The most critical vulnerability is Improper Credential Usage, categorized as M1 in the OWASP Mobile Top 10. This risk encompasses the incorrect handling, storage, and transmission of user or system credentials, which can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and significant security threats. Understanding and mitigating this vulnerability is crucial for protecting user data and ensuring the integrity of mobile applications.
Improper Credential Usage refers to the failure of mobile applications to securely manage authentication credentials, API keys, tokens, or other sensitive information. This vulnerability arises when credentials are stored insecurely (e.g., in plain text within code or unencrypted local storage) or transmitted over unprotected channels. Hardcoded credentials in the application code or configuration files are a common example of improper credential usage, allowing attackers to exploit these weaknesses easily.
OWASP and the Mobile Top 10 list
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is an internationally active non-profit that enhances application security. Through its open-source community projects, OWASP offers impartial, technical information on security, which has become fundamentally important to many developers and security experts.
OWASP’s best-known project is Mobile Top 10, which enumerates the ten most critical security vulnerabilities for mobile applications. This list is constantly refreshed considering the input from security researchers, vendors, and enterprises, thus helping mobile application developers overcome the most pertinent security issues. The OWASP Mobile Top 10 aids developers in building mobile applications and protecting user information while ensuring adequate security measures are implemented at every level.
Significance of OWASP M1 – Improper Credential Usage in the mobile app security landscape
The most significant security risk is Improper Credential Usage (M1). Cyber threats include the improper use, storage, and transit of system/user credentials as sensitive materials, which, if unregulated, may bring about significant economic loss and serious security problems. The prominence of M1 highlights the necessity of secure credential management within mobile applications because it deals with the privacy and integrity of information affiliated with users.
Common mistakes that fall under M1 include:
- Storing passwords or tokens in plaintext on the device.
- Hardcoding credentials in the source code or configuration files.
- Using weak or outdated encryption algorithms.
- Failing to invalidate sessions or tokens after logout.
- Not implementing biometric or multi-factor authentication options.
Key Takeaways on OWASP M1
The world of OWASP M1: Improper Credential Usage, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of its impact on mobile app security. Following are the key takeaways:
- Awareness: We will explore the nature of improper credential usage, including common pitfalls such as hardcoded credentials and insecure storage practices.
- Impact: Learn about the potential consequences of this vulnerability, from data breaches to fraudulent activities, and how it affects businesses and users.
- Mitigation: Discover practical strategies for mitigating improper credential usage risks, including encryption techniques, secure storage solutions, and best practices for credential management.
What is OWASP M1: Improper Credential Usage?
As the mobile app ecosystem expands, so do the security threats targeting these platforms. The OWASP Mobile Top 10 is a globally recognized list that highlights the most critical security risks to mobile applications. At the top of this list is M1: Improper Credential Usage, a risk that, if ignored, can expose sensitive data and compromise entire mobile systems.
Definition and explanation
OWASP M1: Improper Credential Usage is a security risk when sensitive information like passwords, API keys, or tokens is not handled, stored, or transmitted securely within mobile applications. This vulnerability can be understood by breaking it down into simpler terms. Credentials are like keys that unlock access to sensitive parts of an app or system. They can include passwords, API keys, or special tokens that verify who you are or what you can do within an app.
What Does Improper Credential Usage Mean?
Improper credential usage happens when these sensitive keys are not kept safe. Here are some common mistakes:
- someone gets access to the code, they can see your password.
- Insecure Storage: Storing sensitive information in plain text or without encryption on your device or files. It’s like keeping your house keys in an unlocked box outside your door.
- Insecure Transmission: Sending credentials over unencrypted channels is like sending your password in a postcard. Anyone who intercepts it can read it.
Real-World Analogy
Think of it like leaving your car keys in plain sight. If someone finds them, they can drive your car without permission. Similarly, if credentials are not appropriately managed, attackers can use them to access sensitive information without being detected.
Key Points to Remember
- Secure Storage: Always encrypt sensitive data stored on devices or in files.
- Secure Transmission: Use secure communication channels like HTTPS to protect data in transit.
