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Invadel

Application

Mobile Application
Penetration Testing

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Senior certified testers, manual-first185+ years combined experienceOnboarding within 24 hoursFree retest includedOur methodology

When you need it

When you need mobile application penetration testing

The situations that bring teams to this engagement, and where it fits alongside the rest of your program.

  • You are launching in the App Store or Google Play, or shipping a major release, and no outsider has attacked the app yet.
  • An enterprise buyer or partner asked for third-party mobile app testing before rolling it out to their staff or customers.
  • The app handles payments, health data, or identity documents, bringing PCI DSS or HIPAA obligations with it.
  • The app and its backend are inside your SOC 2 boundary and the auditor expects application-layer evidence.
  • A researcher, app-store reviewer, or customer reported data exposure or a reverse-engineering finding and you need the whole app checked.

Definition

What is mobile application penetration testing?

Mobile application penetration testing is a manual attack on your iOS and Android apps and the back end they talk to, tested against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS). Testers read the binary, run the app on a real device, strip its client-side protections, and prove which weaknesses expose user data. Both platforms are included at one fixed price, from $6,000.

iOS

iOS application penetration testing

iOS application penetration testing checks the protections Apple’s platform provides, such as the Keychain and App Transport Security, and the ones your app adds on top, such as certificate pinning and jailbreak detection, then tests what an attacker on a jailbroken device can do without them. We work from a release or staging IPA on a real device, and the same engagement covers your Android build and the shared API with no per-platform surcharge. The checks that differ between the two platforms are compared further down this page.

What we look for

Mobile app vulnerabilities we hunt for

Mobile apps run on devices you do not control. We test to the OWASP MASVS for flaws that expose user data.

Insecure Data Storage

Sensitive data left readable on a device you do not control.

We test for

  • Plaintext files and databases
  • Keychain and Keystore misuse
  • Cached and logged secrets
  • Backup and clipboard exposure

Transport & Cryptography

Weak protection of data in transit and at rest on the device.

We test for

  • TLS and certificate pinning
  • Weak or custom cryptography
  • Cleartext traffic
  • Insecure key storage

Authentication & Session

Client-side authentication and session handling that can be bypassed.

We test for

  • Local authentication bypass
  • Biometric and PIN handling
  • Session and token storage
  • Deep link and intent abuse

Runtime & Platform

Runtime tampering and insecure use of platform features.

We test for

  • Root and jailbreak detection
  • Runtime manipulation and hooking
  • Debuggable and backup flags
  • Exported components

Backend API & Integrations

The services behind the app, where most of the data actually lives and where a tampered client can reach the furthest.

We test for

  • Authorization on every endpoint the app calls
  • Token handling between app and API
  • Third-party SDK and analytics data flows
  • Push, deep-link, and webhook integrations

Platforms

iOS vs Android: what differs in testing

One MASVS-aligned test plan for both platforms; the techniques and findings differ.

iOS

  • Keychain usage, data protection classes, and backup exposure
  • App Transport Security exceptions and certificate pinning
  • Jailbreak and anti-debugging checks, and bypassing them
  • Universal links, URL schemes, and pasteboard exposure
  • Binary protections and the secrets shipped inside the IPA

Android

  • Keystore use versus plaintext SharedPreferences and SQLite
  • Network security config, cleartext traffic, and pinning
  • Root detection, debuggable and backup flags, Play Integrity
  • Exported activities, services, providers, and intents
  • Obfuscation quality and the secrets recoverable from the APK

OWASP MASVS

OWASP MASVS levels and what we verify

The OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard defines what a secure mobile app looks like; the Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG) defines how to check it.

MASVS-L1: standard security

The baseline every app should meet: no sensitive data in plaintext storage, TLS with proper validation, sound authentication and session handling, and platform APIs used correctly.

MASVS-L2: defense in depth

For apps handling payments, health, or identity data. Adds stronger cryptography, biometric and local authentication handling, and stricter data-exposure controls.

MASVS-R: resilience

Anti-tampering and anti-reversing controls: root and jailbreak detection, obfuscation, runtime integrity, and how the app behaves under instrumentation with Frida, objection, and jadx.

The report states the level tested and lists the MASTG cases exercised, which is what security reviews ask for.

