OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024: A Security Guide

The OWASP Mobile Top 10 lists the foremost crucial security risks in mobile applications. This list is essential for developers, security professionals, and organizations to prioritize their resources while addressing mobile app development vulnerabilities in order of severity. 

Teams that take these top risks to heart greatly improve the security of their mobile applications, securing user data from multiple threats. The OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024 contains 10 vulnerabilities, from authentication to insecure data storage, giving an overview of the mobile security scenario as it stands.

OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024

In 2024, OWASP introduced the latest Mobile Top 10 list, including the most critical security risks mobile applications face. The list has become a go-to for developers and security professionals, as it tells them which areas are worth the greatest attention when discussing mobile app security strategies. 

M1. Improper credential usage

Most mobile applications still face a high risk of improper credential usage. This vulnerability occurs when applications fail to properly handle user credentials, hardcode them, or place them in insecure places. Failure to follow best practices for credentials can lead attackers down a path of least resistance with unauthorized access and the ability to exploit user accounts and sensitive data.

For a recent example, consider that Truffle Security analyzed 57 million GitHub-user SSH keys and found more than 10K were secure. Find out more about the work here.

This risk can be mitigated by implementing secure credentials (such as KMS secrets) management, encryption techniques, and strong password security practices.

M2. Inadequate Supply Chain Security

Poor supply chain is the presence of vulnerabilities meant to spread through third-party components & libraries developers use where allowed (in less time) while building mobile applications. From injection-related issues in programming to the exploitation of vulnerabilities that can breach user data.

This includes working with old, deprecated libraries and improperly reviewed off-the-shelf third-party code, as well as fitting in poor secure coding practices at all stages of the mobile app store lifecycle.

For example, a portion of the root cause for the 2017 Equifax breach lay in an unchecked Apache Struts library vulnerability. This is a great example of the risks of using old or unreviewed third-party components.

To fix the problem, you need to review everything, control all parts, including third-party/open-source, and perform regular updates.

M3: Insecure Authentication/Authorization

Another common OWASP Mobile Top 10 vulnerability is weak authentication/authorization in mobile apps may allow unauthorized access to critical functionalities and sensitive data. That means that attackers can bypass the initial step of verifying user identities (for eg: when more than one person is authenticated under a single login). 

Weak password policies, improper session management, improper access controls, and lack of multi-factor authentication are a few examples of some common problems. Attackers can use such vulnerabilities to bypass authentication, raise their privileges, or impersonate valid users (IDOR & privilege escalation). 

Example: In 2014, it was revealed that some versions of Starbucks’ mobile app stored user credentials on the device in clear text.

Developers should counter this by enforcing strong authentication, secure session management, and proper access controls.

M4: Insufficient Input/Output Validation

Lack of input/output validation easily results in injection attacks and data manipulation risks in mobile apps. One potential exploitation of this vulnerability arises when applications do not properly sanitize and validate user inputs or simply fail to output before validating data. These vulnerabilities can be exploited to execute arbitrary code, dump database content, or add a backdoor to the application.

Some examples of attack vectors are SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and command injection.

For example, a security researcher identified an SQL injection bug in the WordPress plugin Formidable Pro used by Grab; this was reported and patched immediately. The researcher demonstrated the PoC to exploit this vulnerability and successfully granted read access to the Database.

To mitigate this risk, developers should perform strict input validation and sanitization before passing user input in any SQL or system command. When using SQL, parameterized queries should be used. Output encoding must be done to render a safe response to users.

M5: Insecure Communication

Lack of communication security in mobile applications leads to communication intercepted during transmission, which may provide malicious interference. A man-in-the-middle attack can exploit this vulnerability or attack where someone listens to network communications and tampers with them. 

Some of the common problems are using unencrypted protocols, no proper SSL/TLS implementation, and lack of certificate validation. 

Developers can manage such risks by deploying strong encryption standards, like TLS 1.3 for data-in-transit and enforcing certificate pinning while establishing a trusted communication link between the app and backend servers to protect sensitive information transferred through secure channels from being intercepted or tampered with in an unauthenticated manner.

M6 – Lack of Privacy Controls

Apps may be vulnerable to such issues when they collect personal information such as user’s address, age, or credit card information and do not securely store the data. The main stumbling blocks are excessive data retention, missing opportunities to secure user consent, and ineffective protective measures. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to access personal information or even breach data protection laws. 