- Avoid Hardcoding: Never embed sensitive information directly into your app’s code
Examples of what constitutes improper credential usage:
Credentials are the keys to our personal and business data. Yet, improper credential usage remains one of the most common and dangerous security missteps. Whether due to negligence, lack of awareness, or convenience, mismanaging credentials can lead to devastating breaches. Following are some common examples that illustrate what constitutes improper credential usage:
Storing credentials insecurely (plaintext, shared preferences)
Storing credentials insecurely is a common mistake that can lead to unauthorized access. This includes:
- Plain Text Storage: Saving sensitive information like passwords or API keys in plain text files or databases. This makes it easy for attackers to access these credentials if they gain access to the device or server.
- Shared Preferences: Android apps use shared preferences to store sensitive data without proper encryption. Shared preferences are not secure by default and can be accessed by other apps or users with physical access to the device.
Hard Coding credentials in the app
Hardcoding credentials involve embedding sensitive information directly into the app’s code. This is risky because:
- Code Exposure: If the app’s source code is exposed (e.g., through a data breach or open-source repositories), hardcoded credentials become visible to anyone who accesses the code.
- Reverse Engineering: Attackers can reverse-engineer the app to extract hardcoded credentials, even if they are obfuscated.
Insecure transmission of credentials
Insecure transmission occurs when credentials are sent over unencrypted channels, making them vulnerable to interception:
- Unencrypted HTTP: Using HTTP instead of HTTPS to transmit credentials. This allows attackers to intercept and read the data using tools like Wireshark.
- Weak Encryption Protocols: Using outdated or weak encryption protocols (e.g., SSLv3) that attackers can easily break.
Real-world analogy to emphasize the risk (e.g., leaving house keys under the doormat)
Consider this scenario: You leave for a weekend getaway and decide to hide your house key under the doormat “just in case.” While doing so, it seems harmless or even convenient. When mobile developers hard coded credentials or improperly store sensitive information within mobile applications.
Embedding passwords, tokens, or credentials into mobile applications is equivalent to concealing a key beneath the doormat and assuming nobody will find it. Cybercriminals are aware of where to look. They reverse-engineer the applications, check the source code, and obtain these so-called “keys”, which can be used to access backend systems, databases, and user accounts.
Even if it does not feel dangerous at first, like leaving a key in a non-secure location, this moves risks compromising the security of the application and the users trust. All it takes is one malicious actor to take advantage of such negligence, which might lead to severe consequences such as data breaches, financial fraud, and reputational damage.
Why is Improper Credential Usage Dangerous?
Credentials- usernames, passwords, API keys, and tokens allow you access to digital platforms’ critical data, systems, and services. The incorrect use of credentials may be one of the most pervasive security issues organizations face. It allows adversaries to pose myriad challenges, from unauthorized entry and data exfiltration to utter system annihilation. Let’s examine the factors that make this issue so detrimental and explore the risks accompanying mismanaging credentials in detail.
Potential consequences:
Failing to address security vulnerabilities, such as improper credential usage or system misconfigurations, can have far-reaching consequences for individuals, organizations, and end-users. Following are some of the most critical impacts:
Unauthorized access to user accounts
When credentials are not appropriately managed, attackers can gain unauthorized access to user accounts. This allows them to perform actions as if they were the legitimate user, potentially leading to:
- Financial Transactions: Unauthorized purchases or transfers of funds.
- Data Theft: Access to sensitive personal information, such as addresses, phone numbers, or financial details.
- Reputation Damage: Malicious activities conducted under the user’s name can harm their reputation.
Data breaches and leaks
Improper credential usage can lead to data breaches, exposing sensitive information to unauthorized parties. This can result in:
- Mass Data Exposure: Large-scale leaks of user data, compromising privacy and security.
- Compliance Issues: Failure to protect sensitive data can lead to violations of data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
Account takeovers, identity theft, and reputational damage
Compromised credentials can facilitate account takeovers, enabling attackers to impersonate users and engage in malicious activities. This can lead to:
- Identity Theft: Stolen identities can be used for fraudulent activities, causing significant personal and financial harm.
- Reputational Damage: Businesses and individuals can suffer reputational damage if their accounts are used maliciously.
Impact on businesses: financial loss, legal consequences, and loss of customer trust.
The impact of improper credential usage on businesses can be devastating:
- Financial Loss: Data breaches and unauthorized transactions can result in significant financial losses.
