According to a survey by Accenture, the number of cyberattacks increased in 2021, from 206 to 270 per organisation. Although user’s data is supposed to be protected by SSL/TLS certificates, hackers can intercept app-server connections and use them to pretend to be legitimate certificates. 
 
DevSecOps teams must now reduce the risk by adding a layer of security, such as certificate pinning for the apps. By doing this, it will be ensured that hackers are unable to intercept SSL certificates and obtain login credentials, financial information, etc. 
However, what is certificate pinning, how does it operate, what are the risks involved, and how can it be used with code security? Discover more below. 
 
Certificate Pinning: What Is It? 
 
Certificate pinning is the additional layer of security over an app’s SSL/TLS certificate. It entails using a root certificate as the anchor for the SSL certificate rather than the device’s default trust store.  
 
A root certificate is essentially a public key, or guarantee, signed and issued by a trusted Certificate Authority to create confidence in an SSL certificate. This guarantees that the app will only accept the certificate that it has been specifically configured to trust. Consequently, it becomes more difficult for an attacker to forge a phoney SSL/TLS certificate. 
 
How it works? 

The trustworthy CA’s name, location, digital signature, and public key are all included in the root certificate. A browser verifies the SSL certificate details against the pinned root certificate when it connects to a website.  
 
A safe and encrypted communication channel is created between the browser and the server if the details match. The browser will not connect and alert the user to a possible attack if the data does not compare. 
 
This guarantees that the browser will reject the false SSL certificate, preventing an attacker from issuing one even if they manage to intercept the transmission. 
 

Which Circumstances Make Certificate Pinning Useful? 

Pinning an SSL certificate is useful in many scenarios when the security of the apps may get compromised.  
 
To Stop MITM Attacks 

Pinpointing safeguards against MITM attacks by guaranteeing that the apps accept just a particular certificate. In the unlikely event that a hacker can intercept communication, they will not be able to access HTTPS traffic flowing between a browser and a server. 
 
To Transmit Private Information 

Any app that transfers sensitive data, particularly those related to e-commerce, finance, and third parties, has the potential to be compromised in the case of a cyberattack. However, pinning guarantees that the data is sent across a secure channel. 
 
To Keep Internal Networks Safe 

Pinning gives SSL certificates an additional degree of protection in enterprises where the need for trusted internal networks is critical. This guarantees that the communication can only be secured by authorised internal certificates. 
 
To Build Credibility for Untrusted Networks 

Pinning guarantees that, even in the event of a network intrusion, the client (browser) intercepts the expected certificates on public hotspots, which are untrusted networks. 
 
What Are Certificate Pinning’s Restrictions and How Can They Be Reduced? 

There are a few things to keep in mind and precautions you may take to reduce any negative effects while deploying certificate pinning for apps: 
 
Update the Root Certificate 

Regular updates are needed for root certificates. If not, they result in error warnings, broken links, or decreased traffic. They must be kept current to guarantee their validity. A fast-updating system for certificates that are revoked or experience a security breach should also be in place. 

 Minimise Restraints 

An SSL/TLS certificate’s pinning restricts its flexibility because only a particular CA can issue it. Certificate pinning must enable root certificate switching, when necessary, to reduce this disadvantage. 

 
Reducing False Positives 

This could cause the browser to reject a valid SSL certificate using pinning to alert the user of a possible attack. When this happens, it is referred to as a false positive. There should be certificate pinning checking and validation before its usage for it to reduce false positives. Moreover, in case a false positive happens, there should be sufficient error messaging to consumers. 

Use Several Root Certificates 

Every browser does not support cert pinning. A special system that permits support for multiple root certificates must be in place to lessen this restriction. Furthermore, the system needs to allow non-supportive browsers to visit web pages. 
 
How Can Code Security and Certificate Pinning Be Used in DevSecOps? 

DevSecOps teams may enhance the security of their apps and respond to incidents more quickly by implementing certificate pinning, a crucial security method. To stop security flaws, it can be combined with a pre-emptive code security tool such as DashO. 
 
This allows the creators the ability to obfuscate in various ways, rendering multilayer security unhackable for attackers. In the app development process, pinning can help prevent security vulnerabilities in code security as follows: 
 
Reduce the Attack Surface 

Developers can prevent Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks by limiting the trust of SSL certificates to a subset of trusted root certificates. This reduces the attack surface of apps. Additionally, pinning with code security allows programs to recognise when tampering with certificates occurs and to break the connection if the certificates are invalid. 
 