Developers can fix this risk by treating privacy as the new evil, minimizing data collection, and adopting a principle of Privacy By Design. They should store all sensitive personal information with strong encryption and provide user controls, ensuring that users can control their sharing or deletion.

M7: Insufficient Binary Protections

Mobile apps have weak binary protections, which exposes them to various kinds of reverse engineering & code tampering. This threat applies to compiled application codes that attackers can exploit to inspect or manipulate app behavior. 

Problems often arise because there is no code obfuscation, lack of anti-tampering protection, and very simple/basic integrity checks. This vulnerability enables attackers to understand how the app is programmed, steal confidential information (such as API keys), or even execute malicious code (in some cases).

Developers can address this risk using code obfuscation techniques to prevent attackers from reversing engineering.

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M8: Security Misconfiguration

Similar to cloud & web application security misconfiguration, mobile security misconfiguration is also a prevalent threat and leads to data leakage. This vulnerability typically arises from weak or default configurations, missed configuration options, or misconfiguration in the deployment process. 

Problems often include debug flags in production, excessive permissions on directories, and files with improper file system permissions. Attackers can abuse these misconfigurations to install rogue apps or gain access without proper permission, as well as steal sensitive data, change the behavior of an app, and many more ways to exploit. 

For example, a vulnerability in the Bumble application’s Oauth implementation allowed attackers to impersonate account ownership. When logging in using third-party OAuth providers (like Google or Facebook), the app didn’t check if an email had already been registered, meaning someone could sign up with a known victim’s otherwise unregistered email and log in.

For this purpose, developers need to secure configuration management for application processes and constantly audit app settings, in addition to complying with the principle of least privilege permission. Also, they need to ensure a proper, consistent state across different environments (development, testing, production).

M9: Insecure Data Storage

Another leading OWASP Mobile Top 10 vulnerability is insecure data storage in mobile apps, as hackers can retrieve and view sensitive user information stored on the device. Data at Rest is stored within the application’s filesystem or storage areas and is usually improperly secured, making it attractively vulnerable to unauthorized access. This can be due to storing sensitive data in plaintexts, choosing inappropriate encryption algorithms, etc.

Such weaknesses can be abused by attackers with physical access to a device or that has installed malware, allowing the managers of that software to extract valuable data like login credentials, user personal information, and financial information from other applications. 

Developers should avoid storing data in plain text or local storage that could be used to track users or private information on the device. If they do store such data, ensure it’s encrypted and stored using secure key storage mechanisms (e.g., Android Keystore or iOS Keychain).

M10:Insufficient Cryptography

Inadequate cryptography in mobile applications is prone to data confidentiality and integrity attacks. This can occur when cryptographic functions are not used properly in applications, or weak or outdated cryptography algorithms are utilized. 

Examples are the use of obsolete encryption algorithms, flawed cryptographic protocols, and weak key generation with insecure number generators. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to decrypt data, falsify signatures, and disable security controls. 

To mitigate this risk, developers must use strong standardized cryptographic algorithms and protocols (e.g., AES, RSA, or ECDSA), protect secret keys at runtime through cryptography controls, secure random number generators for key generation operations, etc. Maintain a centralized security library with up-to-date versions of the cryptographically signed libraries that address any known vulnerabilities associated with these.

Best Practices for Mobile App Security

It is very important to address the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and additional emerging threats by implementing strong security controls for mobile applications. The following practices form a base for building and maintaining secure mobile applications:

• Secure Coding: Adhere to platform-specific security best practices and use static code analysis tools such as CodeQL to filter out vulnerabilities in early development stages.
• Regular Security Testing: Run full-fledged penetration tests and vulnerability scans during the development lifecycle.
• Protect Sensitive Data and Communications: Use strong encryption for data at rest or in transit. Use good key management and enable HTTPS for all network communications.
• Use Strong Authentication and Access Controls: Implement multi-factor authentication and session management and implement the least access principle for any sensitive operations.
• Maintain and Update Dependencies: Stay current on third-party library updates and prioritize good releases as soon as your build detects a vulnerability in one of your components.

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Final Thoughts

The OWASP Mobile Top 10 2024 outlines the list of security vulnerabilities in mobile application security. Developers can strengthen app security by considering these vulnerabilities and following best practices while developing. This includes best practices in credential management, network security, and user authentication/authorization. 

Mobile threats will continuously change; therefore, ongoing learning and enhanced security measures are necessary. Putting security at the forefront of mobile app development secures your users and creates a reliable experience that will continue to thrive in today’s more vulnerable mobile ecosystem.

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