SEC575: iOS and Android Application Security Analysis and Penetration Testing

Overview

The first section of SEC575 looks at the iOS platform. In examining the structure of iOS, we will see that it has many security controls built in by default, and that Apple has a very tight grip on both the hardware and software. Next, we will discuss ways to disable different security controls by jailbreaking a device, which allows us to install various tools that can help us during our penetration tests. Since mobile devices contain a lot of sensitive information, we take a look at the internal file structure of both iOS and any installed applications in order to identify issues such as insecure storage of sensitive information, or examine interesting information to be used during a full penetration test. Of course, applications can also be attacked by other applications, which is why we will examine application interaction on iOS. Finally, we will take a look at iOS malware to see how malicious actors try to attack both the platform and the end user.

Hands-on exercises will use Corellium to interact with iOS devices running in a virtualized environment, including low-level access to installed application services and application data.

Full Topic Details

• Mobile Problems and Opportunities
• Challenges and opportunities for secure mobile phone deployments
• Weaknesses in mobile devices
• iOS Architecture
• Architecture of iOS devices
• Analysis of implemented security controls
• iOS application development and publication
• Apples update policy
• Jailbreaking iOS Devices
• Legal issues with jailbreaking
• Jailbreaking iOS
• Connecting to jailbroken iOS devices
• Using a jailbroken device effectively: Tools you must have!
• iOS Data Storage and File System Architecture
• iOS file system structure
• iOS application data storage
• Examining typical file types on iOS
• Extracting data from iOS backups
• iOS Application Interaction
• iOS application interaction through schemes, universal links, and extensions
• iOS Malware Threats
• Trends and popularity of mobile device malware
• Analysis of iOS malware targeting non-jailbroken devices
• Examining advanced attacks by nation state actors
• iOS Labs
• Using the Corellium platform
• Installing tools on your jailbroken device
• Analyzing file storage on iOS
• Analyzing application interaction

Overview

Android is by far the most popular mobile operating system. Devices with Android come in many shapes and sizes, which leads to a lot of fragmentation. In this course section we will take a look at Android internals and all the different security controls that are implemented to keep the user safe. In contrast to iOS, Android is open-source. It also gives developers many different ways to let their applications interact with other applications, including services, intents, broadcast receivers, and content providers. As these interactions define the attack surface of the application, we will take a close look at how they can be properly protected and exploited. Android can give us shell access through Android Debug Bridge tools, but if we really want full access, we still need to root the device by unlocking the bootloader or using a device-specific exploit. Once rooted, we will take a look at the internal file structure of both a typical Android device and installed applications to identify useful information. Finally, we will examine Android malware, which includes many different malware types such as ransomware, mobile banking Trojans, and spyware.

Full Topic Details

• Android Architecture
• Architecture of Android devices
• Analysis of implemented security controls
• Android app execution: Android Runtime vs. Android Dalvik virtual machine
• Android application development and publication
• Androids update policy
• Rooting Android Devices
• Examine different ways to obtain root, including unlocking the bootloader and using exploits
• Installing custom ROMs, bootloaders, and recoveries
• Installing Magisk systemless root
• Android Data Storage and File System Architecture
• Android file system structure
• Android application data storage
• Examining typical file types on Android
• Extracting data from Android backups
• Android Application Interaction
• Android application interaction through activities, intents, services, and broadcasts
• Protection of application components through permissions and signatures
• Android Malware Threats
• Trends and popularity of mobile device malware
• Analysis of Android malware, including ransomware, mobile banking Trojans, and spyware
• Android Labs
• Using the Corellium platform
• Android mobile application analysis with Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tools
• Uploading, downloading, and installing applications with ADB
• Analyzing file storage on Android
• Analyzing application interaction
• Android Platform Analysis
• iOS and Android permission management models
• Code signing weaknesses on Android
• Android app execution: Android Runtime vs. Android Dalvik virtual machine
• Latest Android and iOS security enhancements

Overview

One of the core skills you need as a mobile security analyst is the ability to evaluate the risks and threats a mobile app introduces to your organization. The lectures and hands-on exercises presented in this course section will enable you to use your analysis skills to evaluate critical mobile applications to determine the type of access threats and information disclosure threats they represent. We will use automated and manual application assessment tools to statically evaluate iOS and Android apps. Initially, the applications will be easy to understand, but towards the end of the section we will dig into obfuscated applications that are far more difficult to dissect. Finally, we will examine different kinds of application frameworks and how they can be analyzed with specialized tools.

