Mobile Application Security Testing for Android andiOS

Mobile app security testing assesses the client-side binary installed on user devices in addition to the backend APIs, whereas web application testing focuses on server-side applications accessed through browsers. Mobile testing involves reverse engineering the APK or IPA, analyzing local data storage, bypassing certificate pinning, and testing runtime behavior — none of which apply to web applications. Security Brigade tests both the mobile binary and backend APIs as a single attack surface.

Yes, Security Brigade tests both Android and iOS applications with equal depth. We maintain dedicated tooling and instrumented environments for each platform. Whether your app is native Android, native iOS, React Native, Flutter, or a hybrid framework, the assessment methodology is platform-specific — not a generic cross-platform shortcut.

A typical mobile application assessment takes 8 to 15 business days depending on the complexity of the application, number of user roles, API surface area, and whether both Android and iOS platforms are in scope. This includes binary analysis, dynamic testing, backend API testing, multi-layer review, and report delivery. Lemon enforces daily progress tracking for full transparency.

Certificate pinning is a security mechanism that prevents traffic interception by restricting which SSL certificates the app trusts. Bypassing it is essential for thorough security testing because it allows engineers to intercept and analyze all network traffic between the app and its backend servers. Security Brigade performs certificate pinning bypass as a standard step on every mobile engagement — it is not an optional add-on.

Yes. Security Brigade tests mobile applications and their backend APIs as a unified attack surface — not in isolation. Every API endpoint the mobile app communicates with is tested for authentication bypass, authorization flaws, IDOR vulnerabilities, injection attacks, and business logic abuse. Mobile-side and API-side findings are correlated to demonstrate chained attack paths with real business impact.

Automated mobile scanners perform static analysis and basic checks against known vulnerability patterns. They cannot identify business logic flaws, transaction manipulation, privilege escalation through workflow abuse, or chained attack paths that combine mobile and API vulnerabilities. Security Brigade's approach combines automated binary extraction with deep manual testing by experienced engineers who understand how real attackers exploit mobile applications.

Typical requirements include the APK or IPA file (or access to download from internal distribution), test accounts for different user roles, access to a staging or pre-production backend environment, API documentation where available, and IP whitelisting for our testing infrastructure. All credentials and artifacts are managed securely through Lemon with full traceability.

Yes. Security Brigade's mobile application security testing methodology and reporting are aligned with CERT-In standards, RBI cybersecurity framework guidelines, and SEBI cyber security audit requirements. As a CERT-In empanelled auditor since 2008, our assessment reports are accepted by regulators and auditors. We also map findings to DPDP Act requirements for applications processing personal data.

Yes. Security Brigade has experience testing mobile applications built with React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Ionic, Cordova, and other cross-platform frameworks in addition to native Android and iOS. The assessment methodology is adapted for each framework's specific security characteristics, including JavaScript bridge analysis for hybrid apps and Dart code analysis for Flutter applications.

Every engagement includes technology-specific remediation guidance in the technical report — not generic advice, but actionable code examples and configuration changes tailored to your stack. Multiple rounds of retesting are included so your development team can verify fixes iteratively. Where needed, our consultants conduct remediation walkthrough sessions with your developers or third-party vendors to clarify findings and guide resolution.