Mobile apps have become an everyday part of our lives, and we increasingly depend on them for several tasks. Although they provide us with unmatched convenience, the flip side is that they serve as gateways to sensitive data and have become a prime target for cyberattacks.
Mobile application penetration testing simulates cyberattacks to uncover vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. It helps businesses protect user data, meet compliance requirements, and reduce breach risks.
What is mobile application penetration testing?
Mobile application penetration testing, also known as mobile app pen testing or mobile app security testing, is a proactive security process that replicates real-world attack scenarios to detect vulnerabilities in mobile applications.
Penetration testers examine the app’s code, configurations, APIs, and third-party integrations to identify weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. This testing spans Android, iOS, and hybrid platforms. It plays a crucial role in helping developers strengthen security from development to deployment.
Why is mobile application penetration testing important in 2025?
Mobile application penetration testing is important in 2025 because it helps safeguard user data, prevent costly data breaches, ensures compliance with regulations like NCA, SAMA, and GDPR, protects brand reputation, secures app environments, and supports secure app development by catching vulnerabilities early.
According to Verizon’s Mobile Security Index, 45% of companies experienced app-related breaches in the past year. Safeguard user data
Mobile apps often store important information like names, passwords, and payment details. If this data is stolen, it can cause serious problems. Penetration testing helps keep user data safe by checking for weak spots that hackers could use to break in.
Prevent data breaches and financial loss
Mobile application penetration testing helps prevent unauthorized access to user data, credentials, and financial information. A data breach can cost an average of $4.45 million per incident, according to
IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report.
Meet regulatory and compliance mandates
Penetration testing ensures mobile apps comply with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, NCA (Saudi Arabia), and SAMA by validating security controls and data handling practices. Compliance is not just a requirement; it’s a trust signal and a legal shield.
Protect brand reputation
Security flaws in mobile apps can lead to high-profile breaches and loss of customer trust.
In 2023, over 60% of consumers said they would stop using an app after a data breach. Secure evolving app ecosystems
With frequent updates and third-party SDKs, mobile apps are more exposed than ever. Regular pen testing reduces the attack surface introduced by continuous changes, APIs, and cloud-based integrations.
Catch security flaws early in the development pipeline
Integrating penetration testing into CI/CD pipelines helps developers catch issues early. This proactive approach results in faster release cycles and fewer post-deployment vulnerabilities.
What is the cost of mobile application penetration testing?
The cost of mobile application penetration testing varies based on the app's complexity, number of platforms (iOS/Android), testing scope (black-box, grey-box), and compliance requirements. Basic assessments may start at $3,000, while enterprise-grade testing with remediation support and compliance mapping can go beyond $15,000.
What parameters should you test during mobile application penetration testing?
You should test parameters such as authentication, data storage, APIs, code security, network communication, and permissions during mobible application penetration testing to ensure your mobile app is secure against real-world threats.
Authentication and session management
Authentication and session management should be tested to validate login mechanisms, session expiry, and resistance to session hijacking. Look for vulnerabilities in password reset, multi-factor authentication, and token handling.
Data storage and leakage
Data storage testing checks for sensitive information stored in plain text, improperly cached data, or credentials in shared preferences. These flaws are a major target in both Android and iOS exploits.
API security
API testing ensures secure communication between the app and backend services. Input validation, broken access control, and missing rate limiting are key risks to address.
Code obfuscation and reverse engineering resistance
Reverse engineering resistance is crucial to prevent attackers from decompiling apps and inserting malicious code. Obfuscation, encryption, and anti-tamper mechanisms are evaluated.
Network communication
Network security tests verify the use of HTTPS, SSL pinning, and TLS 1.2+. Unencrypted traffic can be intercepted using basic tools, risking PII exposure.
Permission and intent handling
Permission and intent audits look for unnecessary or dangerous permissions that can be exploited. Exposed activities or services can be abused by malicious apps.
How do you perform mobile application penetration testing?
You perform mobile application penetration testing by following a structured six-step process that includes scoping, environment setup, static and dynamic analysis, exploitation, and detailed reporting.
Steps to conduct mobile application penetration testing include:
1. Define the scope
Defining scope involves identifying the platforms (iOS, Android), app components to be tested, access level (
black-box, grey-box,
white-box), and compliance goals. This ensures the test aligns with business and regulatory requirements.
2. Set up the test environment
Setup includes configuring physical devices or emulators, proxy tools (like Burp Suite), and debugging frameworks. A controlled environment helps ensure test reliability and repeatability.
3. Reconnaissance
Testers gather information about the app's features, platforms, and technologies. This helps identify possible entry points and shape the testing strategy.
4. Threat modeling
Based on the collected data, testers build a threat model outlining potential attack vectors. This helps prioritize areas with the highest risk.
5. Perform static analysis
Static analysis involves inspecting source code or decompiled binaries for hardcoded credentials, insecure API keys, or logic flaws without executing the app.
6. Vulnerability scanning
Automated tools are used to scan the app for known vulnerabilities. These scans flag issues like weak encryption, insecure storage, or broken authentication.
7. Manual testing
Skilled testers manually examine the app to find deeper, logic-based vulnerabilities. This step reveals issues that automated tools often miss.
8. Perform dynamic analysis
Dynamic analysis runs the app in real time to observe how it behaves under different user actions and network conditions, exposing live vulnerabilities.
9. Exploit identified vulnerabilities
Exploitation involves safely simulating real-world attacks like session hijacking, insecure data transmission, or API abuse to understand business impact.
10. Document and report findings
The final stage delivers a comprehensive report with risk ratings, CVSS scores, technical impact, and tailored remediation steps.
What are the top 5 mobile app vulnerabilities to consider?
The top 5 mobile app vulnerabilities to consider are insecure data storage, weak server-side controls, inadequate authentication, insecure communication, and code tampering. Each of these can lead to serious security and compliance risks.
1. Insecure data storage
Insecure data storage leads to theft of PII, financial data, and app secrets. Over 76% of mobile apps have at least one misconfiguration that can leak sensitive data.
2. Weak server-side controls
Server-side issues like IDOR and SQL injection can be exploited via weak APIs. These allow attackers to manipulate backend responses and access unauthorized data.
3. Inadequate authentication
Authentication flaws expose users to session hijacking and credential stuffing. Pen testing checks for MFA, token management, and brute-force protection.
4. Insecure communication
Lack of encryption in network layers leads to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Penetration testing verifies SSL/TLS use and pinning implementation.
5. Code tampering and reverse engineering
Tampering and reverse engineering help attackers build malicious clones or inject backdoors. Obfuscation and runtime protection are key defenses.
How Microminder Cyber Security can help
Microminder Cyber Security delivers CREST-certified mobile application penetration testing services tailored for Android and iOS apps. Using a blend of automated tools and deep manual testing, Microminder Cyber Security uncovers hidden flaws in app logic, API communication, and data handling.
You will benefit from real-time dashboards, zero-disruption testing, and free retesting after remediation. The service supports frameworks such as SAMA and NCA, making it ideal for regulated sectors like banking, healthcare, and smart cities.
Thank you. An expert will get in touch shortly 
