Mobile Application Penetration Testing
We test your iOS and Android apps end to end — the binary, local storage, and the APIs behind them — following the OWASP MASVS. Hardcoded secrets and broken transport security are still everywhere.
What is Mobile Application Penetration Testing?
A mobile app ships your logic to a device you don't control. We decompile the binary, inspect what it stores and how it talks to your backend, and bypass client-side defences — because the real prize is usually the API behind the app.
A mobile app is code running on hardware an attacker fully controls, so anything it 'protects' on the device can be reverse-engineered, and anything it trusts on the backend can be replayed. We test all three layers together — the compiled app, the local data it stores, and the API it talks to — because the most serious mobile findings almost always come down to a server-side authorization flaw the app was quietly relying on.
Mobile testing also has to account for the platform's own security model — keychains, secure enclaves, permission systems — and where developers unknowingly work around it. A token stored 'securely' but with the wrong access flag, a WebView that trusts arbitrary URLs, a deep link that triggers a sensitive action: these are platform-specific traps a generic web test never considers, and they're where mobile-specific compromise lives.
Mobile Application Penetration Testing is a manual, exploit-driven assessment: real people attacking your target the way an adversary would, then proving each finding with a working proof of concept. It is not an automated scan with a logo on it — the point is to find and demonstrate the issues that actually put you at risk, and hand your team a clear plan to fix them.
Why it matters
Applications are the most-attacked surface on the internet, and a single exploitable flaw can expose your entire customer base. Scanners catch the obvious; the damaging bugs live in logic and authorization, where only manual testing reaches them.
A mobile application penetration testing engagement replaces guesswork with evidence. Instead of hoping your controls hold, you get a ranked, reproducible picture of where they don’t — before someone hostile finds the same gaps.
Industries & use cases
Mobile testing is essential for banking and payment apps, healthcare and insurance apps handling regulated data, and consumer apps with large user bases where a single hardcoded key exposes everyone. We test native iOS/Android and cross-platform builds (React Native, Flutter) plus their backends.
What we test
Manual, exploit-driven coverage focused on real impact — not scanner noise.
- Insecure local data storage
- Hardcoded keys and secrets in the binary
- Weak or misused cryptography
- Certificate pinning and TLS bypass
- Insecure API and backend communication
- Reverse engineering and tampering resistance
Signs you should run a mobile application penetration testing
If any of these apply, testing is overdue.
- Your app handles payments, health or financial data
- You've never had the app tested, only the website
- You use a cross-platform framework (React Native, Flutter)
- You're publishing to enterprise or regulated markets
- Your app embeds third-party SDKs with broad access
Common vulnerabilities we find
The issues that show up again and again in mobile application penetration testing — and the ones that actually get exploited.
Insecure data storage
Tokens, PII or keys are written to the device in clear text or weakly protected stores.
Hardcoded secrets
API keys and credentials are baked into the binary and trivially recovered by decompiling it.
Certificate pinning bypass
Weak or missing pinning lets an attacker intercept and modify traffic between the app and your API.
Insecure inter-process communication
Exported components, deep links or intents let another app on the device trigger sensitive actions.
Weak jailbreak/root and tamper checks
Missing or trivially bypassed integrity checks allow instrumentation and repackaging.
Insecure WebView configuration
JavaScript bridges or loaded URLs that expose native functionality to attackers.
Improper session handling
Tokens that don't expire, aren't revoked on logout, or persist insecurely.
Sensitive data in logs/backups
PII or secrets written to device logs or included in cloud backups.
Example attack chain
Real impact rarely comes from one bug — it comes from chaining several. A representative example:
Why choose webhook.press
Attacker mindset
We’re offensive security people who also build the free tools bug-bounty hunters use daily. We test the way real adversaries do — and prove it.
No scanner theatre
You get findings a human exploited and verified, ranked by real business risk — not an unfiltered tool dump padded to look thorough.
Fixed price, free retest
A clear quote after scoping, a report your team and auditors can use, and a free retest to confirm the fixes hold.
Our methodology
A structured, transparent process aligned to OWASP and PTES — with a named point of contact throughout.
Scoping & rules of engagement
We agree the exact targets, depth, timing and constraints for your mobile application penetration testing, and set clear rules of engagement so testing is safe and predictable.