Enhanced Reaction to Events 

Pinpointing, when combined with a code analysis programme such as JS Defender, facilitates faster issue response. It helps the DevSecOps teams to quickly identify and address the root cause of a code issue in the case of a security breach. 
 
Integrate with CI/CD Pipelines 

CI/CD deployment pipelines can incorporate certificate pinning. Its implementation facilitates speedy code validation and certificate authenticity checks, particularly during the testing stage of the app development process.  
 
By doing this, the code is made more safe and less susceptible to security flaws like hard-coded certificates and inadequate certificate validation. 
 
Conclusion 

Mobile apps are becoming a more and more popular target for malicious assaults.  
A recent study found that 16% of Android apps had no way to prevent cyber hacking, making most Android apps vulnerable to this issue.  
 
Hackers can quickly obtain login credentials and financial information by taking advantage of coding security. However, certificate pinning which enhances app security during development with an additional layer of encryption is a crucial component of DevSecOps. It makes sure the apps need further verification in addition to depending on the device’s trust store.  
 
Pinning offers unbeatable code security when combined with Quixxi. 
Why?  
 
Quixxi uses static SSL Pinning and additionally validates the integrity of the files present inside the apk/aab. Quixxi Verifies the application for tampering, stops the execution of the application if it is tampered.   

This new activity has been tracked since May, and it leverages more compact variants that request fewer permissions and bring additional functionalities to perform transactions directly from the infected device. Medusa banking trojan, called TangleBot, is a push-and-file Android malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operation. It was discovered in 2020, which allows for keylogging, screen control, and SMS manipulation-related spyware. 

Although it bears the same name, the operation differs from the ransomware gang and the Mirai-based botnet for DDoS operations.  

The Cleafy threat intelligence team identified the latest campaigns, which must report that lightweight malware variants require fewer permissions to devices and have added full-screen overlaying and screenshot taking. 

Latest Campaigns 

The very first evidence of new Medusa variants dates to July 2023, according to experts. Cleafy traced them in campaigns using SMS scams (also referred to as “smishing”) to download malware onto computers via dropper apps. The researchers detected 24 campaigns using the virus and traced them back to five different botnets: UNKN, AFETZEDE, ANAKONDA, PEMBE, and TONY, used to spread malicious programs. The UNKN botnet is run by another different team of threat actors, whose prime target geography includes European countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. 

Overview of Medusa botnets and clusters 
Source: Cleafy 

Some of the recent droppers used in such attacks have been a fake Chrome browser, a 5G connectivity software, and a streaming app malware named 4K Sports. Since the UEFA EURO 2024 championship was ongoing at the time, the exploitation of the 4K Sports streaming software as a lure further creates convenience.  

According to researchers, Medusa’s core infrastructure manages campaigns and botnets, and it gets URLs for the C2 server from public social media profiles dynamically. 

Retrieving C2 addresses from covert channels 
Source: Cleafy 

New Version of Medusa 

The developers behind the Medusa virus have agreed to reduce its fingerprint on target devices by asking for only a minimal number of permissions but still maintaining the use of Android’s Accessibility Services. 

Secondly, this malware can read the content of the target victim’s contact list and even send out SMS, which will, in turn, propagate it. 

Comparison of requested permissions 
Source: Cleafy 

The research, according to Cleafy, indicated that the malware authors removed 17 commands from the older variant of infection and introduced five new ones.  
 
These added were:  

destroyo: uninstall a certain application.  

permdrawover: request “drawing over” permission.  

setoverlay: create black screen overlay,  

take_scr: take a screenshot 

update_sec: update the secret of the user 

 The “setoverlay” command is interesting because it enables remote attackers to take misleadingoperations such as making the device appear locked/shut down to conceal malicious ODF activity running in the background. 

Black screen overlay in action 
Source: Cleafy 

The ability to capture screenshots is also a significant improvement, allowing threat actors a new opportunity to steal critical data from infected devices. 

 
Overall, the Medusa mobile banking trojan campaign looks to be expanding its target base and getting more elusive to create the proper infrastructure for larger-scale deployment and a greater number of potential victims. Although Cleafy hasn’t spotted any dropper apps hosted on Google Play, with more and more hackers joining the MaaS, it is foreseeable that distribution techniques will widen and become increasingly sophisticated. 

How to overcome and eradicate the Medusa Malware variants for Android Users? 

Quixxi scans the device environment for malware like Medusa and restricts app launch and function if it finds the device infected with malware signatures. Quixxi reports this incident on the dashboard with traceable info for further investigation. 

To learn more about how Quixxi can protect you from Medusa Malware, click the button below to talk to an expert. 

