[JoseMar]

Analyzing Mobile App Security with MobSF.live
Detecting Threats Before Installation

Mobsf.live – Online Mobile App Security Analysis

Mobsf.live is an online platform for analyzing the security & the potential risks of any APK files (Android applications) before to install on your mobile.

It is powered by MobSF (Mobile Security Framework) & also allows users to upload APK files to check for malware, vulnerabilities & suspicious permissions.

The platform provides one Security Score,evaluates dangerous permissions & also analyzes AndroidManifest.xml and Java source code just to detect possible threats like spyware, backdoors, or malicious payloads. before to install.

Ideal for ethical hackers,developers & also for security researchers,Mobsf.live helps in identifying potential security risks in mobile applications before they are installed on your mobile device.

Let's check the potential permissions of an application before installing it.

For example, if we want to install a program, but before doing so, we want to see what permissions it requires, we can analyze it first.

Let´s say that we download one apk from internet and we want to install on our mobile
The application is called: Master.apk

We go to the website: Mobsf.live, where we upload Master.apk for analysis.



A notice informs us that everything uploaded for scanning will be public.



The Security Score given is 49 out of 100
which is very poor and indicates that the app is unsafe to install.



Now, further down, we click on AndroidManifest.xml, where we can see all the permissions requested by this application before to install.





As observed, it requests unusual permissions that are not typical for a regular app.

If we click on the left side, under Permissions, we get a detailed of what the app is requesting.



Additionally, if we click on Java Source, we can see that this application is actually a virus containing Metasploit, and we can even view the payload being used.



Before Installing Unknown Mobile Apps –> Stay Safe!

Before installing an unknown mobile app, make sure you know what you're installing. Here’s a short guide on how to check an Android application (APK) for security risks. (For iOS apps, I’ll create a separate thread.)

• Stay Safe! Before installing any unknown APK, upload it to a security analysis website to check for potential threats. If you're not familiar with coding, start by reviewing the Security Score, in this example, we got 4.9 out of 100, which clearly indicates that the app is not safe to install.
  

Always verify before installing!