Mobile application penetration testing assesses your iOS and Android apps from an attacker’s perspective, examining the app, its data storage, its communications and the APIs behind it. Because mobile apps run on devices you do not control and connect to sensitive backends, they carry risks that web testing alone does not cover.
What mobile application penetration testing is
Mobile application penetration testing is a controlled, authorised assessment of your iOS and Android apps, carried out the way an attacker would approach them. A tester examines the app itself, how it stores data on the device, how it communicates with your servers, and the APIs it relies on, attempting to find and exploit weaknesses across all of these.
The goal is the same as any penetration test: to understand your real risk by proving what an attacker could actually do, not just listing theoretical issues. But mobile apps introduce a distinct set of risks that make dedicated testing worthwhile, rather than assuming a web application test covers everything.
How mobile risks differ from web
The defining difference is where a mobile app runs: on a device you do not control. A web application runs on your servers, but a mobile app is installed on the user’s phone, which may be an attacker’s phone. That changes the threat model significantly. An attacker can inspect the app, examine what it stores locally, and observe how it behaves, in ways that are not possible with a purely server-side application.
This leads to risks that are specific to mobile: sensitive data stored insecurely on the device, weaknesses in how the app protects its communications, and platform-specific issues on iOS and Android. Testing has to account for the reality that the app is in hostile hands, not just reachable over a network.
What it covers
A thorough mobile application penetration test examines the full picture:
- Insecure data storage, where sensitive information is left unprotected on the device
- Weak or improperly protected communications between the app and your servers
- Authentication and session handling, including how the app manages logins and tokens
- The backend APIs the app depends on, which are often the real prize
- Platform-specific weaknesses on iOS and Android
- Code-level protections and how the app resists tampering and reverse engineering
The result is an understanding of what an attacker could achieve, whether that is extracting data from the device, intercepting communications, or abusing the backend through the app.
iOS and Android considerations
While the principles are shared, iOS and Android differ in how they handle storage, permissions and app protections, and a capable tester works across both. Many organisations ship apps on both platforms, and a weakness may exist on one but not the other, so testing both is important where both are in use. The tester adapts to each platform’s specifics rather than applying a single generic checklist.
Why the API layer matters as much as the app
One of the most important things to understand about mobile testing is that the app is often just the front door to something more valuable: the backend APIs. A mobile app talks to your servers through APIs, and those APIs are frequently where the sensitive data and functionality actually live.
Attackers know this. Rather than only attacking the app on the device, they study how the app communicates and then attack the APIs directly, often bypassing the app entirely. That is why good mobile penetration testing always includes the API layer behind the app. Testing the app while ignoring its backend leaves the most valuable part unexamined.
What a good test and report look like
A quality mobile penetration test is scoped clearly, carried out safely, and reported for two audiences. Engineers need the technical detail to reproduce and fix each issue across the app and its backend. Leadership needs a clear view of the business risk, prioritised by what an attacker could realistically exploit. The report should include practical remediation guidance, and retesting afterward confirms that fixes actually closed the gaps.
Because apps and their APIs change with each release, testing should be repeated regularly and after significant updates, so the assessment reflects the current version rather than one that has since evolved.
If you want an attacker-perspective assessment of your mobile apps and the APIs behind them, our application security testing covers both, and our broader penetration testing services extend across your environment.
For the mobile-specific risks, see the OWASP Mobile Application Security project.
Frequently asked questions
What is mobile application penetration testing?
It is an attacker-perspective assessment of your iOS and Android apps, examining the app itself, how it stores data, how it communicates, and the backend APIs it relies on. The goal is to prove what an attacker could actually do, not just list theoretical issues.
How is it different from web testing?
Mobile apps run on devices you do not control and store data locally, so an attacker can inspect the app and its stored data in ways not possible with server-side applications. This creates mobile-specific risks that web testing alone does not cover.
What does a mobile penetration test cover?
Insecure data storage on the device, weak communications, authentication and session handling, platform-specific weaknesses on iOS and Android, resistance to tampering, and crucially the backend APIs the app depends on.
Does it test the backend too?
Yes, and it should. The APIs behind the app are often where the sensitive data and functionality live, and attackers frequently target them directly rather than only attacking the app. Testing the app without its backend leaves the most valuable part unexamined.
