A Guide to OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide

The OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) is a free, comprehensive, open-source guide that provides a standardized methodology and roadmap for security testing of mobile applications. In this blog, we’ll delve into what MASTG is, its importance, and how it serves as an invaluable resource for developers, security testers, and professionals in the mobile app industry.

A Guide to OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG)

Introduction

In today’s digital age, mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives, they are everywhere offering convenience and functionality at our fingertips. We use them for banking, shopping, social media, and countless other tasks. However, with this convenience comes the critical responsibility of ensuring the security of these applications. This is where the OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) comes into play. In this blog, we’ll delve into what MASTG is, its importance, and how it serves as an invaluable resource for developers, security testers, and professionals in the mobile app industry.

What is OWASP MASTG?

The OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) is a free, comprehensive, open-source guide that provides a standardized methodology and roadmap for security testing of mobile applications. It is part of the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) suite of resources dedicated to improving the security of software. Developed by security experts, it outlines the processes and techniques needed to identify and address vulnerabilities in mobile apps.

Objectives of MASTG

Level of Security Testing : MASTG provides a playbook for mobile app security testing. This ensures everyone involved uses the same methods, catching all the weak spots in a systematic way. Imagine it as a security checklist for mobile apps.
For Building Security : MASTG educates developers and security professionals. It dives deep into mobile app security and teaches the best practices. This empowers developers to create secure apps from the start.
Built-In Security : MASTG promotes the use of industry-standard security measures throughout the mobile app development lifecycle. Following these guidelines helps developers build security in from the beginning, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities later.

Structure of MASTG

1. Introduction

Overview: Introduction to the guide, its purpose, and its target audience.
Scope: Defines the scope of the guide and what it aims to cover.
Mobile Threat Model: An overview of common threats to mobile applications.

2. Mobile App Security Testing

General Requirements: Basic principles and requirements for mobile app security testing.
Testing Process: Detailed methodology for conducting security tests on mobile applications.
Testing Techniques: Various techniques for testing, including static analysis, dynamic analysis, and reverse engineering.

3. Security Testing Categories

Testing on Android: Specific guidelines and test cases for Android applications.
Testing on iOS: Specific guidelines and test cases for iOS applications.
Network Communication: Testing the security of data in transit.
Data Storage: Ensuring secure data storage practices.
Authentication and Authorization: Verifying the security of authentication and authorization mechanisms.
Cryptography: Assessing the implementation of cryptographic functions.
Platform Interaction: Testing the interactions between the app and the mobile operating system.
Code Quality and Exploit Mitigation: Ensuring code quality and implementing mitigations against exploits.

4. Testing Guide for Android

Static Analysis: Analyzing the source code and binaries for vulnerabilities without executing the program.
Dynamic Analysis: Testing the application in a running state to identify vulnerabilities.
Reverse Engineering and Tampering: Techniques for reverse engineering the application and testing its resistance to tampering.

5. Testing Guide for iOS

Static Analysis: Analyzing iOS applications’ source code and binaries.
Dynamic Analysis: Testing iOS applications in a running state.
Reverse Engineering and Tampering: Techniques for reverse engineering and testing iOS apps for tampering resistance.

6. Additional Testing Techniques

Penetration Testing: Conducting penetration tests to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
Tools and Resources: A list of recommended tools and resources for mobile app security testing.

Key Areas Of Focus

1. Authentication and Authorization
- Securing user logins and access controls within the app.
- Implement strong authentication mechanisms to verify user identities and restrict access to sensitive features based on user permissions.
2. Data Storage
- Protecting confidential information stored on the user’s device.
- Provide guidance on using secure storage mechanisms and encryption techniques to safeguard sensitive data, such as passwords, financial details, or private messages.
3. Network Communication
- Securing the data flow between the mobile app and backend servers.
- Offer best practices for encrypting data in transit, using secure communication protocols, and validating server authenticity to prevent data breaches or man-in-the-middle attacks.
4. Cryptography
- Properly using encryption techniques to protect sensitive data within the app.
- Emphasize the importance of choosing robust encryption algorithms and using them securely to render data unreadable to unauthorized individuals.
5. Code Quality
- Writing clean and secure code to prevent vulnerabilities.
- Cover secure coding practices, common coding mistakes to avoid, and code review techniques to identify and fix potential security weaknesses.
6. Reverse Engineering and Tampering
- Protecting the app from reverse engineering or tampering.
- Include techniques to obfuscate the app’s code, making it harder to understand and exploit vulnerabilities, as well as implementing anti-tampering measures to detect and prevent unauthorized modifications.