By leveraging these capabilities, developers and organisations can implement a proactive strategy against Medusa malware and other sophisticated threats: 

• Prevention: Through comprehensive vulnerability assessments (SAST, DAST), developers can identify and remediate security flaws before deploying their apps. This reduces the likelihood of apps becoming susceptible to Medusa through known entry points. 

• Protection: Quixxi’s shielding technology ensures that even if a device is compromised, the app’s critical components remain secure, preventing unauthorised access to sensitive data or functionalities. 

• Detection and Response: Continuous monitoring and threat analytics enable swift detection of Medusa’s activities, allowing for immediate response actions such as quarantining affected devices or triggering alerts for users and administrators. 

Ultimately, by integrating Quixxi’s App Shield and leveraging its suite of security offerings, developers can enhance the security posture of their Android applications significantly. This proactive approach not only protects users from Medusa and similar malware but also fosters a safer mobile ecosystem overall. 

It is not a mere technical problem, but a matter of escalating static and dynamic mobile applications attacks that affect many businesses and organisations around the world. This kind of attack not only damages a business’s reputation but also may lead to financial losses, serious privacy and data breaches. The nightmare of static and dynamic attack vectors should be overcome by knowledge of complex static and dynamic mitigation strategies. 

This research investigates the nuanced distinction between dynamic and static mobile application attacks and how they work. 

Static analysis: What is it?  

Static analysis is a fundamental automatic procedure for mobile-app security that analyses the source code of mobile apps without executing it. Static analysis could be used before an application is shared with the end users as a preventive measure to make sure the app is secure, efficient, and compliant with all the requirements. This is crucial given the sensitive data used by the mobile apps and the number of attacks focused on mobile platforms. 

How does it work? 

The static analysis tool’s main purpose is to check code, understand the patterns that may be a problem, and provide feedback to the developer to help them fix these problems before software is built or deployed in use. 

A preventive measure is essential to ensure enhancement in software application quality, security, and performance. Many vulnerabilities will be discoverable through static analysis, from logical errors to defects in coding and unsafe configurations. 

Coding vulnerabilities in Android apps create loopholes that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorised access to sensitive data and often cause faulty management in shared preferences or external storage. 

Defects in the logic of a program can be used to gain unintended behaviour by attackers. For example, banking software with different account types and obligations to end-users can limit the choice for secondary users to specific functions. Moreover, insecure settings can also be used by attackers to gain access or cause a crash to the application.  

Dynamic analysis: What is it? 

Dynamic code analysis, otherwise called Dynamic Application Security Testing, is a way of analysing computer software for probable vulnerabilities. In mobile app security, DAST is essential and detects buffer overflows, format string vulnerabilities, injection attacks, and vulnerable APIs; it points out vulnerabilities arising from the interaction of the app with the mobile ecosystem. For instance, making varying conditions with a device will lead to several different unique vulnerabilities while testing the GPS and data synchronise features of a fitness app. Dynamic code analysis is requisite to keeping software secure. 

How it works:  

Dynamic code analysis performs the research and identification of issues in the software, visible only at the time of its execution. This makes it a real-time analysis, unlike static techniques. 

It means running a program in an isolated environment, usually feeding it many test cases, to test data transmission or connectivity. Dynamic analysis techniques are utilised by monitoring tools that observe probable errors and, in the process, expose memory leak problems, security vulnerabilities, and performance bottlenecks. The reporting will also give an account of where the problem lies and its characteristics like stack traces or even memory dumps which will enable the developer to effectively understand and resolve the problem.  

Static (SAST), Dynamic (DAST), RASP: How are they different?  

SAST attacks are static against vulnerabilities in non-running code. Conversely, DAST attacks are dynamic and reveal flaws during runtime. RASP is a proactive and real-time defense mechanism inside the application. It is thus important to understand the difference for both holistic application security. On the other side, static attacks only target vulnerabilities in non-running code, while dynamic attacks reveal flaws during run time. RASP plays a critical role in a layered security strategy. 

Here’s a breakdown of how they differ: 

Static Attacks: 

Static attacks are a form of cyber threat aimed particularly at the source code or the compiled binaries of an application. Such attacks are executed before the application comes into active use. Understanding static attacks becomes very critical for developers and security professionals in having the applications secure at the code level itself. Nature of Attacks: Static attacks are based on some vulnerabilities that can be identified by static code analysis or by binary analysis alone, without the application running. Examples include exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities found in the application’s binaries, hard-coded credentials, etc. 

