Testing Mobile API Authentication

Testing Mobile Api Authentication

Overview

Cybersecurity skill for testing mobile api authentication. Follows industry best practices and security standards.

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "testing mobile api authentication"
• "Assessing mobile app backend API authentication during penetration tests"
• "Testing JWT token implementation for common vulnerabilities (none algorithm, wea"
• "Evaluating OAuth 2"

Use this skill when:

• Assessing mobile app backend API authentication during penetration tests
• Testing JWT token implementation for common vulnerabilities (none algorithm, weak signing)
• Evaluating OAuth 2.0 / OIDC flows in mobile applications for redirect, PKCE, and scope issues
• Testing for broken object-level authorization (BOLA/IDOR) in API endpoints

Do not use this skill against production APIs without explicit authorization and rate-limiting awareness.

When NOT to Use

• When you lack proper authorization for testing
• For production systems without change management
• When the task requires legal or compliance expertise beyond technical scope

Prerequisites

• Burp Suite or mitmproxy configured as mobile device proxy
• SSL pinning bypassed on target application (if implemented)
• Valid test account credentials for the target application
• Postman or curl for API request crafting
• jwt.io or PyJWT for JWT analysis and manipulation

Workflow

# Example: IOC detection
import re

IOC_PATTERNS = {
    "ip": r"\b(?:\d{1,3}\.){3}\d{1,3}\b",
    "domain": r"\b[a-z0-9-]+\.[a-z]{2,}\b",
    "hash_md5": r"\b[a-f0-9]{32}\b",
    "hash_sha256": r"\b[a-f0-9]{64}\b",
}

def extract_iocs(text: str) -> dict:
    return {k: re.findall(v, text) for k, v in IOC_PATTERNS.items()}

1. Reconnaissance — Gather information about the target related to mobile api authentication. Identify attack surface.
2. Vulnerability Identification — Enumerate potential mobile api authentication weaknesses using automated and manual techniques.
3. Exploit Development/Selection — Choose or develop exploits targeting identified mobile api authentication vulnerabilities.
4. Execution — Execute the mobile api authentication test in a controlled manner with proper authorization.
5. Post-Exploitation — Document the impact and extent of successful exploitation.
6. Reporting — Write detailed findings with reproduction steps, impact assessment, and remediation guidance.

Tools

• Vulnerability Scanner — Automated weakness identification
• Exploitation Framework — Controlled exploitation testing
• Reporting Tool — Findings documentation and tracking

Process

1. Design — Define interface, identify patterns, plan implementation
2. Implement — Write code following existing conventions, add tests
3. Verify — Run tests, check integration, validate behavior

Verification

• All mobile api authentication procedures executed completely and documented
• Findings validated against multiple data sources
• False positives identified and filtered
• Results documented with evidence and timestamps
• Recommendations provided with risk-based prioritization

Anti-Rationalization Table