Full Topic Details

• Static Application Analysis
• Retrieving iOS and Android apps for reverse engineering analysis
• Decompiling Android applications
• Circumventing iOS app encryption
• Header analysis and Objective-C disassembly
• Accelerating iOS disassembly: Hopper and IDA Pro
• Swift iOS apps and reverse-engineering tools
• Android application analysis with MobSF
• Reverse-Engineering Obfuscated Applications
• Identifying obfuscation techniques
• Decompiling obfuscated applications
• Effectively annotating reconstructed code with Android Studio
• Decrypting obfuscated content with Simplify
• Third-Party Application Frameworks
• Examining .NET-based Xamarin and Unity applications
• Examining HTML5-based PhoneGap applications
• Examining Flutter and React-Native applications

Overview

After performing static analysis on applications in the previous course section, we now move on to dynamic analysis. A skilled analyst combines static and dynamic analysis to evaluate the security posture of an application. Using dynamic instrumentation frameworks, we see how applications can be modified at runtime, how method calls can be intercepted and modified, and how we can gain direct access to the native memory of the device. We will learn about Cycript, Frida, Objection, and method swizzling to fully instrument and examine both Android and iOS applications. The section ends with a look at a consistent system for evaluating and grading the security of mobile applications using the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification (MASVS) Standard. By identifying these flaws, we can evaluate the mobile phone deployment risk to the organization with practical and useful risk metrics. Whether your role is to implement the penetration test or to source and evaluate the penetration tests of others, understanding these techniques will help you and your organization identify and resolve vulnerabilities before they become incidents.

Full Topic Details

• Manipulating and Analyzing iOS Applications
• Runtime iOS application manipulation with Cycript and Frida
• iOS method swizzling
• iOS application vulnerability analysis with Objection
• Tracing iOS application behavior and API use
• Extracting secrets with KeychainDumper
• Method hooking with Frida and Objection
• Manipulating and Analyzing Android Applications
• Android application manipulation with Apktool
• Reading and modifying Dalvik bytecode
• Adding Android application functionality, from Java to Dalvik bytecode
• Method hooking with Frida and Objection
• Mobile Application Security Verification Standard
• Step-by-step recommendations for application analysis
• Taking a methodical approach to application security verification
• Common pitfalls while assessing applications
• Detailed recommendations for jailbreak detection, certificate pinning, and application integrity verification
• Android and iOS critical data storage: Keychain and Keystore recommendations

Overview

After analyzing the applications both statically and dynamically, one component is still left untouched: the back-end server. This course section will examine how you can perform Address Resolution Protocol spoofing attacks on a network in order to obtain a man-in-the-middle position, and how Android and iOS try to protect users from having their sensitive information intercepted. We will examine how you can set up a test device to purposely intercept the traffic in order to find vulnerabilities on the back-end server. In some engagements, we will need to access someone elses device, so we will examine whether we can break into a mobile device thats protected with a pin code or biometrics. We will end the section by creating a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) application that can be installed either on a remotely compromised device or on a physically acquired device during a red team engagement in order to target users and gain access to internal networks.

Full Topic Details

• Intercepting TLS Traffic
• Exploiting HTTPS transactions with man-in-the-middle attacks
• Integrating man-in-the-middle tools with Burp Suite for effective HTTP manipulation attacks
• Bypassing Android NetworkSecurityConfig and Apple Transport Security
• Bypassing SSL pinning
• Man-in-the-Middle Troubleshooting
• Analyzing common issues when performing a man-in-the-middle attack
• Using different setups to obtain a man-in-the-middle position
• Creating custom Frida hooks to bypass SSL pinning
• Accessing Locked Devices
• Bruteforcing pincodes on Android and iOS
• Bypassing bruteforce protection
• Abusing Siri to acquire information
• Bypassing biometric authentication
• Using Mobile Device Remote Access Trojans
• Building RAT tools for mobile device attacks
• Hiding RATs in legitimate Android apps
• Customizing RATs to evade anti-virus tools
• Integrating the Metasploit Framework into your mobile pen test
• Effective deployment tactics for mobile device Phishing attacks

Overview

In this final section we will pull together all the concepts and technology covered throughout the course in a comprehensive Capture-the-Flag event. In this hands-on mobile security challenge, you will examine multiple applications and forensic images to identify weaknesses and sources of sensitive information disclosure, and analyze obfuscated malware samples to understand how they work. Youll put the skills you have learned into practice in order to evaluate systems and applications, simulating the realistic environment you will be need to protect when you get back to the office.