 
Dynamic Attacks: 

Dynamic attacks occur at runtime and take advantage of the vulnerabilities appearing during the execution of the application and when it is live and interactively involved with users or systems. The nature of these attacks becomes dynamic and requires different strategies for detection and prevention than static attacks. 

Nature of Attacks: 

The attacks targeting the vulnerabilities manifesting during the runtime of an application will exploit their flaws in real-time operation and user interaction. Examples include SQL injection and Cross-Site Scripting, where attackers use the application’s runtime interactions. 

RASP 

Runtime Application Self-Protection is a next-generation security technology deployed to protect applications from attacks in real-time. Unlike static or dynamic attacks, RASP is a defensive measure offering integration with an application for the identification and mitigation of threats at runtime. Nature of Attacks: RASP is a protection system against a wide-ranging series of attacks in real-time that keeps the application under active monitoring for threats. 

Examples: RASP systems can detect and block attacks, such as SQL injections, while they are happening and prevent unauthorized data access or modifications. 

The new Cyber Security Strategy from the Australian Government is all about helping businesses get better at protecting themselves from cyber threats. However, for many businesses, putting these extra security measures into place may seem impossible because there aren’t enough security professionals in the region. 

Going forward, we need to work together across national borders to find new ways to make things safer. In a world driven by AI, businesses need to be protected from cybercrime that is getting smarter, which requires everyone to work together. 

 
Navigating Cybersecurity: Smart Investments and AI-Powered Defence 

To keep up with cybercriminals’ constantly changing threats, like the growing use of AI, businesses need to be proactive about finding and stopping problems before they happen. Companies now realise that a larger portion of their budget needs to go towards security investments; the problem is figuring out how best to spend that money, considering the risk profiles of their industries and what will yield the best return on investment. 

According to Gartner, Australian businesses will spend more than AU $7.3 billion on risk and security management tools this year, an increase of 11.5% over 2023. 

Furthermore, as security breaches become increasingly common, a shift in mindset is needed. In today’s threat landscape, it’s not a matter of if an organisation will be breached but when. To combat sophisticated threats, detection measures need to be enhanced with integrated and AI-powered attack signal intelligence. 

While incorporating AI into a cybersecurity strategy is a logical step, it’s important to remember that the most resilient cybersecurity investments typically combine cutting-edge technological innovations with deep expertise. 

Adapting to Hybrid Threats: Embracing a Unified Approach to Enterprise Security 

In 2023, ransomware strategies evolved from capitalising on human mistakes to focusing on network infrastructure, posing a more significant hurdle for prevention and mitigation solutions. With the widespread adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud setups, all businesses now operate as hybrid entities, facing attacks of a mixed nature. This highlights the need for new threat detection coverage across the growing hybrid attack surface and has rendered legacy threat detection and response solutions ineffective against the new threat landscape.  

Cybercriminals are incredibly adaptable, as demonstrated by the LockBit incident, where the gang quickly reorganised and relaunched its operations on new infrastructure in response to a law enforcement response. This incident also made clear how important it is for companies to keep their security measures current. LockBit acknowledged that one major weakness that allowed law enforcement to penetrate their systems was the inability to update critical software. This is a clear reminder that keeping up with patches and updates is essential to maintaining good cybersecurity hygiene and thwarting attacks. 

Attackers typically start with the most common systems, such as Windows endpoints. As these systems become more secure and harder to exploit, they pivot to network infrastructure. When it comes to the network or other attack vectors, traditional controls are failing, leaving business leaders and their IT teams struggling to prevent lateral movement. To contend with new methods, enterprise infrastructure must be viewed as a unified target, just as attackers see it. 

Increasing Cybersecurity: Proactive Defence and Real-Time Visibility 

Organisations face numerous vulnerabilities, making it critical to implement solutions that not only prevent hybrid attacks but also dismantle organisational silos. These solutions provide comprehensive visibility across the hybrid attack surface, covering both network infrastructure and endpoints, by integrating with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) vendors. 

According to Alex Chan, CPG’s Head of IT, “Cybercrime is an issue that affects the entire industry and is not going away.” Businesses must take proactive steps to improve organisational resilience and secure their infrastructure. 
“Prioritising our network’s defence means having real-time visibility so we can proactively reduce risk. Intelligent threat detection technology helps our cyber team think like an attacker, understand attacker behaviour, and analyse detection patterns unique to our environment. Advanced security AI also surfaces potential attacks in real-time, helping us prioritise and reduce alert noise. This means our security teams can spend their time where it matters most – focusing on threats by severity.” 

