Unprecedented Surge in Mobile Application Security Breaches: Understanding Risks and Remediation Efforts

by Lara Joseph

A combination of technical, organizational, and human factors is contributing to the increase in the number of mobile application security exploits. For the first time in history, mobile internet usage has surpassed desktop usage. With the increasing number of users relying on their mobile devices for everything from banking and shopping to entertainment and social media, the need to secure these applications against malicious attacks has become more critical, especially for financial or banking applications. 

Compared to our computers, mobile devices may store a considerably larger amount of data, including personal sensitive information such as passwords, credit cards, and primary email accounts, as well as critical corporate data like client files, project details, and corporate emails. Although these devices provide us with enhanced internet connectivity, convenience in our daily activities, and advanced capabilities, they also come with significant security risks.

The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) journal published a highly informative technical paper on Mobile Application Security Risks and Remediation, written by renowned application security expert Prathibha Muraleedhara. The paper sheds light on the increasing vulnerability of mobile applications to cyber security breaches, posing a significant risk to the sensitive data of millions of users. It emphasizes the criticality of mobile applications in today’s digital landscape and provides valuable insights into the risks involved, as well as effective remediation strategies. This comprehensive study serves as a valuable resource for professionals and organizations seeking to enhance the security of their mobile applications and protect user data from potential threats.

“Although small and large organizations are putting in a lot of effort to secure their web-based applications and infrastructure, the same strategies are not proving to be effective in securing mobile applications due to the differences in their architecture. Despite the rapid growth, usage, and adoption of smartphones, mobile security has not kept pace with the advancements in smartphone technology.”, says Information Security Expert – Prathibha Muraleedhara.

The study explains that mobile applications mostly rely on backend services, which are prone to the same types of attacks that we usually encounter in web applications.

However, in addition to the backend services, mobile applications also have a client-side component that significantly increases the attack surface. As a result, mobile application security emphasizes the need for security controls within the client mobile application, and data protection on the device and the network. The paper does a great job of explaining various mobile application security exploits, including code tampering, reverse engineering, bypassing client validations, privilege escalation, Cross-Site Scripting, cryptographic attacks, authentication bypass, data sniffing, and penetrating insecurely configured platforms. In the article, the author has identified the main reasons for the latest and most encountered mobile application security exploits, which are outlined below:

• Data Storage and Privacy: Sometimes developers end up hardcoding passwords, API keys, and client secrets and logging sensitive application data on the client side making it easy for hackers to get access to sensitive data.
• Cryptography and Key Management: Occasionally developers encrypt the credentials on the client side but end up using legacy weak cryptography algorithms or expose encryption keys on the client side.
• Authentication and Session Management: In contrast to web applications, sessions are set to have longer or no expiry time to improve user experience and decrease the need for frequent logins. This would pose new security risks in generating, managing, and storing access tokens/cookies and securing them from unauthorized access.
• Authorization and Access Control: Mobile application may be configured to validate authorization only on the client side which can easily be bypassed using intercepting tools. This makes it possible for attackers to manipulate user tokens/cookies to impersonate an admin user and obtain unauthorized entry.
• Anti-Tampering and Anti-Reversing: By downloading an application from the app store, attackers can conduct reverse engineering using various tools at their disposal. This allows them to extract information about the backend servers, launch attacks, and exfiltrate intellectual property.
• Network Communication: If the network connections are not encrypted in transit, hackers can easily intercept, sniff and perform man-in-the-middle-attacks.
• Security Misconfiguration: Misconfigured intent filters, insecure permissions, enabling debug and backup modes can all lead to security exploits.

In light of the rapid proliferation of mobile technologies, it is imperative to educate users about common security threats, associated risks, and the implementation of various security controls. Additionally, Prathibha has delivered captivating and informative presentations at conferences, featuring live demonstrations of trending mobile application security exploits. Drawing from her extensive research and expertise, she emphasizes the importance of securing not only backend services but also client-side mobile applications. Prathibha highlights the criticality of configuring mobile application security controls, such as code obfuscation, sensitive data encryption, application component permissions, encryption in transit, server-side validated authentications and authorization, updated dependent libraries, and code sanity.

To summarize, mobile application security is of utmost importance for organizations operating in the modern digital landscape. The widespread adoption of mobile technologies, coupled with the growing susceptibility of mobile applications to cybersecurity breaches, necessitates the implementation of strong security measures. Neglecting mobile application security can lead to severe consequences, including compromised user data, reputational harm, financial losses, and legal ramifications. By investing in cutting-edge research, continuous security training, and awareness initiatives, organizations can proactively address emerging threats and safeguard their mobile applications from potential exploits. Prioritizing mobile application security not only protects user privacy but also demonstrates a commitment to maintaining a secure digital environment.