Practical Guidance in MASTG

Hands-on Security Testing: Forget theory lessons! MASTG dives right in with step-by-step instructions that guide you through conducting various security tests on your mobile app.

Security in Action: Real-world examples and case studies bring the concepts to life. See how security vulnerabilities have played out in real apps, allowing you to learn from past mistakes and strengthen your own app’s defenses.

Your Mobile App Security Roadmap: Instead of overwhelming you with a laundry list, MASTG provides a clear structure with each section building upon the previous one. This ensures you follow a logical approach to comprehensively assess your mobile app’s security.

Community and Contributions

One of the most significant advantages of MASTG is that it is an open-source project. This means it benefits from contributions from a global community of security experts and developers. It is regularly updated to reflect the latest security trends and emerging threats, ensuring it remains a relevant and reliable resource.

Yes, having a basic understanding of programming languages and authentication concepts is highly beneficial, and often necessary, for QA professionals involved in testing the security of mobile applications. Here’s why:

1. Understanding Code and Security Vulnerabilities

Programming Knowledge: Understanding programming languages (such as Java, Swift, Kotlin, or Objective-C) helps QA testers read and understand the code. This knowledge is crucial for identifying potential security vulnerabilities such as injection flaws, insecure data handling, or improper error handling.
Security Concepts: Familiarity with security concepts and mechanisms, such as encryption, hashing, and secure data storage, enables testers to recognize where these practices should be applied and whether they are correctly implemented.

2. Authentication and Authorization Testing

Authentication Basics: QA testers need to understand how authentication mechanisms work, including user login flows, session management, and token-based authentication. This knowledge helps them test the robustness of authentication processes, ensuring they prevent unauthorized access.
Authorization Principles: Understanding role-based access control (RBAC) or other authorization frameworks allows testers to verify that users can only access features and data appropriate for their role.

3. Tools and Techniques

Security Testing Tools: Many security testing tools require some level of programming knowledge to set up and use effectively. For instance, tools for static code analysis or dynamic application security testing (DAST) may require scripting or customization.
Automation and Scripting: Automation can enhance the efficiency and thoroughness of security testing. Knowing scripting languages (like Python or JavaScript) enables testers to write automated scripts for tasks like penetration testing, data validation, or repetitive test scenarios.

4. Communication with Development Teams

Technical Communication: A basic understanding of programming and technical concepts helps QA testers communicate effectively with developers and security teams. This is crucial for discussing identified vulnerabilities, suggesting mitigations, and understanding the technical implications of security issues.

5. Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Staying Updated: Security is a constantly evolving field. Understanding programming and security basics makes it easier for QA testers to stay updated with new vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and security best practices.

Summary

While not every QA tester needs to be an expert programmer, having a foundational understanding of programming languages and authentication mechanisms is highly advantageous. It enables testers to perform more thorough and effective security testing, identify and understand vulnerabilities, and communicate more effectively with other technical teams. This knowledge ultimately leads to more secure and robust mobile applications.

Specific Tools and How to Use Them

MobSF (Mobile Security Framework):
- Usage: Upload the APK/IPA file to the MobSF web interface. It will automatically analyze the app and provide a report on potential security issues.
- Features: Identifies insecure coding practices, checks for hard coded secrets, and reviews permissions.
OWASP ZAP:
- Usage: Set up ZAP as a proxy on your device. Use the mobile app as usual while ZAP intercepts and logs all HTTP/HTTPS traffic. Analyze this traffic for vulnerabilities.
- Features: Scans for common vulnerabilities, tests SSL/TLS implementation, and performs fuzz testing.
Burp Suite:
- Usage: Similar to ZAP, Burp Suite is set as a proxy. It offers more advanced features like intruder for automating attacks and repeater for manipulating and resending requests.
- Features: Detailed analysis of HTTP/HTTPS requests and responses, automated vulnerability scanning, and custom scripting through the Burp Extender API.
QARK:
- Usage: Install and run QARK against the APK file. It provides a detailed report of security issues specific to Android applications.

Features: Identifies issues like insecure code practices, data leakage risks, and incorrect use of cryptographic APIs.

Trust and Worth

Our Customers

We are having a diversified portfolio and serving customers in the domains namely Sports Management, Online Laundry System, Matrimonial, US Mortgage, EdTech and so on.