With cybersecurity threats on the rise across the globe, HyperG Smart Security focuses on key vulnerabilities and threat vectors in mobile apps, providing solutions to both Android and iOS developers.
Recent insights from mobile security vendor Zimperium's 2023 Global Mobile Threat Report highlight an alarming surge in detected vulnerabilities: The report states that “Critical Android vulnerabilities discovered in 2022 increased by 138%, while 80% of zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in the wild were due to Apple iOS.”
Besides increasing the threat level, a study by the OWASP (Open Worldwide Application Security Project) organization found that a frequent oversight in mobile app development is the lack of memory protection for debugging capabilities.
“Mobile apps are thriving, especially gaming apps,” noted Allen Lin, general manager of HyperG Smart Security. “In this fast-changing world, staying ahead of threats is not an option, it's a necessity. Mobile app hacks share several common elements, and we address these issues with solutions that keep developers several steps ahead.”
As an app's source code is a key aspect to protect, HyperG Smart Security has identified key vulnerabilities in the mobile app threat environment.
- Reverse Engineering: Apps are susceptible to reverse engineering by hackers through decompilation, which allows them to directly view the app's source code and expose weaknesses, which they can then recreate and repackage into counterfeit apps.
- Anti-debugging: Insufficient memory could allow debugging to take unauthorized control of the app and extract both app and user data.
- Lack of encryption: Without effective encryption, a staggering 80% of app data is easily accessible to hackers. User data is also exposed, and a lack of encryption also enables man-in-the-middle attacks that eavesdrop on processes between the app and the server.
- Integrity Protection: Reverse engineering can result in legitimate apps being repackaged into fake versions that mislead users and put their data at risk.
When selecting a security tool for mobile app development, support for both iOS and Android, as well as compliance with MAS or OWASP standards, are important factors to consider.