Mobile application testing
Test where the app meets the device.
Assess the iOS or Android application, its local data and the services it calls before a release or a major platform change.
Scope a mobile app testDoes sign-out remove sensitive data from the device?
Cached sample documents remain readable on a shared handset after the session ends.
Illustrative test report
- Boundary
- Record the iOS or Android build, test identities, device version and authorised backend.
- Decision
- The mobile owner addresses cached documents. A server that still accepts a signed-out session needs a separate API check.
- Verification
- Repeat the sign-out and local data check on the corrected app version.
Example mobile test scope
- On device
- What remains in local storage after sign-out?
- In transit
- How does the app protect calls to its API?
- On the server
- Can one user access another user’s records?
Prepare for this engagement
When it is useful
A new build handles sensitive information, introduces biometric sign-in or changes the way the app talks to an API.
What to bring
For the sign-out example, supply the exact app build, supported iOS or Android versions, two test identities and fictional account data. Identify the backend environment, API endpoints you may authorise and release owner. The device check establishes what remains on the handset. A separate API penetration test can check whether the server still accepts the signed-out session.
What you receive
The report separates client-side weaknesses from backend issues and identifies the app version to retest.
Get a faster, clearer, and simpler view of your mobile application vulnerabilities
A mobile app can store sensitive data on a device and send it to a backend API. Testing both sides helps identify what someone could read or change if a device, session or account were compromised.
Provide the iOS or Android build, supported versions, test accounts and the API endpoints you own. We assess agreed controls such as local storage after sign-out, authentication, transport security and server-enforced access between users. Testing the mobile client alone does not establish the security of its wider backend.
What is involved in mobile app penetration testing?
Our CREST certified penetration testers conduct manual and automated security assessments to simulate real-world attacks, while ensuring not to impact day-to-day operations.
SAST & DAST: Our comprehensive approach to mobile app penetration testing
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing) Review your application’s source code to identify potential security flaws at the code level, ensuring vulnerabilities are mitigated before deployment.
- DAST (Dynamic Application Security testing) simulates real-world attacks on running applications, uncovering security weaknesses that only emerge under certain conditions.
By combining SAST and DAST testing we provide a holistic view of an application’s security, covering both code-level and runtime vulnerabilities for robust protection.
Where we test the mobile application
Authentication and Session Management
Mobile apps often use access tokens, biometric logins, or third-party identity providers. We assess how credentials are stored and managed, test session timeouts and simulate bypasses such as deep link manipulation or forced browsing.
Insecure Data Storage
We examine local databases, shared preferences, caches, and file system areas to uncover any sensitive information stored without encryption or proper protection, especially in rooted or jailbroken environments.
API Communication & Transport Security
We analyse how your app communicates with backend services, verifying TLS enforcement, certificate validation, and resistance to man-in-the-middle attacks on both public and private APIs.
Reverse Engineering and Code Tampering
It is important to test your app’s resilience against reverse engineering, dynamic instrumentation, and repackaging, including tamper detection mechanisms.
Platform Misconfigurations
Each mobile OS has unique configuration settings that affect security. We look for exported components, insecure intent schemes, over-privileged permissions, and debug or logging settings left enabled in production.
Third-Party Libraries & SDK Risks
Apps often rely on external SDKs for analytics, advertising, or payment processing. We review these components for known vulnerabilities, excessive permissions, privacy violations, and insecure integration practices.
Benefits of mobile app penetration testing
Strengthen your organisations’ security posture
Early detection of vulnerabilities prevents data breaches, financial loss, and service disruption.
Having a trusted third party independently assess your mobile applications is also an invaluable training and continuous improvement tool for internal teams as it:
- Provides actionable recommendations to fix vulnerabilities and improve security practices.
- Helps teams adopt better security controls, patch management, and monitoring practices.
- Evaluates the security of API’s that mobile apps communicate with, ensuring data exchanges are not exposed.
Mobile app penetration testing FAQs
What is mobile app penetration testing?
Mobile app penetration testing identifies vulnerabilities in iOS and Android apps before attackers can exploit them. During the test, security specialists analyse how the app stores data, communicates with servers, handles authentication, and interacts with the device’s operating system. This process helps uncover risks such as insecure APIs, weak encryption, poor session management, and data exposure. The goal is to provide clear, actionable recommendations that improve the app’s overall security and protect user data.
Can you test Android and iOS apps on the same engagement?
Yes. Mobile applications on Android and iOS can be penetration tested at the same time, and many organisations choose to assess both platforms in a single engagement. Although the platforms differ in architecture, permissions, and security controls, our testers run parallel workflows to evaluate each app’s behaviour, storage methods, network communication, and API interactions. Testing both versions together provides a complete picture of your mobile security posture, ensures consistent protection across platforms, and often reduces overall project time and cost.
How often should mobile applications be tested?
Set testing frequency from risk and release cadence. Major changes to authentication, payment handling, SDKs, data storage or backend permissions are reasons to revisit scope. A test provides evidence about the build and configuration assessed.
Can my team and my customers still use mobile applications while they are being tested?
In a vast majority of cases, Yes. Testing is typically performed in a controlled staging or test environment to avoid affecting real users or production data. If production testing is required, it is conducted carefully within a predefined scope to ensure the app remains available and stable. Our testers follow strict rules of engagement to ensure your app, data, and users remain safe throughout the assessment.
How long does mobile app penetration testing take?
The duration depends on the application’s size, complexity, and scope of testing. A small app may take a couple of days, while large enterprise systems can take several weeks. We will always provide a clear timeline before mobile app penetration testing begins, but as a guide:
- Small mobile apps: 2-3 days
- Medium mobile apps: 5-10 days
- Larger mobile apps: 10 days+