Android applications are on the up and rise along with the fame of android itself. This makes the applications that use this platform targets for security breaches and theft. Thus, necessitating the need for its security assessment and subsequent protection. This can be done using automated tools or by hand and this is where Android Software Penetration Testing comes to play.
Manual testing is just as important as automated testing, in understanding how the application works and finding vulnerabilities that may not be found by automated tools. In this blog post, we will discuss what Android software penetration testing is and what you need to know in order to perform it successfully.
What Is Android Software Penetration Testing?
Android software penetration testing is the process of assessing the security of an Android application which can be accomplished manually or with automated software. Automated tools are more commonly employed since they are quicker and more precise. Manual testing, however, is still vital for determining how the application works and finding security flaws that may not be discovered by automated tools.
In general, there are two main types of Android applications: native and web-based. Native applications are installed on the device like any other application, while web-based applications run in a web browser on the device. Web-based applications tend to be less secure than native applications because they have access to fewer resources on the device and can be easily compromised by malicious websites.
What Does Android Software Penetration Testing Test For?
Web-based applications tend to be less secure than native applications because they have access to fewer resources on the device and can easily be compromised by malicious websites. The major goal of Android security testing is to discover and repair any existing vulnerabilities before an app is made available to the general public.
Features Of Android Software Penetration Testing
- Understand android and how it works.
- Familiar with different types of Android applications.
- Familiar with security vulnerabilities that can occur in Android applications.
- The method is time-consuming and complex.
- Requires a considerable amount of expertise and experience.
- Not all Android applications are suitable for penetration testing.
Tools For Android Software Penetration Testing
Android software penetration testing can be done manually or using automated tools. Automated tools are more commonly used, as they are faster and more accurate. However, manual testing is still important in order to understand how the application works and to find vulnerabilities that may not be found by automated tools.
Some of the most popular Android security assessment tools include:
- Astra’s Pentest: This android security assessment tool is provided by Astra Security. They also offer a variety of services like penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and more.
- droid-hunter: A tool for analyzing android applications’ permissions and detecting potential privacy leaks based on user input/output analysis (I/O).
- drozer: A tool for security assessment of Android applications and devices. It can be used to find vulnerabilities and exploit them.
- Burp Suite: A tool for performing web application security testing. It includes a variety of tools for attacking and defending web applications.
- Androliuty: A software that may be used to automate the testing of Android apps for security flaws.
- droidsniffer: An open-source network sniffing tool designed specifically for Android devices running Froyo through Jelly Bean versions of Google’s mobile operating system platform; a modified tcpdump command-line utility with added functionality such as packet capture filtering capabilities.
- qark: A program that searches for a variety of security-related Android app flaws, either in source code or packaged APKs (Android Application Package).
- Android Debug Bridge (ADB): This is an Android computer that runs on a virtual machine and allows you to issue commands to devices or emulators running the Android OS.
Pros And Cons Of Android Software Penetration Testing
There are several benefits and drawbacks to doing Android software penetration testing. On the positive side, it can help identify security vulnerabilities in applications that may be exploited by hackers. It can also help improve the overall security of the application. On the negative side, it is a time-consuming and complex process that requires a significant amount of knowledge and experience. Not all Android applications are suitable for penetration testing, so it may not be feasible to test every application. Additionally, some vulnerabilities may not be found using automated tools, so manual testing is still necessary.
Conclusion
The security of any android application can be guaranteed and safeguarded with the help of android software penetration testing. This article provides in detail the basics of what android software penetration testing is and what it tests for.
The article has also highlighted the pros and cons, features, and some of the best tools for software penetration testing for android applications in order to ensure the safety of these applications when in use.
Author Bio
Ankit Pahuja is the Marketing Lead & Evangelist at Astra Security. Ever since his adulthood (literally, he was 20 years old), he began finding vulnerabilities in websites & network infrastructures. Starting his professional career as a software engineer at one of the unicorns enables him in bringing “engineering in marketing” to reality. Working actively in the cybersecurity space for more than 2 years makes him the perfect T-shaped marketing professional. Ankit is an avid speaker in the security space and has delivered various talks in top companies, early-age startups, and online events.
