📌 These study notes serve as a concise reference, capturing the essential insights, guidelines, and best practices for securing mobile applications, based on the OWASP MASTG (Mobile Application Security Testing) Standard - Techniques.
- Enable Developer Mode and USB debugging on the device
adb
(Android Debug Bridge) - listen port5037
# USB
adb devices -l
adb shell
adb -s <device_ID> shell
su
# WiFi (same network)
# Set a listener on the device (via USB)
adb tcpip 5555
# Disconnect USB and run from host pc (same network)
adb connect <device_IP>
adb devices
adb shell
# SSH
# On device > Setup Termux (default port 8022)
sshd
# On Host pc
ssh -p 8022 <device_IP>
# "SSH for Magisk" Module can be used too
- using Android Studio device file explorer
- using
adb
adb pull <remote> <local>
adb push <local> <remote>
objection
- runtime mobile exploration toolkit for security testing on non-rooted devices. Injects the Frida gadget into an application by repackaging it, disable SSL pinning methods, access app storage, execute custom Frida scripts, list activities/services/broadcast receivers, start activities, ecc
- On rooted device with frida-server configured, Objection can connect directly to it without app repackage.
- Interact with it via Objection REPL
- The ability to perform advanced dynamic analysis on non-jailbroken devices is one of the features that makes Objection incredibly useful.
# Connect to a patched APK
objection explore
# Connect to a specific app
frida-ps -Ua | grep -i telegram
objection --gadget="org.telegram.messenger" explore
cd ..
ls
file download <file_name>
- using Termux remote access (e.g. SFTP)
sftp -P 8022 root@localhost
- Non-official websites/third party stores like APKMirror, APKPure. Pay attention to the APK that may contain malware!!!
- Extract the App Package from the Device
adb shell pm list packages
adb shell pm list packages | grep -i <name>
adb shell pm list packages -3 -f
adb shell pm path <package name>
adb pull <apk path>
objection patchapk --source app-release.apk
- Install apps via
adb
adb install <path_to_apk>
adb shell pm list packages
adb shell pm list packages -3 -f
adb shell pm path <app_package_id>
# Get all installed apps on USB device & # List running apps
frida-ps -Uai
adb shell ps
# Unpack APK
apktool d <app-name.apk>
📌 The Android Manifest is the main source of information, includes package name, permissions, app components, etc.
cat apktool.yml
grep -i <keyword> AndroidManifest.xml
# e.g.
grep -i permission AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i android:allowBackup AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i activity AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i service AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i provider AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i receiver AndroidManifest.xml
grep -i debuggable AndroidManifest.xml
frida-ps -Uai | grep -i appname
objection -g it.appname explore
env
Name Path
---------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cacheDirectory /data/user/0/it.appname/cache
codeCacheDirectory /data/user/0/it.appname/code_cache
externalCacheDirectory /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/it.appname/cache
filesDirectory /data/user/0/it.appname/files
obbDir /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/it.appname
packageCodePath /data/app/~~JEIPs_hOcZEloovI4ycnFw==/it.appname-JYsDjTAW2zm7oBXBiPT7xQ==/base.apk
ls
Type Last Modified Read Write Hidden Size Name
--------- ----------------------- ---- ----- ------ --------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
File 2022-09-14 08:03:22 GMT True True False 0.0 B generatefid.lock
Directory 2023-08-04 13:05:27 GMT True True False 3.4 KiB datastore
Directory 2023-07-19 08:30:32 GMT True True False 3.4 KiB config
File 2022-09-20 11:35:03 GMT True True False 44.6 KiB didomi_config_cache.json
Directory 2023-08-04 10:25:44 GMT True True False 3.4 KiB AFRequestCache
File 2023-08-01 13:12:28 GMT True True False 562.0 B PersistedInstallation.W0RFRkFVTFRd+MTo1NjYwOTMxNjMwMjQ6YW5kcm9pZDozMTZhOTNiN2FkNjgzYWUz.json
File 2023-08-04 13:03:53 GMT True True False 31.0 B optly-background-watchers.json
adb logcat > logcat.log
# Specific app log output
frida-ps -Uai | grep -i <name>
adb logcat | grep "$(adb shell ps | grep <package-name> | awk '{print $2}')"
Tools:
tcpdump
netcat
Wireshark
- Traffic Sniffing - tcpdump / Wireshark
# On Android phone
tcpdump