Encouraging Security Decision-Makers: Prioritising Threat Response 

Many companies promote their “cloud-first” strategy while maintaining substantial data center infrastructure. However, this data center footprint still requires strong security. Attackers exploit any vulnerability, regardless of where innovation occurs. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure an organisation has comprehensive protection against lateral movement. Whether it’s the data center or the cloud, securing all areas is essential. 

 
Quixxi is the ultimate solution for mobile app security and management. Our cutting-edge suite of tools includes: 

• Quixxi Scan for comprehensive SAST and DAST vulnerability assessments 
• Quixxi App Supervise for Intelligent threat defence 
• Quixxi API Scan for Identify and fix vulnerabilities, protect your APIs, and ensure data integrity 
• Quixxi App Shield to protect your mobile apps in minutes 

Quixxi is proud to be the only provider of a patented and proprietary mobile app security solution. Our diverse range of security offerings includes Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP), and continuous threat monitoring. 
 
 

Each Android application comes with a manifest XML file (“AndroidManifest.xml”), stored in the root directory. This file specifies the hardware and software features, permissions, and app components that the application requires. Since threat hunters usually start their investigation by looking at the app’s manifest file to see how it acts, the people who made the malware have been found to use three different methods to make the process much harder.   

The initial approach is utilising an incorrect Compression method value while unpacking the manifest file of the APK by using the libziparchive library. This library considers any value apart from 0x0000 or 0x0008 as uncompressed. “This allows app developers to put any value except 8 into the Compression method and write uncompressed data,” Kalinin stated. Again, Kalinin stated, “Although any unpacker that correctly implements compression method validation would consider a manifest like that invalid, the Android APK parser recognises it correctly and allows the application to be installed.” It’s important to note that since April 2023, threat actors connected to multiple Android banking trojans have been using this technique.   

Second, SoumniBot provides an inflated value for the size of the archived manifest file; this causes the “uncompressed” file to be copied directly, with the manifest parser disregarding the remaining “overlay” data that occupies the remaining space. 

The final technique involves using long XML namespace names in the manifest file, which makes it difficult for analysis tools to allocate sufficient memory to process them. However, the manifest parser is designed to ignore namespaces, so no errors are generated when the file is processed. 

Once launched, SoumniBot requests configuration information from a hard-coded server address to obtain the servers used to send collected data and receive commands via the MQTT messaging protocol. It’s intended to launch a malicious service that restarts every 16 minutes if it crashes for any reason and uploads data every 15 seconds. This includes device metadata, contact lists, SMS messages, images, videos, and a list of installed apps. The malware can also add and delete contacts, send SMS, toggle silent mode, and enable Android’s debug mode, not to mention hiding the app icon to make it more difficult to uninstall from the device. 

One notable feature of SoumniBot is its ability to search external storage media for .key and .der files with paths to “/NPKI/yes sign,” which refers to South Korea’s digital signature certificate service for governments (GPKI), banks, and online stock exchanges (NPKI).  

The Kimusuky group, which has ties to North Korea, carried out a malware campaign earlier this year that used a Golang-based information stealer named Troll Stealer to steal GPKI certificates from Windows systems. Details of this campaign were made public by cybersecurity company S2W. 

“Malware creators seek to maximise the number of devices they infect without being noticed,” Kalinin said. This encourages them to seek out novel approaches to make detection more difficult. Unfortunately, the lack of sufficiently stringent validations in the Android manifest parser code allowed the SoumniBot developers to succeed.” 

When The Hacker News publication reached out for comment, Google confirmed that there are no apps containing SoumniBot on the Google Play Store for Android. “Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is enabled by default on Android devices running Google Play Services. Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps that are known to exhibit malicious behaviour, even if they are downloaded from sources other than Google Play,” it added. 

An Increase in threat strategies 

Malicious actors can still access systems and data without authorisation by using classic brute force attacks. In 2024, there will be a noticeable increase in the use of two such techniques: password spraying and credential stuffing. Credential stuffing is a tactic used by hackers to take advantage of people’s propensity to reuse passwords by using stolen usernames and passwords to initiate a large-scale automated login request. Password spraying, on the other hand, exploits popular and simple password to obtain unauthorised access. 

Attack surface burst 

With new connected devices going online every day, the number of IoT devices is increasing rapidly, making their security a pressing issue that sometimes seems impossible. Device security must be given top priority by organisations to stop possible data breaches and privacy violations. To defend against IoT-related cyber threats, strong safeguard is crucial. These include encryption, network division, regular patching, and modern authenticate mechanisms.  

