The Role of Threat Modeling in Mobile App Security: A Practical Guide

Types of Threats That Can Impact Mobile Apps

Awareness of cyber risks and taking the necessary precautions to protect your data and identity is critical. Here are the threats for mobile application security : 

1. Weak Encryption

Without effective encryption, your app’s data is subject to unauthorized access and even exploitation by hostile actors. Encryption is a powerful protection against data breaches, guaranteeing that even if an attacker obtains access to the data, it is rendered worthless without the decryption key.

2. Data Leakage

Data leaking is a typical mobile app security concern in which hackers get access to valuable user or corporate data. This often occurs when the code needs more safe coding principles, encryption, and effective authentication procedures. If your app is insecure or does not have fundamental mobile device security protocols, hackers can obtain and misuse the following information.

3. Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities are weaknesses or vulnerabilities in software code that might allow hackers to enter an app, obtain access to sensitive information, or take control of its operations. Mobile applications, especially those created with complicated coding, are frequently rife with such vulnerabilities, making them great targets for fraudsters to attack.

4. Unsecure Network Connection

Data is sent over carrier networks and the Internet in the client-server architecture of mobile app security. Vulnerabilities in this traversal procedure provide opportunities for attackers to launch malware assaults and intercept stored private data over WiFi or local networks. Businesses may face privacy violations, fraud, identity theft, and brand harm.

5. Unreliable Third-Party Components

Developers frequently employ a combination of third-party components, such as APIs, libraries, and frameworks, to facilitate development. While third-party components are useful, they are typically hazardous, especially from untrustworthy sources. Such functionalities may access sensitive information and enable malicious programs to operate on users’ devices.

6. Malware attacks

Malware is malware that infects a device or mobile app, typically to get access to sensitive information. It may spread via links, downloads, or applications, and fraudsters target it since millions of consumers use and rely on mobile apps daily. Cybercriminals continuously seek new methods to attack mobile applications, which have become popular targets because of their broad use.

7. Hardcoded Passwords or Keys

Developers sometimes hardcode passwords, API keys, or OAuth keys to make an application easier to develop, support, and troubleshoot. This implies that the passwords or keys are directly written in the code. When these hardcoded values are found when an attacker reverse-engineers your software, you’re vulnerable to all types of exploitation.

Read More : Why Mobile App Pen Testing is Crucial for Enterprises

What are the Advantages of Mobile App Threat Modelling?

The purpose of Mobile App Security threats Modeling is not just to discover vulnerabilities for mitigation but also to improve the application’s overall security. This method can benefit the app development process in the following ways:

• • Design secure applications.

• • Create security test scenarios to investigate the security needs.

• • Highlight and create the appropriate control protocol.

• • Balance risk, control, and usability.

• • Identify essential control development and superfluous zones based on the probable danger.

• • Keep a record of all dangers and mitigating approaches.

• • Prevent corporate goals and needs from being compromised by threats or hostile actors.

• • Ensure compliance and allocate resources efficiently, prioritizing security and development responsibilities.

The Workflow of Mobile App Thread Modeling

While the stages involved in mobile app threat modeling differ from company to organization, they may be classified into the following three high-level steps:

Step 1: Decomposing the Application.

This stage requires understanding how the app functions and interacts with other things. Here’s what this step includes:

• • Developing several use cases for the app

• • Identifying entry points a prospective attacker may employ.

• • Identifying potential assets for an attacker to exploit and the application’s access rights for external organizations.

Step 2: Identifying and Ranking Threats

This stage entails detecting and categorizing possible risks using the DREAD and STRIDE frameworks described above. This will help you understand the possible vulnerabilities, how they will be exploited, and the damage they might do.

The Threat Modeling Methodologies

DREAD

It is a threat modeling methodology for determining and comparing a threat’s risk level. DREAD is also an acronym. Risk Score=DREAD (Damage, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected Users, and Discoverability).

Risk scores range from 0 (zero danger) to 10 (destruction or compromise).

• • Damage potential: It refers to how much harm the danger is capable of generating.

• • Reproducibility refers to how simply and repeatedly the danger may be exploited.

• • Exploitability: The vector’s magnitude or frequency in comparison to the danger.

• • Affected Users: How much impact would the treat have if implemented?

• • Discoverability: How easy it is to locate the threat.

