OWASP Top 10- Mobile Risks (PART- 2)

Hey, readers! Hope you’ve all understood the top 5 vulnerabilities from our last blog. Now, gear up for the Part 2 of the OWASP Top 10 mobile risks. We’re digging deeper into the rabbit hole, so get ready!

Here is the link for previous Top 5 Vulnerabilities.

M6: Inadequate Privacy?Controls

Application-specific privacy controls aim to safeguard Personally Identifiable Information (PII), like names, addresses, credit card details, email and IP addresses, and sensitive data on health, religion, sexuality, and political opinions.

This info is valuable because attackers can steal your identity and commit fraud, misuse your financial information, blackmail you, damage your data.

Common issues which leading to Inadequate Privacy Controls:

1. Exposed PII: Apps often collect personal information (IP address, usage logs, etc.) and might be vulnerable if this data isn’t stored or transmitted securely.
2. Weak Authentication: Apps may lack strong authentication and authorization controls, allowing unauthorized access to user data.
3. Insecure Storage: Sensitive data like accounts, payment info, or location might be stored in a way that makes it vulnerable to breaches.
4. Unsecured Communication: Communication between the app and servers might be unencrypted, allowing attackers to intercept data.
5. Insider Threats: Malicious actors within the app’s development or deployment environment could access and steal user data.

Preventive Measures:

1. Limit Information Gathering: Only collect essential Personally Identifiable Information (PII). For instance, if your app doesn’t need users’ exact birthdates, don’t request that data.
2. Smart Data Techniques: Use clever strategies to handle data. Instead of pinpointing users’ exact locations, consider utilizing broader location data if it serves the purpose. This reduces the sensitivity of the information.
3. Time-bound Data: Establish rules for how long you retain user data. For example, keep health-related data for only a specific timeframe, like the past week. This minimizes the impact if a security breach occurs.
4. User Permission: Let users decide. Offer optional services that require extra data but ensure users are fully aware of the trade-off. For instance, users could consent to share additional information for a more personalized app experience.
5. Secure Data Handling: Only store or transfer crucial user data when absolutely necessary. Implement strong security measures, like encryption and access controls. For instance, encrypt health data and store the encryption key in a secure location, making it harder for attackers to access sensitive information even if they breach certain security layers.

M7: Insufficient Binary Protections

Attackers go after app binaries for a few key reasons:

1. Secrets in the Code: App binaries often hide valuable secrets like commercial API keys or secret codes for encryption. Hackers can exploit these secrets for their gain.
2. Valuable Code: The code inside the app binary can be valuable by itself, containing important business logic or AI models. Attackers might want to steal or manipulate this code for various purposes.
3. Weakness Discovery: Sometimes, attackers don’t target the app directly but use it to find weaknesses in the backend systems. This helps them plan bigger attacks.

Attack Methods:

1. Reverse Engineering: Attackers take apart the app binary to find secrets or vulnerabilities hidden inside.
2. Code Manipulation: Hackers manipulate the app code to get free access to premium features or to insert harmful code. They might even repackage the app with their modifications and distribute it through unofficial channels, tricking unsuspecting users into downloading malicious versions.

Common Issues Leading to Binary Attack Vulnerabilities:

1. Hardcoded Secrets: Storing sensitive data or cryptographic secrets directly in the app binary makes it susceptible to attacks. Attackers can easily extract these secrets through reverse engineering.
2. Lack of Obfuscation: Without obfuscation techniques, the app’s code and logic are more transparent to attackers. Obfuscation makes it challenging for them to understand and manipulate the code.
3. Inadequate Data Protection: Apps that handle sensitive data without proper encryption or protection mechanisms are more prone to binary attacks. Without secure handling, attackers can easily exploit vulnerabilities.
4. Popularity of the App: Popular apps are more attractive targets for attackers. The larger user base increases the potential impact of a successful attack, making it worthwhile for malicious actors.
5. Insufficient Protective Measures: Apps without additional protective measures, such as obfuscation or encoding secrets in native code, are more vulnerable. While these measures don’t guarantee complete immunity, they significantly raise the bar for attackers.

Preventive Measures:

1. Code Obfuscation: Utilize obfuscation techniques to make the app binary incomprehensible to attackers. Obfuscation tools, both free and commercial, can help obscure critical code and make reverse engineering more challenging.
2. Native Compilation and Interpreters: Compile parts of the app natively (for iOS and Android) or use interpreters to increase the complexity of the codebase. This approach adds another layer of difficulty for attackers, as many decompiling tools are optimized for specific languages and binary formats.
3. Backend Security Checks: Enforce security checks at both the app and backend levels. Ensure that critical operations, like accessing protected features or resources, require verification from both ends. This prevents attackers from bypassing security measures solely within the app.
4. Integrity Checks and Reporting: Implement integrity checks within the app to detect tampering or redistribution attempts. If unauthorized modifications are detected, automatically report these incidents and take action to remove unauthorized copies from app stores before they spread widely. Utilize specialized companies that support this process for enhanced efficiency.

M8: Security Misconfiguration

Imagine your phone apps are like houses, and your data is the treasure you keep inside. Security misconfigurations are basically mistakes in how these houses are built and secured.

