Mobile Application Penetration Testing
iOS & Android (App + Device + API)
Manual, exploit-driven mobile application penetration testing services for iOS and Android that validate what attackers can do on real devices, emulators, and across the APIs your app depends on.
Validate real-world exploit paths and prioritize fixes that reduce financial exposure, downtime risk, and costly remediation - before mobile weaknesses turn into an expensive incident.
NDA-friendly. Rules of Engagement provided. Clear scope, safe testing windows.
Our Pen Testers & Auditors
Have Been Featured in...
Logos are trademarks of their respective owners. No endorsement implied.
Business Impact
Validate real-world mobile exploit paths and prioritize the fixes that reduce financial exposure, downtime risk, and costly incident response before weaknesses turn into business disruption.
Reduce
Incident Cost:
Validate exploitable paths early to avoid emergency spend, response escalation, and costly remediation under pressure
Protect Revenue
and Contracts:
Strengthen mobile authentication and high-trust workflows to reduce account takeover, fraud, and customer-impacting incidents
Lower
Downtime Risk:
Prioritize fixes that reduce outage exposure and operational disruption, including mobile-to-API failure paths
Our Team Has Discovered
Bug Bounty Vulnerabilities in...
Our team has responsibly disclosed vulnerabilities through bug bounty programs across major brands and platforms. No affiliation implied.
Mobile applications are often treated as front-end interfaces. They are a high-trust access point into customer accounts, authentication workflows, tokens, and sensitive data flows.
Most organizations already invest in security tooling, yet mobile breaches still happen because the most damaging issues are not found by automated scans:
- Insecure local storage and weak secrets handling
- Token leakage and weak session controls
- Certificate pinning gaps and interceptable network traffic
- Deep link and intent abuse that bypasses UI constraints
- Push notification content exposure on the lock screen
- Notification deep link handling and privilege context
- Web View weaknesses in hybrid apps
- Reverse engineering exposure and unsafe client-side trust
- Business logic abuse that requires context to exploit
- Chained exploit scenarios across app + device + api layers
Unvalidated findings create two expensive outcomes: Teams waste cycles fixing low-impact issues, or critical exploit paths remain open until an incident forces emergency spend.
For mobile-led incidents, costs often compound quickly - incident response, legal exposure, customer churn, fraud losses, and downtime all hit at the same time.
Client Testimonials
"Since 2019, Digital Warfare has been our preferred vendor to conduct external Pen Testing on our SaaS Platforms. Saul and James are a pleasure to work with; their expertise in the cybersecurity space is impressive and their level of customer service and flexibility is unmatched among vendors. They are attentive, responsive, and thorough in everything they do!"
- Nate Schlossberg, VP Engineering, Feedonomics / Commerce.com
"We first used another company that had great marketing, sales people, and all the awards. They told us we were fine and found nothing, which seemed suspicious but sounded that maybe we did well. Then someone who called themselves a "security researcher" reached out and showed us that we had a ton of holes in our web application and other areas. After wasting a ton of money on the first pen testing company (who would not refund our money), we asked around and the name Digital Warfare kept coming up as highly recommended. They found things that made us squirm but we are glad they found them before a bad guy did. We highly recommend this firm to anyone looking for the real deal."
- David Price, Delphinus Capital
"After reviewing different providers, we chosen Digital Warfare to perform penetration tests and Microsoft 365 security analysis. We couldn’t be happier with that decision! The job has been done in time and manner, including several calls to review results, re-tests, and monthly vulnerability checks. We have established a relationship where we have Digital Warfare as a key partner and our main security advisor. We plan to do more projects together."
- Juan Rosli, Director of Technology, Accial Capital
"Digital Warfare has been an essential partner in our security endeavors for the past 3 years. They are professional, knowledgeable, and above-all, excellent at what they do!"
- Thomas L Stanley, Principal Site Reliability Engineer, Technical Lead, Schedulicity.com
"Digital Warfare has been a trusted partner in strengthening our cybersecurity posture through comprehensive and highly tailored penetration testing services. Their team goes beyond standard external testing by designing and executing advanced, scenario-based assessments, including targeted social engineering exercises, custom testing aligned to our internal application development, and validation of critical security controls across multiple layers of our environment ..."