- Legal Consequences: Businesses may face legal action for failing to protect user data, leading to fines and penalties.
- Loss of Customer Trust: When security breaches occur, customers often lose trust in the company, leading to a decline in business and revenue.
Real-World Examples and Case Studies
In today’s information-rich world, facts are significant but stories stick. Real-world examples and case studies provide actionable insights that go beyond theory. They offer proof of concept, demonstrate how strategies work in practice, and highlight wins and lessons learned. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, IT leader, or product manager, these stories can help you validate decisions, avoid pitfalls, and unlock new ideas.
Brief case studies of mobile app breaches involving improper credential storage or handling
Case Study 1: Hardcoded AWS Credentials in Mobile Apps
Several popular mobile apps have been found to contain hardcoded AWS credentials within their codebases. For instance, the Pic Stitch: Collage Maker app, with over 5 million downloads, had hardcoded AWS credentials that could be exploited by attackers to manipulate or exfiltrate data, leading to severe security breaches.
Case Study 2: Mobile Banking App Breach
A widely used mobile banking app fell victim to a cyberattack due to improper credential usage. The app stored user credentials locally on devices without robust encryption, allowing an attacker to extract these credentials and initiate unauthorized transactions. This breach highlights the importance of secure credential storage and handling in mobile apps.
Statistics from recent reports or OWASP research on mobile vulnerabilities
- Prevalence of Mobile App Vulnerabilities: In 2023, mobile app vulnerabilities contributed to approximately 40% of data breaches involving personal data. This underscores the critical need for secure mobile app development practices.
- OWASP Mobile Top 10: The OWASP Mobile Top 10 list for 2024 identifies improper credential usage as the number one security risk, emphasizing its severity and commonality. Threat agents exploiting hardcoded credentials and improper credential usage can easily gain unauthorized access to sensitive app functionalities, leading to severe technical impacts.
- Exploitability and Impact: The exploitability of improper credential usage vulnerabilities is rated as “easy,” their impact is considered “severe,” highlighting the urgent need for mitigation strategies.
Common Mistakes Developers Make
Software development is a craft that requires continuous learning, precision, and discipline. Whether you’re a junior coder or a seasoned developer, mistakes are part of the journey. Some common pitfalls can hinder progress, impact code quality, or introduce critical bugs. Following are some common errors related to improper credential usage that developers should avoid:
Hardcoding credentials in source code or config files
Hardcoding credentials involve embedding sensitive information like API keys, passwords, or tokens directly into the app’s source code or configuration files. This is risky because:
- Code Exposure: If the app’s source code is exposed (e.g., through a data breach or open-source repositories), hardcoded credentials become visible to anyone who accesses the code.
- Reverse Engineering: Attackers can reverse-engineer the app to extract hardcoded credentials, even if they are obfuscated.
Using weak encryption or storing credentials in unencrypted formats
Using weak encryption algorithms or storing credentials without encryption can lead to unauthorized access:
- Weak Encryption Algorithms: Algorithms like MD5 or SHA1 are outdated and can be easily broken by attackers.
- Unencrypted Storage: Storing sensitive information in plain text makes it easily accessible to attackers if they gain access to the device or server.
Sending credentials over HTTP instead of HTTPS
Transmitting credentials over unencrypted channels is risky:
- Interception: Attackers can intercept credentials using tools like Wireshark if sent over HTTP.
- Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks: Attackers can impersonate legitimate users by intercepting and using their credentials.
Improper session management or token handling
Improperly managing user sessions or tokens can lead to unauthorized access:
- Insecure Token Storage: Storing session tokens or authentication tokens insecurely can allow attackers to access user accounts.
- Token Expiration: Failing to implement proper token expiration or rotation can leave users vulnerable to session hijacking.
How to Prevent Improper Credential Usage
Credentials-usernames, passwords, API keys, and tokens are the keys to the kingdom. Whether you’re a developer managing a cloud infrastructure or an end-user logging into a web portal, credentials are often the first line of defence. But with great power comes great responsibility. Improper credential usage remains one of the most common and dangerous security risks in software applications, often leading to data breaches, system takeovers, and financial losses.