Tooling

Tools we use, and what a person does with them

Tools accelerate coverage; a senior tester decides what the results mean. These are the main ones and the MASVS areas they help us cover.

What we use it for

MobSF
Automated static and basic dynamic analysis of the IPA and APK to map the app and surface candidates
jadx and apktool
Decompiling and reading Android bytecode and resources for secrets and logic
Frida and objection
Runtime instrumentation to bypass root, jailbreak, and pinning and to hook sensitive functions
Burp Suite Professional
Intercepting and manipulating traffic between the app and its back-end API

MASVS area

MobSF
Storage, code quality
jadx and apktool
Code quality, resilience
Frida and objection
Resilience, authentication
Burp Suite Professional
Network, authentication

Tooling is driven by the tester, never left to run alone. Every finding is reproduced by hand before it reaches the report.

Compliance

Mobile app security testing for compliance

Mobile apps carry platform and regulatory obligations on top of the frameworks you already answer to.

PCI DSS

Apps that accept or display card data, including software-based PIN entry and tap-to-pay, are in scope for Requirement 11.4 testing and the PCI mobile payment standards.

HIPAA

Patient portals, telehealth, and device companion apps handle ePHI on a device you do not control, so storage, transport, and access findings map directly to the Security Rule.

App-store and platform programs

Google Play data safety declarations and independent security review programs such as the App Defense Alliance MASA expect MASVS-based testing evidence.

Enterprise and government buyers

Security questionnaires for enterprise deployment, and NIAP requirements for government use, ask for third-party mobile testing against a recognized standard.

Methodology

Mobile application penetration testing methodology

Full methodology →

Every engagement follows the Penetration Testing Execution Standard and the relevant OWASP guides.

These are the phases your mobile application penetration testing runs through.

  1. 01

    Static analysis

    The IPA and APK are unpacked and read for hardcoded secrets, insecure storage, weak cryptography, and the platform APIs the app relies on.

  2. 02

    Dynamic analysis

    The app runs on a real device while we instrument it, bypassing root, jailbreak, and pinning controls the way an attacker would.

  3. 03

    Network & transport

    Traffic to the back end is intercepted and tested for weak TLS, missing pinning, and data leaked in transit.

  4. 04

    Backend API

    The APIs behind the app are tested for the authorization and logic flaws that hold most of the data.

  5. 05

    Report & retest

    Platform-specific findings with reproduction steps and CVSS ratings, then a free retest once your team ships fixes.

How it works

How your engagement runs

From scope through the final retest, your team stays in the loop at every step, with findings tracked live in our platform.

  1. 01

    Scope & kickoff

    Targets, roles, and rules of engagement defined in writing, with a fixed scope and timeline.

  2. 02

    Testing goes live

    Findings post to your live platform dashboard the moment our testers confirm them.

  3. 03

    Track remediation

    Follow every finding from open to fixed, with severity, evidence, and status in one place.

  4. 04

    Report & retest

    Executive and technical reports land, then request a free retest in one click.

Compliance

Compliance frameworks this test satisfies

Findings are mapped to the requirement or control they evidence, so the same report serves your auditor, your customers, and your engineers.

PCI DSSRequirement 11.4 application-layer testing for apps that accept, display, or transmit cardholder data.HIPAATechnical safeguard evidence for apps that store, cache, or transmit ePHI on patient and clinician devices.SOC 2CC6.1 and CC6.7 evidence for the mobile client and the APIs inside your audit boundary.ISO 27001Annex A 8.8 and A 8.29 evidence for mobile applications inside your ISMS scope.GDPRArticle 32 testing of apps that process EU personal data, including on-device storage and third-party SDK flows.
Common inFintechE-commerce & RetailMedia & AdTechAll industries

Proof

Proof in the field

Every engagement is confidential, so the work below is anonymized to sector and engagement type.

All case studies →

Free

Retest on every penetration test

185+

Years combined experience

14

Senior in-house specialists

24h

Onboarding after signing

HR & Payroll SaaS

Web Application Penetration Test

High risk

Critical: a file-inclusion flaw that let an attacker read sensitive files from the server through the application itself. High: stored cross-site scripting capable of session theft, insecure direct object references, and an authorization bypass that let an administrator create or delete organization owners.

Outcome. Delivered a remediation plan sequenced by real business impact, critical and high findings first, with a complimentary retest to verify every fix.