Always getting ready for the unexpected 

The sophistication and effectiveness of ransomware attacks are increasing. As of late, ransomware attacks have proven to be especially successful in extorting the ransom, making them the preferred approach for any actor who has obtained unauthorised access via alternative ways. 

Highly valuable infrastructure was frequently targeted in 2023, the manufacturing, healthcare, and local government sectors were among the most prominent targets of attacks. It’s the duty of all organisations, but particularly those that are mission and life critical to make sure they are ready for a ransomware attacks. Establishing solid backup and recovery plans, warning staff about possible risks, and putting on robust security measures are all important ways for organisations to counter these changing techniques.  

Preventive steps are essential to reduce a ransomware attack’s potential to seriously interrupt ordinary business operations and obtain control over an organisation. These steps include routine data backup, network segmentation, and personnel training. In addition, to successfully identify and react to ransomware threats, organisations should think about implementing sophisticated threat intelligence and security solutions.  

Internal threats 

Internal threats seem to be significant concerns. A rise of bring your own device workplaces, shared mobile services, and third-party service expansion creates complex digital ecosystem. Strict security guidelines and strong mobile device access solutions are needed to strike a balance between worker productivity and data security.  

It also takes careful policies and solutions that take service providers into account to manage third-party services. Even though they could be indispensable to a company, third parties are nevertheless considered “insiders”. To detect potential internal threats and promote a cybersecurity that consider the dynamics of mobile and third-party needs can improve monitoring and detection capabilities. 

AI: Allies and Enemies 

We must be aware that both malicious as well as positive actors are keeping up with the fast use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This does not significantly change the cyber threat landscape, but it certainly complicates it. In 2024, incorporating more recent technologies into a comprehensive security programme is vital. It may include governance, MFA, just in time access strategies, zero trust, and other contemporary authentication modalities. 

An Agile and Strategic Method for Cybersecurity  

Organisations must continue to be flexible, proactive, and cooperative to successfully navigate the challenging cybersecurity landscape of 2024. A further challenge is the ongoing lack of IT skills, since there is a greater need for cybersecurity experts than there is expertise in the field and more organisations need to be able to handle the risks we’ve covered. Organisations can use development and training programmes to develop current employes and draw in fresh talent to overcome this obstacle. A cybersecurity partner with expertise in countering new threats can assist companies in remaining multiple steps ahead of malicious actors. Organisations may develop a resilient cybersecurity strategy by emphasising strong access and identity management, protecting IoT devices, seriously engaging with the AI evolution, and using a zero-trust approach to mitigate ransomware and internal threats. 

Forming strategic alliances with cybersecurity professionals can offer the direction and assistance required to negotiate the challenging landscape of cybersecurity and protect digital assets. In the constantly evolving field of cybersecurity, firms may prosper with the appropriate strategy and teamwork. 

Accessibility Service Malware

Over the past few years, malware designed specifically to exploit the Android Accessibility Service event framework have emerged to be a major threat to mobile banking and other transaction based mobile apps. Service malware may adapt and receive new targets and payloads remotely by using strong system callbacks and command and control features.

How Accessibility Service Malware Operates

• Listening and Modifying Accessibility Events

Using Android Accessibility Services is set at the device level. Once enabled, Accessibility Services is available for all applications on Android device and makes a powerful event framework available to external applications allowing such applications to receive information and perform inputs on behalf of users for key actions in a mobile app, such as knowing when users are on specific screens, tapping a button or entering text into a field.

• Input Capture Attack-Overlays and Keylogging

The Accessibility Service Malware can be made aware of the specific user interface that it is harvesting. This means that transaction, PII and other data from the compromised mobile app can be harvested by the Accessibility Services Malware using several types of input capture attacks.

• Injection Attacks: Auto-Tapping and Keystrokes

Injection attacks are a set of techniques that impersonates user interaction with mobile application, including keystrokes, form or field inputs, taps, and other movements, all without the user’s awareness.

• MFA/2FA Bypass-Used for Fake Transactions

The pinnacle of Android accessibility service malware is 2FA-bypassing malware. Although this sort of attack has various variations, the fundamental scenario is that the accessible virus gets the 2FA token via SMS of 2FA app, then passes the stolen token as a parameter during the transaction.

• Command and Control (C2C) for Targeting and ATS Payloads

Most Accessibility Service Malware uses a remote command and control (C2C) framework to receive updates ATS payloads including lists of apps to target and tailor-made malicious payloads for targeted applications.