Read More- Arie Farhy, SVP, Chief Information Security Officer, Amerant Bank
"I am so very appreciative of the work Digital Warfare did for us. I can’t say enough positive words about them."
- Jared Waldrop, APRP, SVP | Operations Officer | ISO, Troy Bank & Trust
What Is Mobile Application Penetration Testing
Mobile application penetration testing is a manual, adversary-minded assessment of your mobile app and its supporting services to identify exploitable vulnerabilities and validate real-world impact.
Unlike automated testing, a penetration test:
- Confirms exploitability, not just presence
- Evaluates how the app behaves on real devices and in emulators
- Tests device-level controls, app-level controls, and backend api workflows together
- Validates authentication, token, and session behaviour under attacker pressure
- Includes controlled adversary emulation and exploit chaining where authorized
- Produces evidence-based reporting with prioritized remediation guidance
This is enterprise mobile app security testing designed for security leaders who need defensible results, and engineering teams who need actionable fixes.
What We Test - iOS and Android (App + Device + API)
Digital Warfare tests mobile applications as integrated systems, not isolated binaries. We validate behavior across the device, the app, and the APIs that power core workflows.
All testing is performed manually by senior white-hat penetration testers. Each tester has 25+ years of real-world experience. We also incorporate the latest AI-driven attack techniques using the proprietary Digital Warfare xHacker.AI Agentic AI Hacking Engine. AI increases speed and depth, but all meaningful findings are manually validated by senior testers.
1. File System and Local Storage.
A penetration test should create actionable clarity - not noise.
- Insecure data storage and cached sensitive content
- Weak keychain or keystore usage
- Improper encryption at rest
- Sensitive data in logs, crash dumps, backups, or temporary files
- Unsafe handling of tokens, refresh tokens, and secrets
- Exposure through screenshots, clipboard, or shared storage paths. (where applicable)
2. Memory and Runtime Behaviour
We test what can be extracted or altered at runtime:
- Secrets in memory and unsafe object lifetimes
- Runtime manipulation and instrumentation resistance
- Jailbreak and root detection bypass (where applicable)
- Insecure debug builds and development flags
- Reverse engineering exposure and weak hardening controls
3. Network Communications
We validate transport security and interception resistance:
- TLS configuration weaknesses and certificate validation issues
- Certificate pinning gaps or bypass feasibility (where applicable)
- Token leakage via headers, logs, or improper caching
- Session handling flaws across network calls
- Replay risks, weak refresh logic, and API token misuse
- Insecure endpoints and misconfigurations that expose data
4. GUI and Workflow Logic
We test the UI layer for abuse paths and logic flaws:
- Authentication and authorization weaknesses in workflow design
Authentication and identity integrations (mobile workflows):
- SSO flows (SAML/OIDC), OAuth mobile patterns, PKCE handling
- Refresh token rotation and token binding assumptions
- MFA flows and downgrade paths
- Account recovery abuse and device trust models
- improper session handling and insecure state transitions
- Deep link abuse and intent handling issues
- WebView security weaknesses in hybrid apps
- Business logic abuse across onboarding, payments, approvals, entitlements, and account recovery
5. Third-Party SDK and Supply Chain Exposure
We validate how third-party libraries and embedded SDKs impact mobile security and data handling:
- Third-party SDK risk review (tracking behavior, data exfil paths, insecure endpoints)
- Hardcoded keys and secrets in SDK configuration and client-side code paths
- Dependency risk and update posture (outdated components, known vulnerable versions, and unsafe defaults)
6. Platform-Specific Coverage (iOS vs Android)
Mobile risk differs by platform. We validate iOS and Android-specific attack surfaces that commonly lead to real-world exploitation.