28

Findings

1

Critical

5

High

Read the case study

Fintech · Payments

Web Application Penetration Test

High risk

Critical: a remote code execution flaw in the application’s web framework that could have given an attacker full control of the server. We escalated it to the development team while the test was still running.

Outcome. The critical RCE was reported and remediated during the engagement via an emergency framework upgrade, which also closed the server-side request forgery, and the remaining findings were retested to confirmation.

1

Critical (RCE)

Mid-test

Critical remediated

2

High

Read the case study
LatentPerygeeCity National BankAubaDesteiaDTCC
Request a reference 

Resources

Field notes from the offensive side

All articles →

iOS vs Android Security Testing: What Actually Differs

How mobile security testing differs between iOS and Android: storage, sandboxing, jailbreak and root, pinning, IPC, and the findings typical of each platform.

The OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024, Explained

The OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024 in plain English: M1 to M10, what changed from the 2016 list, and how to test iOS and Android apps against each risk.

API Penetration Testing: Methodology and Checklist

A step-by-step API penetration testing checklist for REST and GraphQL: the OWASP API Top 10 flaws that matter, how to test authorization, and how to scope it.

Want to see a report first?

Read a sample report for a fictional client, or request a redacted one from a real engagement. Our guide explains what a penetration testing report should contain.

See the sample report

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What teams most often ask before scoping mobile application penetration testing.

Still have questions? 
01Do you test both iOS and Android?

Yes. We test both platforms against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard, covering insecure storage, transport security, authentication, and runtime tampering, plus the backend APIs the app relies on.

02Do you test the app's backend too?

Yes. A mobile app is only as secure as the services behind it, so we include the APIs the app consumes as part of the assessment.

03What do mobile application penetration testing services include?

A complete engagement covers static analysis of the IPA and APK binaries, dynamic testing on real devices, insecure data storage review, transport security and certificate pinning checks, runtime manipulation testing, and the backend APIs the app talks to. You receive platform-specific findings for iOS and Android with reproduction steps, and a retest after your developers ship fixes.

04How long does a mobile penetration test take?

Most engagements run about one to two weeks depending on the app's size and features, followed by reporting and a complimentary retest of remediated findings.

05Is one platform or both included?

Both iOS and Android are included in a mobile application penetration test, where many providers charge per platform. If you only ship on one platform we scope to that, but there is no per-platform surcharge for testing both.

06How much does a mobile penetration test cost?

Mobile application penetration tests start at $6,000 with both iOS and Android included, fixed before work begins, and a free retest of remediated findings. Larger apps are quoted after scoping. Starting prices for every service are on our pricing page.

07Do you bypass certificate pinning and root or jailbreak detection?

Yes. Pinning and root or jailbreak detection are client-side controls, and a real attacker on a compromised device removes them with instrumentation tools such as Frida and objection. We do the same, then test what the app and its API do once those controls are gone. The report tells you whether the controls slowed us down and, more importantly, whether anything behind them relied on their holding.

08What do we need to provide: the IPA and APK, or just store links?

Release or staging builds of the IPA and APK, test accounts for each user role, and any documentation for the backend API. Production store builds work, but debug or staging builds with the same code let us test faster and reach the environment your team can safely fix against. We agree the exact inputs during scoping.

09Is mobile application security testing the same as a mobile app penetration test?

Mobile application security testing is the umbrella term: it covers automated app scanning, static analysis of the binary, and manual testing. A mobile app penetration test, or mobile app pentesting, is the manual, attacker-driven form and the one that finds the authorization and logic flaws in the API behind the app. Our engagement combines static analysis of the IPA and APK, dynamic testing on real devices, and manual testing of the backend, so it satisfies a request for either term.

10What is the difference between black box and gray box mobile testing?

In a black box mobile test we start with only the public store build and no accounts, modelling an attacker who downloads the app cold. In a gray box test, the default for most engagements, you provide a test account for each role and any back-end documentation, so we spend the time on depth instead of discovery and reach the authorization and logic flaws in the API behind the app. Our guide to black, gray, and white box testing covers the trade-offs.

Ready to test your defenses?

Talk to our team about scoping mobile application penetration testing.

Prefer the full scoping questionnaire? 
RelatedWeb App API Secure Code Review Application Pentest

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