# Remote sniff Android phone's network traffic
tcpdump -i wlan0 -s0 -w - | nc -l -p 11111
# On host, listen to traffic using Wireshark
adb forward tcp:11111 tcp:11111
nc localhost 11111 | wireshark -k -S -i -
BurpSuite
- Export cert from BurpSuite in DER format (or download the cert from the
http://burpsuite
page after setting the Proxy on the device)
openssl x509 -inform DER -in burp-ad -out burp.pem
adb push burp.pem /sdcard/
# Install burp.pem in the user certificate store
# Move User Certificates to rot store / System CAs (using Magisk module Movecert)
-
Set Proxy on device WiFi Network
- Host with BurpSuite must be on the same WiFi network
- Bypass NET::ERR_CERT_VALIDITY_TOO_LONG
ZapProxy
- 🔗 Adding the Proxy's certificate among system trusted CAs using Magisk
- 🔗 MagiskTrustUserCerts
- This module will automatically add all user-installed CA certificates to the list of the system trusted CAs (reboot is necessary)
Manual
- Not always working
adb shell
mount -o rw,remount /system
# mount -o rw,remount -t ext4 /system
openssl x509 -inform DER -in cacert.der -out cacert.pem
openssl x509 -inform PEM -subject_hash_old -in cacert.pem | head -1
mv cacert.pem <hash>.0
mv <hash>.0 /system/etc/security/cacerts
chmod 644 <hash>.0
📌 Starting with Android 7.0 (API level 24), the Android OS will no longer trust user CA certificates by default, unless specified in the application
- Security controls such as root detection, certificate pinning
- Client isolation in wireless networks
# Intercept traffic in WiFis with Client Isolation
# Configure Android device proxy to point to 127.0.0.1:8080
# Connect device via USB to host PC
# Make a reverse port forwarding
adb reverse tcp:8080 tcp:8080
- Non-proxy-aware apps:
e.g.
Xamarin, or the app verifies if proxy is set and doesn't allow any traffic if it is set
# Enable "Support invisible proxying" in Burp Proxy request handling options
# iptables - redirect Android traffic to interception proxy
iptables -t nat -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DNAT --to-destination <Your-Proxy-IP>:8080
iptables -t nat -L
# Reset iptables
iptables -t nat -F
# bettercap - target and host on same network
sudo bettercap -eval "set arp.spoof.targets <ANDROID-IP>; arp.spoof on; set arp.spoof.internal true; set arp.spoof.fullduplex true;"
- Proxy detection - bypass using Frida script
Static
Intercepting certificate is not accepted as a valid certificate if the app is implementing SSL Pinning.
- Frida: Use the frida-multiple-unpinning script
frida --codeshare akabe1/frida-multiple-unpinning -f YOUR_BINARY
- Objection (rooted device): Use the android sslpinning disable command
android sslpinning disable
- Xposed: Install the TrustMeAlready or SSLUnpinning module.
Custom Certificate Pinning
# Certificate hashes
grep -ri "sha256\|sha1" ./smali
# Replace hashes with proxy's CA hash
# Certificate files
find ./assets -type f \( -iname \*.cer -o -iname \*.crt \)
find ./res -type f
# Replace files with proxy's certificates
# Truststore files
find ./ -type f \( -iname \*.jks -o -iname \*.bks \)
e.g.
App uses BKS (BouncyCastle) truststore
keytool -importcert -v -trustcacerts -file proxy.cer -alias aliascert -keystore "res/raw/truststore.bks" -provider org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider -providerpath "providerpath/bcprov-jdk15on-164.jar" -storetype BKS -storepass password
# proxy.cer - proxy's certificate
# aliascert - alias for proxy's cert
# BouncyCastle Provider jar file
# password - keystore pw, from decompiled app code
# List BKS truststore certs
keytool -list -keystore "res/raw/truststore.bks" -provider org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider -providerpath "providerpath/bcprov-jdk15on-164.jar" -storetype BKS -storepass password
# Repackage the app and install it on device
Dynamic
More convenient and faster to perform.
Find the correct method to hook by searching for strings and licences files, identifying the used library. Examine the source code (SMALI code) to find methods suited for dynamic instrumentation.
# Search for all methods that take a string and a variable list of strings as args and return a complex object
grep -ri java/lang/String;\[Ljava/lang/String;)L ./
- Hook each method with Frida and print the arguments. Find the one that prints out a domain name and a cert hash. Modify the arguments to circumvent the implemented pinning.
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