Protect Mobile Apps from Accessibility Service Malware

Most security experts highly suggest that a multi-layered security approach is a stronger defence against any attack. Accessibility Service Malware is an ever evolving and constantly changing part of the malware ecosystem. In the DevOps Ci/CD pipeline, Quixxi’s 360 degree app security solution provides Android developers and cyber teams with a complete, automated method for building, testing, protecting and monitoring Accessibility Service Malware defence in Android mobile apps.

At Quixxi, we recommend deploying a multi-layered defence that offers mobile app security and management solution.  To that extent,  Quixxi offers 5 indispensable tools; SAST Scan, DAST Scan, API Scan, Shield, Supervise. First, Quixxi SAST (Static Application Security Testing) is a comprehensive and automated process that analyses your application to identify security vulnerabilities and potential risks. With Quixxi SAST scanning, you can be confident that your applications are secure and meet industry standards.

Quixxi DAST is a more comprehensive scanning solution that helps you identify and fix security vulnerabilities in your mobile apps. Quixxi API Scan simplifies the cumbersome process of scanning and identifying security vulnerabilities and weakness in the APIs. As we know Security is a concept that implies different choices and shades based on individual mobile apps, Quixxi Shield provides codeless application protection against hackers looking to clone, tamper, inject malicious code, or in general exploit your mobile app. A simple drag and drop of the executable files of your Android apps is all you need, to apply a sophisticated set of security layers, for quick and easy mobile app protection.

Finally, Quixxi Supervise (Intelligence Threat Defence) completes the shield self-defence algorithm with complete real-time threat intelligence. It provides real-time threat monitoring and reporting through the dashboard, encompassing live threat logs, flagged device users, and malware detection.

The following article will discuss the reasons code obfuscation is necessary for iOS, the benefits of applying obfuscation techniques, and additional steps you can do to improve the security of your iOS.

The requirement for obfuscation in iOS apps

Cybercriminals using mobile applications are always coming up with innovative and inventive techniques for reversing programs to locate flaws and secrets and obtain private data. The two most popular programming languages for iOS apps are Objective-C and Swift. Because both are turned into machine code, it’s more challenging to convert the code into the source code. This has led to the false belief that iOS are difficult to reverse engineer.

Though years of study and experience in the subject have led to a developed technology for reversing machine code, the interest in understanding and decoding machine code isn’t new. Simplify it briefly, it wasn’t hard to reverse engineer and analyse iOS, but it’s crucial that you are aware of the risks and take the appropriate precautions to avoid them.

To avoid simple static analysis of the application, Apple encrypts the code of the apps submitted to the App Store and limits access to the apps machine code after they are download. A frequent misperception is that reverse engineering can be stopped by using Apple’s code encryption only.

The Advantages of obfuscating your iOS Apps

Utilizing obfuscation techniques, you can ensure that your iOS are difficult to reserve engineer and that the intellectual property in them is shielded from security risks, application flaws and illegal access. The difficulty of a reverse engineering attack against your iOS is greatly increased when its code is obfuscated, as its frequently costly and time-consuming to be successful. Because obfuscation allows you to; increased security against illegal access and theft of intellectual property, reduce the exposure of your app’s customer-side functional logic and algorithms, ensure data and app security and integrity, especially for sectors that handle personal data.

Techniques and Methods of Obfuscation for iOS

Code can be obfuscation in several methods, each with pros and cons of its own. A conventional compiler such as Clang, for instance, consist of three primary components: a frontend that handles the source code, an intermediate level that performs preliminary compilation, and a backend that converts the code into a format that can be executed.

The demise of intermediate-level obfuscation

Low-Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) is an illustration of this middle ground. For the past seven years, the Android Native Development Kit and Apple’s toolchain have included LLVM bit code as a standard fir app developer. It’s tools for creating compilers that can target any machine architecture and operate with any programming language.

Rescue through binary-level obfuscation

Once the app code has been compiled, binary code obfuscators operate on it. It takes the binary file or library apart, modifies it, and then puts it back together. This way, unlike many other obfuscators, it is not dependent on LLVM bit code, thus you don’t have to worry about incorporating it into your current toolchain. Therefore, the latest improvements made by Apple to Xcode’s bit code support have no effect on it. Additionally, because it isn’t dependent on any toolchain, you can use it to protect a variety of binaries, including Unity, Rust, Golang, Swift, and C/C++. This implies that you won’t have to give up security to use your preferred development tools.

Is obfuscation enough on its own?

Obfuscation is a crucial security feature that can shield apps from reverse engineering and intellectual property theft, but it’s insufficient on its own to completely shield your apps from ransomware and actual attack scenarios. For your iOS apps to be completely protected, complete code protection and extensive runtime protection are therefore necessary. Select a security solution that combines various security measures with sophisticated and potent obfuscation methods for your apps.