Common issues which leading to security misconfigurations:

1. Insecure default settings: Some apps come with basic locks that are easy to pick (weak security settings). This makes it simple for someone to break in and steal your data.
2. Improper access controls: An app might not have proper security measures to check who’s trying to enter (access controls). This allows anyone to walk in and take what they want (unauthorized access).
3. Weak encryption/hashing: If an app stores your data like passwords in a way that’s easy to guess, it’s like hiding them under a rug?—?anyone can find them!
4. Lack of secure communication: Imagine your app talks to other systems to get information. If those conversations aren’t private (like using secure protocols), someone might eavesdrop and steal what’s being said (data).
5. Misconfigured session management: Some apps might have flaws in how they keep track of who’s logged in (session management). This could allow someone to pretend to be you and access your data (session hijacking).

Preventive Measures:

1. Implement Secure Defaults: Don’t rely on the app’s built-in, weak security settings. Make sure only necessary permissions are enabled, and sensitive data isn’t exposed by default.
2. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege: Only ask for the permissions your app absolutely needs to function. Don’t request excessive access that could be exploited.
3. Secure Your Network Communication: Ensure all communication between your app and other systems is encrypted using strong protocols like SSL/TLS. This prevents eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
4. Store Data Securely: Don’t store sensitive information like passwords or API keys in plain text or weakly encrypted formats. Implement strong encryption methods to make it difficult for attackers to access this data.
5. Minimize Attack Surface: Only allow access to features and functionalities that your app genuinely needs. This reduces the number of entry points that attackers can potentially exploit. This includes; disabling debugging features in the final released app, disabling backup mode on Android devices (if applicable) to prevent sensitive app data from being backed up.

M9: Insecure Data?Storage

Inadequate data storage within a mobile application can invite various threat actors with intentions to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. These actors include skilled adversaries targeting mobile apps to extract valuable data, malicious insiders within the organization or app development team misusing their privileges, state-sponsored entities conducting cyber espionage, cybercriminals seeking financial gain through data theft or ransom, script kiddies utilizing pre-built tools for simple attacks, data brokers aiming to exploit insecure storage for selling personal information, competitors and industrial spies striving to gain a competitive edge, and activists or hacktivists with ideological motives.

Common issues which leading to Insecure data?storage:

1. Lack of Access Controls: If the app doesn’t properly control who can see your data, anyone might be able to peek in.
2. Inadequate Encryption: If your information isn’t scrambled like a secret code, someone could steal it if they break into the app.
3. Unintentional Data Exposure: The app might accidentally reveal your secrets through error messages or hidden logs, like someone talking too much.
4. Poor Session Management: If the app doesn’t properly guard your login information, someone might be able to impersonate you and access your data.
5. Cloud Storage Misconfigurations: If the app stores your data in the cloud and it’s not set up securely, someone might be able to access it from there.

Preventive Measures:

1. Strong Encryption: Make your data unreadable with strong encryption, like a secret code. Do this for both the information stored on your phone and when it travels between the app and other systems.
2. Secure Data Transmission: Only send your data through secure channels, like using a guarded tunnel (HTTPS) instead of an open road.
3. Secure Storage Mechanisms): Store your data in a secure place within the app, like a locked vault provided by your phone’s operating system.
4. Employ Proper Access Controls: Make sure only authorized users can access your information. This is like having a guard check IDs before letting someone into a secure area.
5. Validate Input and Sanitize Data: The app should only accept valid information and clean it before storing it. Imagine checking for hidden bugs in a package before putting it away.

M10: Insufficient Cryptography

When cryptography is not secure, attackers can use different methods to break into the system and access protected information. They might try to figure out the encryption code, use brute force to guess passwords, or exploit weaknesses in how the encryption is set up. By doing this, they can read encrypted data, mess with the encryption process, or get into accounts without permission. This can result in data leaks, unauthorized access to accounts, and tampering with or faking information. These attackers include people who try to break the encryption to access secret data, insiders who misuse their access or share encryption keys, government groups trying to decode information for spying, cybercriminals who use weak encryption to steal data or commit fraud, and hackers who find flaws in encryption methods.

Common issues which leading to Insufficient cryptography:

1. Weak Encryption & Key Management: This includes using outdated encryption algorithms, short and weak keys, or storing keys unsafely. Imagine using a rusty lock with a simple combination?—?easy to break in!
2. Flawed Implementation: Mistakes in how encryption is coded can create vulnerabilities. It’s like having a faulty lock mechanism that can be bypassed.
3. Insecure Storage: If encryption keys are stored on the phone like plain text or in easily accessible locations, they become useless?—?anyone can find them and steal your data.
4. No Secure Transport: Sending encrypted data without using secure channels (like HTTPS) is like putting your message in a sealed envelope but sending it via postcard?—?someone can still read it!
5. Weak Hashing: Not using strong hashing functions, or skipping crucial steps like salting passwords, makes them vulnerable to cracking. Imagine a simple password fingerprint?—?easy to guess or forge!

Preventive Measures:

1. Strong Encryption & Key Management: Use proven algorithms (AES, RSA, ECC) and recommended key lengths. Store keys securely using key vaults, HSMs, or OS-provided mechanisms.
2. Secure Implementation & Storage: Avoid custom implementations and rely on established libraries. Store encryption keys securely, not in plain text or easily accessible locations.
3. Secure Transport & Communication: Always use HTTPS for transmitting encrypted data. Implement proper certificate validation for secure communication channels.
4. Strong Authentication & Updates: Validate and authenticate all parties involved in the encryption process. Regularly update cryptographic libraries, frameworks, and the app itself to address vulnerabilities.
5. Strong Hashing & Password Security: Use secure hash functions like SHA-256. Always implement salting when hashing passwords. Consider Key Derivation Functions (KDFs) for additional security.