Secure Storage Solutions
The volume of data generated, shared, and stored is growing exponentially. From sensitive personal information to mission-critical business assets, data has become the lifeblood of modern operations. Cyber threats, data breaches, and regulatory compliance issues have made secure storage solutions not just an option but a necessity. Whether you’re a small business safeguarding customer records or an enterprise managing vast databases across cloud environments, storing and protecting your data directly impacts your integrity, continuity, and trustworthiness.
Use platform-specific secure storage like Android Keystore or iOS Keychain.
Mobile platforms offer built-in secure storage mechanisms that developers can leverage to protect sensitive data:
- Android Keystore: This is a secure storage solution for Android apps that allows you to store cryptographic keys securely. The Keystore provides a safe environment for storing sensitive information, protecting it from unauthorized access.
- iOS Keychain: Keychain is a secure storage mechanism on iOS devices that allows apps to store small amounts of sensitive data, such as passwords or tokens. It provides a safe way to store and retrieve credentials, protecting them from unauthorized access.
Safe Transmission Practices:
Data transmission is fundamental to everything we do from sending emails and making online purchases to managing corporate networks and securing remote access. With the growing sophistication of cyber threats and data breaches, the importance of safe transmission practices has never been more critical. Whether you’re a business handling sensitive customer information or an individual sharing files across devices.
By understanding and implementing safe transmission protocols, encryption methods, and secure channels, you can significantly reduce the risk of interception, manipulation, and unauthorized access to your information. Let’s dive into building a robust and secure transmission strategy in a digitally vulnerable era.
Always use HTTPS with SSL pinning
Using HTTPS is essential for encrypting data in transit, but adding SSL pinning provides an extra layer of security:
- HTTPS: Ensures that data transmitted between the app and server is encrypted, protecting it from interception.
- SSL Pinning: Involves hard-coding a specific SSL certificate or public key into the app to prevent man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This ensures that the app only accepts a predefined certificate, preventing attackers from using fake certificates to intercept data.
Avoiding Hardcoding:
Software development, flexibility, scalability, and maintainability are essential for delivering reliable solutions. Yet, one common pitfall that hinders all three is hard coding – the practice of embedding fixed values directly into source code. While it might seem convenient during initial development, hardcoding can lead to various issues, from reduced code reusability to increased vulnerability and higher maintenance costs. Imagine needing to change a database connection string, an API key, or a feature toggle – and having to hunt through lines of code to find every instance where it was manually inserted.
Retrieve secrets securely from the server or use environment variables
- Secure Server Retrieval: Design your app to retrieve sensitive information securely from the server at runtime, ensuring that these secrets are never stored locally in plain text.
- Environment Variables: Use environment variables to store sensitive information outside the codebase. This approach keeps secrets from the code and reduces the risk of exposure during development or deployment.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):
In an era where cyber threats are growing in complexity and frequency, protecting access to systems and sensitive data has never been more critical. Passwords alone are no longer sufficient to safeguard digital identities. This is where Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) comes into play. MFA enhances security by requiring users to provide multiple verification forms before granting access-making it significantly harder for unauthorized users to gain entry. From online banking to corporate networks, MFA is becoming a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity strategies.
Implementing MFA to reduce the impact of stolen credentials.
- Additional Verification Steps: MFA requires users to provide additional verification steps beyond a password, such as an SMS code, a biometric scan, or an authenticator app.
- Reduced Risk: Even if an attacker obtains a user’s password, they will still need to bypass the additional verification steps, making it much harder to gain unauthorized access.
Session Handling Best Practices:
In the ever-evolving web and application security world, session handling plays a crucial role in maintaining user trust and protecting sensitive data. Sessions are a way for applications to recognize users and keep their state across multiple requests, such as logging in, browsing pages, or interacting with personalized content. If not managed securely, sessions can become a significant attack surface, exploited by threat actors through session hijacking, session fixation, cross-site scripting (XSS), and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
As organizations move toward modern cloud-native architectures and rely heavily on APIs and single-page applications, session management becomes more complex. Ensuring secure session handling is no longer optional. It’s a necessity for compliance, privacy, and robust user authentication.
Expire sessions properly, validate tokens, and use short-lived tokens.
- Session Expiration: Ensure that user sessions expire after a reasonable period of inactivity to prevent prolonged unauthorized access.
