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MASVS Notes

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MASVS v.2.0.0

  • MASVS (Mobile Application Security Verification Standard)

Security Standard - focus on how mobile apps handle, store, protect sensitive information and Standardize the security requirements with a baseline for mobile app security, allowing defense-in-depth measures and protection against client-side threats.

MASVS only covers the security of the client-side mobile app.

  • Mobile Attack Surface

    • Storage

    • Cryptography

    • Authentication & Authorization

    • Network communication

    • Platform interaction

    • Code quality

    • Resilience against reverse engineering & tampering

  • Each control group is labeled with MASVS-XXXXX and each individual control with MASVS-XXXXX-Y.

  • Security Testing Profiles

    • before 2023: 3 verification levels (L1, L2, R)

    • 2023: alighend with NIST OSCAL

  • Native apps written in Java/Kotlin for Android or Objective-C/Swift for iOS.

  • Apps based on cross-platform (Flutter, React Native, Xamarin, Ionic, etc.) and hybrid (Cordova, PhoneGap, Framework7, Onsen UI, etc.) frameworks - susceptible to platform-specific vulnerabilities.

MASVS-STORAGE

Secure storage of sensitive data on a device (data-at-rest).

  • PII (Personally identifiable information)

  • Cryptographic material

  • Secrets, Credentials

  • API keys

Any sensitive data intentially stored by the app must be properly protected, regardless of the target (internal storage) location. If possible, use hardware-backed security features for apps development.

MASVS-STORAGE-1

The app securely stores sensitive data.

  • Intentional storage location may be:

    • app's internal (private) storage

    • public (accessible by user/other apps)

  • Ensure any sensitive data is properly protected

MASVS-STORAGE-2

The app prevents leakage of sensitive data.

  • Unintentional (public) storage location

    • using certain APIs, backup, logs

  • Ensure prevention of unintentional leaks

MASVS-CRYPTO

Cryptographic functionality used to protect sensitive data.

  • Ensure that the app uses cryptography and keys management (generation, storage, protection, encryption) according to industry best practices

  • Avoid physical access to sensitive data

MASVS-CRYPTO-1

The app employs current strong cryptography and uses it according to industry best practices.

  • External cryptography standards for securing the user's data

MASVS-CRYPTO-2

The app performs key management according to industry best practices.

  • Manage cryptographic keys lifecycle (generation, storage, protection)

MASVS-AUTH

Authentication and authorization mechanisms used by the mobile app.

  • Implement correct user identity validation with Biometrics, Pin, multi-factor authenticatin code generators, to prevent unauthorized access.

  • Remote/local app secure auth

MASVS-AUTH-1

The app uses secure authentication and authorization protocols and follows relevant best practices.

  • Apps must use secure protocols to authenticate to a remote endpoint

MASVS-AUTH-2

The app performs local authentication securely according to the platform best practices.

  • Correctly implement local & remote authentication (biometrics, local PIN code)

MASVS-AUTH-3

The app secures sensitive operations with additional authentication.

  • Securely implement additional authentication methods for sensitive actions inside the app (biometric, pin, MFA, email, deep links, etc)

MASVS-NETWORK

Secure network communication between the mobile app and remote endpoints (data-in-transit).

  • Ensure exchanged data confidentiality and integrity

  • Apps must set up a secure, encrypted network communicatino channel using the TLS protocol.

  • Trust only specific Certificate Authorities

MASVS-NETWORK-1

The app secures all network traffic according to the current best practices.

  • Ensure in-transit Data privacy & integrity, using TLS protocol, in any situation, avoiding security bypass/disabling

MASVS-NETWORK-2

The app performs identity pinning for all remote endpoints under the developer's control.

  • Only very specific CAs are trusted = certificate/public key pinning

MASVS-PLATFORM

Secure interaction with the underlying mobile platform and other installed apps.

  • Mobile platform app's interactions must occur securely, using secure platform-provided IPC mechanisms & WebView configurations

  • IPC (inter-process communication)

  • Prevent sensitive data leakage

  • Secure display sensitive data in app's user interface (passwords, credit card details, one-time pwds notifications)

MASVS-PLATFORM-1

The app uses IPC mechanisms securely.

  • Ensure secure interactions (through IPC mechanisms) between user and installed apps

MASVS-PLATFORM-2

The app uses WebViews securely.

  • Secure WebViews configuration, preventing data leakage & sensitive functionality exposure (e.g. JavaScript to native code)

MASVS-PLATFORM-3

The app uses the user interface securely.

  • Avoid data unintentionally leakage due to platform mechanism (screenshots, UI data displaying)

MASVS-CODE

Security best practices for data processing and keeping the app up-to-date.

  • Data entry points: UI, IPC, Network, File System

  • Treat data as untrusted input, verify and sanitize it before use - prevention of injection attacks (SQL, XSS, insecure deserialization) and bypass of security checks

MASVS-CODE-1

The app requires an up-to-date platform version.

  • Ensure users have the latest security protections (OS patches)

MASVS-CODE-2

The app has a mechanism for enforcing app updates.

  • Force app updates

MASVS-CODE-3

The app only uses software components without known vulnerabilities.

  • Conver "low-hanging fruits" by scanning libraries for known vulnerabilities

MASVS-CODE-4

The app validates and sanitizes all untrusted inputs

  • Data inputs sanitized before usage: UI, IPC, network, file system, etc

MASVS-RESILIENCE

Resilience to reverse engineering and tampering attempts.

  • Defense-in-depth measures (code obfuscation, anti-debugging, anti-tampering, etc)

  • App run on trusted platform, prevent runtime tampering, integrity of app's inteded functionality

  • Quanto l'app è in grado di resistere ad un attacco mirato?

  • e.g. Se l'app B2C root check, antiroot, saperlo e bloccarsi

MASVS-RESILIENCE-1

The app validates the integrity of the platform.

  • Validates the OS is not tampered/compromised and its security features can be trusted.

MASVS-RESILIENCE-2

The app implements anti-tampering mechanisms.

  • Ensure app's integrity, preventing original code and resources modifications

MASVS-RESILIENCE-3

The app implements anti-static analysis mechanisms.

  • Impede comprehension of the app's functioning with static analysis.

MASVS-RESILIENCE-4

The app implements anti-dynamic analysis techniques.

  • Prevent dynamic analysis/instrumentation of the app, avoiding code modification at runtime

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