What is mobile application security testings (MAST)?

The computing power of mobile devices continues to surge, and businesses and individuals increasingly rely on mobile applications for essential productivity tasks. These tasks often handle sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), and financial data. Naturally, this makes mobile applications a lucrative target for adversaries, which means that strong mobile security is more important now than ever before.

Mobile application security testing (MAST) is a security testing technique that focuses on safeguarding mobile applications from a range of threats. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into MAST, looking at common mobile-specific vulnerabilities, risks, and challenges. Then, we’ll discuss key components of MAST and security testing best practices. 

Common mobile application vulnerabilities

Understanding the most prevalent forms of vulnerabilities allows you to secure your mobile applications against them. These vulnerabilities include:

• Insecure data storage: It’s not uncommon for a mobile application to store data on the mobile device. However, when this data is sensitive and it is stored insecurely, this opens the door to potential sensitive data exposure.
• Weak encryption: When storing and transmitting sensitive data, data encryption is critical. Using a poor encryption scheme or not using encryption at all can lead to a data breach.
• Insecure communication: Most mobile apps make requests over the network to APIs to fetch dynamic or personalized content. Requests made over insecure networks or using unencrypted protocols are susceptible to sensitive data leaks or unauthorized access. 
• Poor session management: Session management is crucial to preventing unauthorized access or impersonation attacks. Insecure token storage or long session timeouts increase the risk of session hijacking or account takeover.
• Software supply chain vulnerabilities: Mobile applications often rely on third-party libraries to provide additional functionality to users. Misconfigurations or security flaws in third-party libraries can expose a mobile application to additional security vulnerabilities.

Mobile-specific risks and challenges

Mobile platforms are dynamic environments. Devices run operating system (OS) versions customized by various manufacturers and a range of app versions. As a result, mobile applications face unique security risks and challenges:

1. Platform fragmentation

Applications need to operate across both iOS and Android devices, and each OS has its own security, permission, and storage mechanisms. Android is further fragmented due to the presence of several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that offer their own flavor of the Android OS, leading to inconsistencies. This fragmentation makes it challenging for application developers to ensure uniform protection across all devices.

2. App store risks

The Google Play Store and Apple App Store have several security protocols and checks in place to ensure the safety and authenticity of apps. However, organizations might distribute their apps through other channels, including third-party stores, which don’t provide the same level of security. Apps downloaded through these channels are susceptible to tampering, as attackers upload malicious versions that closely resemble the original app.

3. Bring your own device (BYOD)

Several organizations allow their employees to use their personal devices for work applications, exposing sensitive company data to less controlled environments. These devices often lack enterprise-grade security controls, which can increase the risk of unauthorized access, data leaks, and device compromise.

Key components of MAST

MAST focuses on several aspects of security testing to identify and address security vulnerabilities at various stages of mobile app development and deployment: 

• Static application security testing (SAST) analyzes the source code for security vulnerabilities before it is executed or deployed to any environment. It helps identify security flaws, code vulnerabilities, and compliance gaps early in the development cycle.
• Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is a security testing approach that focuses on executable code under real-world conditions. It tests the application during runtime to detect vulnerabilities, such as those listed in the OWASP Top Ten, cross-site scripting (XSS), XML external entity (XXE) vulnerabilities, and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
• Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks on the application to discover vulnerabilities. For mobile applications, penetration testing can help identify issues that automated tests may overlook, such as insecure data storage, authentication, leaked secrets, or network communication.
• Interactive application security testing (IAST) is a hybrid approach that focuses on testing both the source code and the runtime. It combines the complementary approaches of SAST and DAST to identify issues like insecure coding practices, unhandled exceptions, and weak authentication mechanisms.

Best practices for MAST

Adopting MAST best practices ensures that application security is top of mind throughout every stage of the app’s life cycle, from development to distribution. Let’s look at several MAST best practices:

• Shift-left security approach: Security testing should be incorporated early in the application development life cycle so teams can quickly detect issues. SAST can help discover issues earlier, reducing the cost and time required to fix them later.
• Continuous testing and monitoring: Testing should be integrated at every step of the application life cycle, including development, deployment, and distribution. When applications are deployed, usage should be monitored to quickly detect and address security flaws that have slipped into production.
• DevSecOps integration: Integrating MAST into the existing DevSecOps workflow helps ensure application security remains a continuous focus for teams. Seamless integration enables secure app development throughout its life cycle.
• Secure coding practices: Fostering coding best practices within teams results in more consistent input validation and helps minimize security risks.
• Comprehensive testing: Teams should integrate security testing tools such as SAST, DAST, IAST, and penetration testing to ensure comprehensive coverage of both source code and runtime environments.
• Testing third-party libraries and frameworks: Set up and adopt a comprehensive audit and evaluation process to assess third-party libraries for vulnerabilities. Regular audits ensure that these components don’t become a weak link in your application’s security.
• User privacy and compliance checks: Regular audits and scans must be conducted using MAST to help ensure that applications comply with data protection regulations. These checks also safeguard user data from unauthorized access. 
• Automated testing: In addition to manual security testing, automated application testing provides rapid feedback and helps catch vulnerabilities throughout development cycles while increasing development velocity.
• Vulnerability scanning and threat modeling: Using threat modeling for prediction and mitigation of potential attack vectors is a proactive approach to mobile application security that enables teams to keep their system secure.

Protect your mobile applications with CrowdStrike

Mobile application security should be the single biggest priority for mobile app development teams in their pursuit of protecting user data and privacy. MAST enables organizations to develop robust security practices by providing tools such as SAST, DAST, and IAST that can help ensure comprehensive mobile app security.

CrowdStrike Falcon® for Mobile offers advanced protection for Android and iOS devices, securing them against threats such as malware, network disruptions, and unauthorized access. With advanced features such as automated threat response, detection of hidden threats, and zero-touch enrollment, Falcon for Mobile enables comprehensive real-time monitoring of mobile devices. 

Get started with a free trial of the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform today.