Choice of app protection approach affects how well protected is an app

The choice of app protection should not be taken lightly. Modern applications face numerous threats that evolve alongside advancements in cybersecurity. To ensure comprehensive security, you must select an approach that aligns with your app’s specific needs and risk profile.

If your primary goal is to achieve compliance requirements or obtain a "tick-the-box" certification, app shielding may suffice. App shielding refers to applying security layers to an application post-development, often adding basic protections such as code obfuscation and anti-tampering mechanisms. While many penetration (PEN) testing companies might pass these protections, they do not cover some more complex attack vectors that are arising during runtime.

For apps requiring robust defense against dynamic analysis attacks, in-app protection offers a more advanced alternative. In-app protection integrates security mechanisms during the development process, enabling apps to actively defend themselves against threats like runtime tampering, memory scraping, and instrumentation attacks. By embedding these protections, you can better safeguard sensitive operations throughout the app's lifecycle.

This guide explores common threats in the app security landscape and provides insights to help you evaluate your options. Cryptomathic’s cryptography expertise offers unparalleled protection. Below, we discuss these considerations to aid in your decision-making process when securing your applications.

1. Understanding the Threat Landscape

• Static Analysis: Attackers analyze the app's APK or IPA file without running it. Protection methods include obfuscation, encryption, and app shielding.
• Dynamic Analysis: Attackers run the app to inspect runtime behaviors, such as API calls, memory contents, and dynamic code execution. RAM scraping, memory patching, and hooking tools like Frida are common here.

To address dynamic threats, it's essential to go beyond static protection and safeguard the app during execution.

2. Techniques for Runtime and RAM Protection

To ensure that sensitive data in memory is protected, consider implementing these techniques:

• Encrypt and decrypt data only when needed.
• Use polymorphic techniques where the memory layout of the app changes dynamically during execution, making it harder to analyze in RAM.

b) White-Box Cryptography

• White-box cryptography embeds encryption keys into the algorithm in such a way that keys are never exposed, even during runtime.

c) Anti-Tampering

• Detect and prevent attempts to hook the app's runtime (e.g., with Frida or Xposed).
• Use checksum or signature verification for critical code and memory regions to detect modifications.

d) Memory Protection

• Minimize sensitive data retention in memory (e.g., zero out memory buffers immediately after use).
• Use hardware-backed security features, such as Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) or Secure Enclaves, to handle sensitive operations.
  

e) Debugging Detection

• Detect and prevent debugging or hooking by scanning for debugging flags or attached processes (e.g., ptrace on Linux/Android).
• Terminate or modify app behavior when suspicious debugging or instrumentation is detected.
  
  

3. Implementing Best Practices

• Use Secure SDKs: Implement libraries and SDKs designed to resist tampering and memory scraping, such as tools provided by Cryptomathic.
• OWASP MASVS Compliance: Ensure compliance with the Resilience (R) requirements of OWASP MASVS for robust runtime and memory protection.
• Dynamic Protections: Implement runtime defenses, including anti-tampering, memory encryption, and detection of debugging or hooking frameworks.
• Comprehensive Testing: Conduct regular PEN testing, simulate real-world attacks, and continuously update protections to counter evolving threats.
  

4. Testing Against Attacks

To validate the effectiveness of your protections, simulate attacks like:

• Frida: A popular dynamic instrumentation framework.
• Ghidra/IDA Pro: Combined with memory dumps for reverse engineering.
• RAM Dump Analysis: Inspect your app's RAM footprint under test conditions to ensure no sensitive data persists.

5. Real-World Threats That Highlight the Importance of Dynamic App Protection

The evolving threat landscape includes sophisticated malware that specifically targets mobile applications, particularly those in the financial sector. Below are some prominent examples that demonstrate why robust dynamic protections are essential:

• Xenomorph Banking Trojan: A highly advanced malware targeting Android devices, Xenomorph is capable of keylogging, overlay attacks, and even memory scraping to extract sensitive data from the device’s RAM. These capabilities underscore the need for memory protection mechanisms that shield sensitive data during runtime.
• Cerberus Banking Trojan: Another notorious Android banking trojan, Cerberus performs a range of malicious activities, including keystroke logging, screenshot capturing, and manipulation of accessibility services to gain unauthorized access to device memory. This emphasizes the importance of integrating runtime protections, such as in-app encryption and anti-tampering defenses.
• EventBot: Known for targeting financial applications, EventBot intercepts SMS messages, steals two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, and scrapes sensitive information from device memory. Its ability to exploit runtime vulnerabilities highlights the importance of securing the app both statically and dynamically.
  
  

Conclusion

To effectively secure your app against RAM-based and dynamic threats, a multi-layered approach is essential:

1. Combine In-App Obfuscation with Runtime Protections: Ensure your app is equipped to counter dynamic analysis and memory-scraping techniques by integrating advanced runtime defenses with robust obfuscation methods.
2. Leverage Hardware-Backed Security: Utilize features such as Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) or Secure Enclaves to isolate and protect sensitive operations.
3. Conduct Continuous Testing: Regular PEN testing and security audits are critical to staying ahead of emerging threats and fine-tuning your app's defenses.

Securing your application is more than a checkbox for compliance—it’s about building lasting trust with your users while safeguarding your brand against ever-evolving threats. As we’ve discussed in this and earlier posts, the app security landscape demands a proactive approach that blends static and dynamic protections to mitigate risks at all stages.

The importance of these strategies becomes clear when examining real-world malware threats like the Xenomorph Banking Trojan, Cerberus Banking Trojan, and EventBot, which exploit memory vulnerabilities, perform keystroke logging, and intercept sensitive data in real time. These attacks demonstrate the need for advanced security measures that protect apps during execution, rather than relying solely on static defenses.

With over a decade of experience and expertise honed through extensive PEN testing, Cryptomathic stands out as a trusted partner in app security. Our solutions leverage cutting-edge cryptographic techniques to protect sensitive data both in static storage and during runtime, addressing threats such as memory scraping and tampering head-on. By choosing a solution that integrates security from the ground up, your app can transcend basic compliance to become a resilient, trusted tool capable of meeting modern security challenges.

As you evaluate your options, consider not only compliance needs but also the trust, resilience, and long-term security you wish to offer your users. With the right protections in place, your app won’t just survive in a threat-heavy landscape—it will thrive.