- Token Validation: Regularly validate session tokens to ensure they are legitimate and not tampered with.
- Short-Lived Tokens: Use short-lived tokens that need to be refreshed frequently. This limits the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit stolen tokens.
Testing and Remediation
Software systems’ integrity, security, and performance are critical to business success. As applications grow more complex, the risk of defects, vulnerabilities, and configuration issues increases. That’s when testing and remediation become essential components of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
Testing ensures that systems meet functional and non-functional requirements, identifying bugs, weaknesses, and performance bottlenecks before they affect end-users. Testing is only half the battle-remediation that involves systematically addressing the issues uncovered, ensuring that problems are resolved efficiently and without introducing new risks.
How to identify improper credential usage in your apps:
Credentials serve as the keys to your application’s most sensitive assets—user data, configuration settings, APIs, and more. Improper credential usage remains one of the most common yet overlooked security risks in app development. From hardcoded secrets in source code to insecure storage mechanisms and misconfigured access controls, these vulnerabilities can expose your application to data breaches, unauthorized access, and compliance violations.
Static and dynamic analysis tools
- Static Analysis Tools: These tools analyze the app’s source code to identify hard coded credentials, insecure storage practices, or weak encryption. Examples include tools like SonarQube or CodePro AnalytiX.
- Dynamic Analysis Tools: These tools test the app’s behaviour at runtime to detect insecure credential transmission or storage. Tools like Burp Suite or ZAP can simulate attacks to identify vulnerabilities.
OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG) recommendations
The OWASP MSTG provides comprehensive guidelines for testing mobile app security, including improper credential usage. Recommendations include:
- Code Review: Perform thorough code reviews to detect hard coded credentials or insecure storage practices.
- Runtime Testing: Use dynamic Analysis to test how credentials are transmitted and stored during app execution.
- Penetration Testing: Conduct regular penetration testing to simulate real-world attacks and identify vulnerabilities.
Secure development lifecycle integration and continuous testing
Integrating security testing into the development lifecycle is essential for preventing improper credential usage:
- Shift-Left Security: Incorporate security testing early in development to catch vulnerabilities before they reach production.
- Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Automate security testing as part of your CI/CD pipeline to ensure that every build is tested for security vulnerabilities.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Developer Best Practices Checklist
Do’s
- Use secure storage mechanisms like Android Keystore or iOS Keychain for storing sensitive data.
- Encrypt all stored credentials using strong encryption algorithms.
- Use HTTPS with SSL pinning to secure data in transit.
- Implement short-lived session tokens with auto-expiry and rotation.
- Follow the principle of least privilege (PoLP) when accessing credentials.
- Integrate security testing (static & dynamic) into your CI/CD pipeline.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever applicable.
- Clean up credentials during logout (invalidate tokens, clear local storage).
- Regularly audit your codebase for hardcoded secrets or misconfigurations.Adopt OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG) practices in development and QA.
Don’ts
- Never hardcode credentials (passwords, API keys, tokens) in source code or config files.
- Avoid storing sensitive data in plaintext or shared preferences.
- Don’t use weak or deprecated encryption algorithms like MD5 or SHA-1.
- Never transmit credentials over HTTP or unencrypted channels.
- Avoid using the same token or password across environments (e.g., dev, staging, prod).
- Don’t skip regular penetration testing – new threats emerge frequently.
Conclusion
Improper Credential Usage remains one of the most dangerous yet preventable security flaws in mobile applications. As outlined by OWASP M1, hardcoded credentials, insecure storage, and weak transmission protocols are all gateways to devastating breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage. By following secure development practices – from encrypting stored data to implementing multi-factor authentication and using secure APIs – you can significantly reduce your app’s risk exposure.
Security is not a one-time checklist. It’s an ongoing commitment. Mobile apps must undergo rigorous, continuous testing to detect and fix credential-related vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. That’s where expert help can make the difference.
SecureLayer7 offers advanced mobile application security assessments, including penetration testing, secure code review, and compliance audits aligned with OWASP Mobile Top 10 standards. If you’re building or managing a mobile application, partner with SecureLayer7 to safeguard your systems, your data, and your users.
Contact SecureLayer7 today to secure your mobile apps and build digital trust from the ground up.
