of unauthorized exposure.
A mobile app using weak cipher suites and outdated TLS protocols, which could be exploited by attackers to intercept sensitive data during transmission.

App Screenshot Intelligence

Purpose: The App Screenshot Intelligence Scanner is designed to identify sensitive information that may be inadvertently shared through publicly available images of mobile applications. It analyzes app screenshots to detect UI exposure, reveal hidden features, and uncover internal system details such as server addresses and API endpoints. This tool helps in safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

What It Detects:

UI Exposure: Detects visible user interface elements that may reveal application functionality or data, including login screens and dashboard views.
Feature Revelation: Reveals hidden features or functionalities within the app screenshots, such as promotional content, beta features, or experimental modules.
Internal Systems: Identifies internal system details like server addresses, API endpoints, or configuration screens that could expose sensitive information.
Sensitive Data Exposure: Scans for the presence of sensitive data in screenshots, including personal identifiable information (PII), financial data, and confidential business information.
Security Vulnerabilities: Identifies potential security vulnerabilities through visible indicators such as outdated software versions, unsecured network connections, or misconfigurations.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): Primary domain to analyze (e.g., acme.com)
app_identifier (string): Unique identifier for the mobile application (e.g., com.acme.app)

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial for organizations aiming to protect their sensitive information from unauthorized exposure. By identifying and mitigating risks associated with UI elements, hidden features, and internal systems, it helps in maintaining a secure digital environment that adheres to privacy standards and regulations.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions where the scanner detects highly sensitive data or critical vulnerabilities that could lead to immediate security breaches.
High: Conditions where the scanner identifies potential threats such as unsecured network connections or outdated software versions on critical interfaces.
Medium: Conditions where the scanner flags areas of improvement in terms of UI design and feature management, which still pose a risk but are less severe than those marked as high.
Low: Conditions where minor security issues or informational findings do not significantly impact the overall security posture.
Info: Conditions where the scanner provides general insights that enhance understanding of the application’s public presentation without immediate threat.

Example Findings:

A login screen in a screenshot reveals fields for username and password, indicating potential exposure of sensitive authentication data.
Hidden promotional content within an app suggests possible unauthorized promotion or undisclosed features, which could lead to regulatory non-compliance if not properly managed.

App Store Optimization Leakage

Purpose: The App Store Optimization Leakage Scanner is designed to identify and alert users about potential risks associated with hidden keywords in app store listings that could disclose internal processes, reveal target markets, or expose competitive intelligence. This tool helps ensure the security and privacy of sensitive information within digital products by detecting unauthorized disclosures through app store metadata analysis.

What It Detects:

Keyword Disclosure: Identifies concealed technical terms in the app description which may suggest vulnerabilities or internal processes that could be exploited by competitors.
Target Market Revelation: Analyzes language used to describe the intended audience and market positioning, potentially revealing sensitive information about customer segments or business strategies.
Competitor Intelligence: Uncovers mentions of other products or services within the listing, providing insights into competitive advantages and potential weaknesses in comparison.
Security Headers Analysis: Examines HTTP security headers for proper configuration to safeguard against common vulnerabilities such as outdated protocols and weak cipher suites.
TLS/SSL Inspection: Assesses SSL/TLS configurations for using outdated encryption standards or vulnerable ciphers, ensuring robust protection of data transmitted over the network.

Inputs Required:

domain (string): The domain name of the app store listing where the analysis should be performed.
app_identifier (string): A unique identifier used to locate the specific application in the app store database.

Business Impact: This scanner is crucial for maintaining a secure digital footprint and protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access by competitors or malicious actors. It helps organizations adhere to best practices for securing their software products, reducing the risk of data breaches and intellectual property theft.

Risk Levels:

Critical: Conditions that directly lead to severe vulnerabilities in application security, such as undisclosed keywords related to internal processes or product weaknesses, can be critical if disclosed to competitors.
High: Revealing specific customer segments or business strategies through target market descriptions is a high risk, as it could lead to competitive disadvantages and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Medium: Issues with security headers and TLS configurations pose medium risks by potentially allowing eavesdropping or manipulation of data exchanged between the app and its users.
Low: While less severe, informational findings such as specific technical terms that do not directly compromise application integrity can still be considered low risk if they are part of a broader pattern indicating internal development status.

Example Findings:

The app description contains hidden keywords like “internal testing” and “development version,” which could indicate ongoing development processes potentially exposing vulnerabilities or unauthorized access to sensitive data.
A competitor is mentioned in the app store listing, suggesting potential market competition and strategic implications for business decisions related to product positioning and marketing efforts.