In addition, apps that use code obfuscation in conjunction with a multi-layered In-App Protection solution are less vulnerable to intellectual property theft and reverse engineering.

The root of this problem is trust. Users who use a business app believe that their private information is secure. In an era of stringent data privacy regulations, a breach could undermine consumer trust, damage a brand’s reputation and maybe result in legal problems.  

We’ll investigate the current state of mobile app security in this blog, identifying the main risks along with suggested methods to mitigate them. Whether you are a user, developer or business owner, this text intends at providing you with the information you need to make safer digital decisions in 2024. 

The Importance of the Threat Landscape 

Like a wide ocean, the digital world is full of opportunity but also full of risks. Mobile apps are becoming more complex and crucial to our daily routines which makes them tempting targets for cybercriminals. Developing a strong defence strategy starts with having a thorough understanding of the threat landscape. Let’s explore the primary threats of 2024 more specifically, as well as their consequences. 

The Implications of ignoring the threat landscape 

Ignoring the threat landscape has consequences such as companies falling into financial losses. Companies deal with: 

1. Reputation damage: It’s difficult to rebuild trust once it has been lost. A brand’s reputation could be affected by a security breach, which may reduce number of users and decrease brand loyalty. 

2. Regulation fines: Companies that break laws such as the CCPA and GDPR might face large penalties for failing to comply with them or for failing to protect customer data. 

3. Company’s disruptions: Cyberattacks face the potential of halting operations, causing lost income and increased recuperation costs. 

4. Intellectual property loss: Businesses, particularly those in IT, may lose confidential strategies, product designs or algorithms because of a hack. 

It’s important to understand the threat landscape to boost preparedness over fear. Businesses can take proactive steps to protect their users and assets by being aware of the possible threats. 

Best Practices in Mobile App Security 

As mobile apps keep dominating the digital world, it is critical to make sure they are secure. As cyber threats evolve at a never-before-seen pace, companies and developers need to take a proactive approach to protecting user data and upholding confidence. Below are the best practices in mobile app security for 2024:  

1. Secure the development environment  

The main line of defence against threats is a development environment that has been fortified. Implementing the secure development environment will minimise the risk of security breaches and ensures the integrity and confidentiality in Mobile App.  

2. Secure coding practices 

Secure coding practices are essential for ensuring the integrity and security of Mobile App. Software developers can greatly improve the security posture of their applications and minimise the risk of security breaches and data thefts by implementing these practices into the software development lifecycle.  

3. Data protection and encryption 

Data protection and encryption are essential elements of secure information management, especially in Mobile App. By implementing encryption and data implementation, company may mitigate the risk of data breaches and illicit access. 

4. Secure authentication and authorization 

Any secure system must include secure authentication and authorisation to guarantee that those with authorization can access resources and take actions. Companies can mitigate the risk of data breaches, secure regulatory compliance, and protect their systems and data from unauthorised access by putting through secure authentication and authorization procedures. 

5. API security 

Application Programming Interface is vital for protect the data. The companies may improve the safety and security of their APIs and reduce the risk of data breaches, misuse by executing these best practices. 

6. Testing and continuous monitoring 

These components are essential in maintaining a system secure and effective by minimising risks and improve the overall security posture of the Mobile App by integrating testing and continuous monitoring into the software development lifecycle along with operations. 

7. Third-party libraries and SDKs 

Once sufficiently examined, third-party components may create vulnerabilities. Using reliable sources, grasping permission and conducting routine audits are crucial to preventing these elements from becoming weak points in Mobile App. 

8. User privacy and compliance 

Companies that gather, handle and keep personal data must take user privacy and adherence to relevant standards and regulation seriously. By putting them into practice, companies can increase user privacy, win over customers trust, and legal repercussions from violating data protection rules. 

9. Post-breach protocols 

Companies must have post-breach policies to respond to security problems and limit the negative effects of data breaches on their stakeholders, customers and operations. Moreover, ongoing development grounded in security event gained contributes to the general enhancement of cybersecurity preparedness and resilience. 

Conclusion 

Mobile App development security is the cornerstone upon which dependability and trust are constructed. One thing has been obvious as we have read through the variety of best practices in this article: being proactive, learning new things constantly and adapting to new technologies are the keys to remaining one step ahead of any threats. Implementing strong authentication and authorization procedures in position, encrypting data and conducting ongoing monitoring are essential objectives as well.  

Furthermore, Mobile App is not just about codes, encryption or authentication but also maintaining data and digital systems with pertinent rules and guidelines to protect user privacy.