STRIDE

It is a goal-based technique that considers the attacker’s aims. STRIDE, like DREAD, is an acronym that describes six different types of threats and the security procedures used to combat them. Here’s what STRIDE means(possible threat vectors):

• • Spoofing Identity: This threat activity attempts to obtain access by utilizing another person’s login and password.

• • Tampering with Data: This entails manipulating or changing data within the system to achieve harmful objectives.

• • Repudiation is a threat action that seeks to commit illegal acts in a system.

• • Information Disclosure: This threat action exposes data that the user cannot access.

• • Denial of Service: This attack seeks to render a web-based service useless.

• • Elevation of Privilege: This threat seeks to gain unauthorized access to compromise.

Step 3: Determine Countermeasures and Mitigation

Now, you must find countermeasures to minimize the vulnerabilities you discovered in the previous stage. Depending on the threat they pose, you can:

• • Accept the threat’s impact.

• • Get rid of the components that enable vulnerability.

• • Take the appropriate steps to lessen the impact of the threat.

Threat Modeling of Mobile App Security Best Practices

Here’s how you get the most out of mobile app threat modeling:

• • Define the Scope Clearly: You must first identify the scope of the analysis with your stakeholders and then break down the depth of the study with the appropriate teams.

• • Visual Understanding: Create a diagram or other simple visual piece depicting the app’s primary components being threat modeled.

• • Model Attack Possibilities: Create a diagram/model that accurately represents all software assets, threat agents, and mobile app security controls. Following that, you may discover possible dangers using techniques such as STRIDE.

• • Monitor Weak Security Controls: Consider the path the threat agents will take and monitor it. A possible assault might occur if the threat agent accesses the asset without first passing through security controls. If the danger agent goes through security control, determine if the control can stop the threat agent.

• • Continuously Update: Your threat model must be updated when new mobile device security vulnerabilities emerge yearly. Not updating will render thread modeling useless against new threats, defeating the goal.

Read More : Mobile App Security: A Comprehensive Guide to Penetration Testing

Securing Your Mobile Applications from Cyber Threats

Mobile app security testing examines or assesses application security using SAST or DAST scans. Security testing enables developers to uncover possible application vulnerabilities and successfully eliminate them, resulting in a more secure and robust mobile app. There are two ways to test and identify flaws in mobile apps:

Penetration Testing

Mobile application penetration testing, often run by an ethical hacker or a trained security professional, is a simulated attack on an app to identify possible vulnerabilities. The security expert approaches/interacts with the app in the same way that a hacker would and employs automated pentesting tools to identify vulnerable flaws and prevent real attacks.

Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability testing (VA) is a method for identifying vulnerabilities in an application. Typically, developers put their software via an automated vulnerability assessment tool, which scans it for flaws and reports them. Vulnerability assessments are of two types:

• • Static Application Security Testing (SAST) entails reviewing the app’s source code and properly implementing security measures. This occurs while the app is at rest.

• • Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) evaluates the program while running. It’s an automated test miming an attacker’s approach to the app. This is extensive and helps reveal server configuration, authentication and permission flaws, and potential data breaches.

Steps Involved in Mobile App Security Testing

While the specific processes in mobile app security testing may differ for every company, here’s what security testing commonly entails:

1. 1. Information Gathering: Also called Pre-Assessment Phase. Here, all the information about the application is gathered from the client.
      
      
   2. Scoping: Determine how much effort and time is needed for testing. And also which tools and methodologies are going to be used.
      
      
   3. Auto Tool Scan: Automated tools are used to scan the surface level of the app and find vulnerabilities. The testing companies use in-house-built and commercial tools to perform the pentest.
      
      
   4. Manual Pentesting: Pentesters identify and mitigate the vulnerabilities to get zero false positives.
      
      
   5. Reporting: A detailed and developer-friendly pentest report is created to help clients and developers learn what issues to fix and how to fix them.
      
      
   6. Remediation: This is the time given to the developers to fix the issue and if they need any help with the vulnerabilities, pentesters will help them with a consultation call.
      
      
   7. Retesting: Pentesters re-test the application after remediation to check for further issues or vulnerabilities.
      
      
   8. LOA & Certificate: The testing company provides a Letter of Attestation and Security Certificate to ensure the client and their customer that the application is safe for everyone.

Reporting is a major step to achieving compliance. With Qualysec’s comprehensive pentest report, we guarantee an achievement of compliance. Check how by clicking below!