Android-specific:
- Exported components (activities/services/receivers)
- Intent injection and deep link abuse
- WebView JavaScript bridge risks
- Keystore misuse and backup behavior
iOS-specific:
- Keychain access groups and misconfiguration
- Universal links abuse patterns
- ATS exceptions and transport settings
- Pasteboard and extension data exposure
7. Mobile Standards Coverage
Where applicable, we align testing and reporting to:
- OWASP Mobile Top 10
- OWASP MASVS requirements
- OWASP MSTG methodology
8. Chained Exploit Scenarios
Where authorized in the Rules of Engagement, we validate chained exploit scenarios such as:
- Insecure local storage plus token replay leading to account takeover.
- Deep link abuse plus weak session controls enabling privileged actions.
- Tls weakness plus api token leakage enabling unauthorized access.
- Reverse engineering exposure plus backend weakness enabling automated abuse.
- App-side trust plus api authorization gaps leading to data exposure.
9. API Backend Testing
Where authorized in the Rules of Engagement, we assess API backend security across areas such as:
- Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA / IDOR)
- Authentication and session weaknesses
- Excessive data exposure and mass assignment
- Rate limiting and abuse controls
- Injection vulnerabilities (SQL, NoSQL, OS, GraphQL)
- Token handling issues (JWT, replay, signature bypass)
- Business logic flaws and workflow manipulation Third-party API and supply chain exposure
Testing is performed manually by elite white hat pen testers with 25+ years of experience each, enhanced by our proprietary xHacker.AI Agentic AI Hacking Engine to identify complex, chained vulnerabilities beyond automated tools.
Deliverables
You’ll receive documentation that your technical team and leadership
can use immediately
Deliverables typically include:
Executive summary
Risk themes, highest-impact issues, prioritized next steps
- Leadership-level overview including impact narrative, exposure themes, and prioritized remediation roadmap
Scope and assumptions
targets, exclusions, constraints, timing
Findings with evidence
- Reproduction steps
- Screenshots / request traces (as applicable)
- Affected assets / endpoints
- Severity and impact rationale
Remediation guidance
- Recommended fixes
- Compensating controls (when relevant)
- Validation steps to confirm fixes
Risk prioritization
- Exploitability considerations
- Likelihood and business impact framing
Outbrief / debrief session
- Walkthrough of results
- Q&A with engineering and security stakeholders
Methodology and Process
A defined process reduces surprises and produces better outcomes
Scoping & kickoff
We align on platforms (iOS, Android), app type (native, hybrid), test environment, access requirements, and objectives (auth, storage, transport, workflow abuse).
Rules of Engagement (RoE)
You receive an RoE that defines:
- Allowed testing windows
- Points of contact
- Safe-testing constraints
- Data handling expectations
- Incident escalation procedures
Test environment preparation
Testing is conducted on live devices and emulation software as appropriate, with controlled access, test accounts, and workflow coverage.
Manual testing and exploit validation
Senior testers manually identify and validate exploitable conditions across storage, memory, network, GUI, and backend workflow behavior.
Adversary emulation and exploit chaining (as authorized)
We emulate realistic attacker behavior, including controlled zero-day style simulations where appropriate, testing unsafe assumptions, trust boundary failures, and attacker paths not captured by signatures.
Reporting & prioritization
Findings are consolidated into a report designed to drive decisions and engineering action - not just document issues.
Debrief and next steps
We review findings with stakeholders and align on remediation priorities and validation plans.
Retesting & Report updates
We review retest findings and provide clean testing reports.
Digital Warfare xHacker.AI Agentic AI Hacking Engine
We incorporate AI-assisted analysis to enhance coverage and support attacker-style discovery - always validated by senior penetration testers.
Modern mobile apps create too many permutations for traditional coverage patterns alone - device models, OS versions, permission states, and mobile-to-API workflows. Digital Warfare engagements leverage our proprietary xHacker.AI Agentic AI Hacking Engine to enhance manual penetration testing, increasing coverage and accelerating discovery of high-impact edge cases.
Where AI is applied
(and why it matters):
- Attack surface expansion - map workflows, endpoints, and state transitions faster, including hidden paths and edge-case routes
- High-coverage hypothesis generation - systematically test token handling, session behavior, and authorization logic across roles and states
- Deep link and state- transition abuse modeling - identify unsafe state changes, bypass paths, and privilege context issues
- Mobile-to-API abuse pattern discovery - surface automation and abuse paths tied to real mobile workflows, not generic API checks
- Adversary path modeling - support exploit chaining and impact validation based on realistic attacker behavior
Non-negotiable: manual testing and validation by senior testers
AI accelerates discovery, alongside full manual penetration testing. Senior testers confirm exploitability, document evidence, and deliver remediation guidance you can trust.