Reconnaissance & mapping
We enumerate the full attack surface — endpoints, roles, technologies and trust boundaries — and threat-model where an attacker would focus.
Manual testing & exploitation
We attack by hand, verifying and chaining weaknesses into real impact. Automated tooling supports coverage; humans find the logic and authorization bugs it can’t.
Analysis & risk rating
Each finding is validated, rated by real business risk rather than raw scanner severity, and de-duplicated so you get signal, not noise.
Reporting
You receive an executive summary for leadership and a technical section with reproducible PoCs, evidence and concrete, stack-specific remediation.
Free retest
After you remediate, we re-test the closed findings to confirm they are actually fixed — at no extra cost.
What you get
Reproducible PoCs
Every finding ships with a working proof and step-by-step reproduction your engineers can replay and verify.
Risk-ranked findings
Prioritised by real business impact, so you fix what matters first instead of drowning in low-severity noise.
Actionable remediation
Concrete, stack-specific fixes and guidance — not generic “apply best practice” filler.
Free retest
We re-check the closed findings after remediation and confirm they’re resolved.
The report is written for two audiences at once: an executive summary that a non-technical stakeholder can act on, and a detailed technical section — findings, evidence, CVSS and reproduction — that your developers and auditors can use directly.
Manual testing, not just a scan
Automated scanners are fast and useful for coverage, but they only find patterns they already know, and they flood you with false positives. They cannot understand your business logic, chain several small issues into a breach, or tell you which alert actually matters. Our mobile application penetration testing is led by experienced testers who exploit findings by hand and rank them by the damage they’d really do — the difference between a 300-page tool dump and a short list of things worth fixing.
Standards & compliance
Our mobile application penetration testing reports are written to support the frameworks your auditors and customers care about — including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and the EU’s NIS2 and DORA. Each engagement produces clear, independent evidence of testing with scope, methodology and findings documented the way assessors expect, so the same test both hardens your systems and helps satisfy your obligations.
Frameworks we follow
Recognised methodologies, adapted to your target — never a rigid checklist.
- OWASP — Web Security Testing Guide, ASVS and the API Security Top 10
- PTES — the Penetration Testing Execution Standard
- NIST SP 800-115 — technical guide to security testing
- OSSTMM — Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual
- MITRE ATT&CK — to frame real-world adversary techniques
FAQ
iOS, Android, or both?
Both, together or separately. Cross-platform frameworks (React Native, Flutter) are covered too.
Do you test the backend API as well?
The mobile backend is usually in scope — most impactful mobile findings are actually API authorization bugs.
Do you need source code or just the app?
We can test black-box from the store build; source and test builds improve depth and are welcome but not required.
Do you cover both the app and its API?
Yes — the backend is where most impactful mobile findings live, so it's part of the engagement by default.
Do you test on real devices?
Yes — testing on physical devices (and where useful, rooted/jailbroken ones) reveals issues emulators hide.
Do you cover third-party SDKs?
We assess how SDKs handle data and permissions, since they often introduce the riskiest behaviour.
How long does a mobile application penetration testing take?
Most focused engagements run one to two weeks depending on scope; we agree the exact timeline during scoping.
Is a retest included?
Yes — after you remediate, we re-check the closed findings to confirm they’re fixed, at no extra cost.
How do you price it?
Per engagement, based on scope and depth — you get a fixed quote after a short scoping call. No cookie-cutter packages.
Why teams trust our mobile application penetration testing
Aligned to recognised standards
Testing follows OWASP, PTES, NIST SP 800-115 and MITRE ATT&CK, and reports support SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, NIS2 and DORA.
Every engagement includes
Reproducible PoCs, risk-ranked findings, concrete remediation, a named point of contact, a free retest, and a summary letter of attestation.
Confidential by default
Work is covered by an NDA, scoped with clear rules of engagement, and data is handled with care throughout — including residency requirements.
Sample report available on request — see our reporting format and depth before you commit. Ask for a sample →
Get a quote for Mobile Application Penetration Testing
Tell us about the target — we’ll come back with scope and a fixed price. Manual, exploit-driven testing with reproducible proof and a free retest.