Why Manual Testing Still Wins
Automated mobile scans do not understand real runtime behavior, business logic, state transitions, or how a mobile client interacts with API workflows.
Manual penetration testing remains the enterprise standard because it:
- Validates exploitability and real impact, reducing false positives
- Finds business logic abuse and state-machine flaws scanners miss
- Tests deep links, webviews, and runtime behaviour under attacker pressure
- Evaluates realistic attacker paths with exploit development mindset
- Identifies chained exploit scenarios that reflect real incidents
- Produces remediation guidance engineering teams can actually implement
Digital Warfare does not outsource to junior testers. Every engagement is performed manually by senior white-hat penetration testers, each with 25+ years of experience.
Senior mobile testers are scarce, and outcomes vary dramatically depending on who is doing the work.
Who This Is For
Teams that need real answers - not checkbox testing
Mobile application penetration testing is ideal for:
- Security leaders who need validated exploitability and remediation priority
- Product teams shipping major releases, sdk changes, or authentication updates
- Organizations handling regulated or sensitive user data
- Companies supporting enterprise customers with security review requirements
- Teams integrating payment flows, identity, or high-trust mobile workflows
Common trigger events:
- Before a major release or platform update
- After adding sso, mfa, or token refresh changes
- Before enterprise customer onboarding or procurement reviews
- After a security incident, near miss, or suspicious activity
- When mobile apps become critical to revenue and customer retention
Support compliance without turning testing into paperwork
While mobile application penetration testing is not a full compliance audit, the output can support programs by providing defensible evidence for:
- Vulnerability management and remediation tracking
- Secure sdlc validation and release readiness
- Control effectiveness verification (where applicable)
- Risk-based prioritization and reporting
If you want explicit mapping:
We can structure reporting to better support alignment with frameworks such as NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, and ISO 27001 and their expectations (depending on scope and your internal program needs).
What changes after a real mobile app penetration test
The objective is measurable risk reduction that protects cash flow, reduces contract risk, and avoids unplanned incident spend.
Typical outcomes include:
- Sensitive data exposure eliminated through proper storage and encryption controls
- Token and session weaknesses validated and corrected before exploitation
- Interceptable traffic paths closed through transport hardening and pinning strategy
- Deep link and workflow abuse paths removed through state and authorization fixes
- Reduced remediation waste by focusing effort on the issues that reduce risk fastest
- Clearer narratives for leadership, auditors, and enterprise customers
Why Digital Warfare
Elite-level mobile security testing, not commodity scanning
Mobile application security fails in the places automated tools and junior testers struggle to validate - stateful workflows, token lifecycles, device trust assumptions, and mobile-to-API abuse paths.
Digital Warfare is built for organizations that need defensible results, not volume.
What we optimize for:
- Signal over noise - manual validation and evidence-based findings
- Exploit ability-first - focus on what can be chained and abused in practice
- Clean communication - clear scope, clear RoE, clear reporting
- Actionable remediation - written so engineering teams can fix issues without guesswork
- Modern attacker simulation - adversary emulation, exploit chaining, and zero-day style assumptions where appropriate
- AI advantage without AI theater - Digital Warfare’s proprietary xHacker.AI Agentic AI Hacking Engine to accelerate coverage and discovery, with all meaningful findings manually validated by senior testers
Digital Warfare is not an automated scan shop. We are not a junior tester pipeline. We are trusted by security leaders who need defensible results.
Senior mobile testers are scarce, and outcomes vary dramatically depending on who is doing the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
If your mobile app drives revenue, customer trust, and account access, it deserves enterprise-grade testing.
Digital Warfare helps security leaders reduce financial exposure by validating exploitability across device, app UI, and API layers, then prioritizing fixes that lower downtime risk and response cost.
