App Store Footprint
"App Store Footprint" refers to the complete collection of mobile applications associated with an organization available across all mobile application distribution platforms. This encompasses all apps published under the organization's name, by its developers, or related to its brand, products, or services.
Here's a breakdown of the key aspects of "App Store Footprint":
Comprehensive Inventory: It's about creating a complete inventory of all mobile apps, leaving no app undiscovered.
Official and Unofficial Stores: "App Store Footprint" includes apps in official app stores (like Apple's App Store and Google Play) and those in alternative or third-party marketplaces. This is crucial because rogue or risky apps might appear in less-regulated, unofficial stores.
Organizationally Associated: The apps included are those directly connected to the organization. This can be determined by:
Developer Name: Apps published by the organization's official developer accounts.
Organization Name or Branding: Apps that use the organization's name, logo, or other branding elements.
Functionality: Apps that access the organization's services, products, or data.
Security Implications: Understanding the "App Store Footprint" is vital for cybersecurity because:
Rogue App Detection: It helps find unauthorized or malicious apps that can harm the organization or its users.
Vulnerability Management: It allows security teams to assess all apps for potential security flaws.
Brand Protection: It aids in identifying apps that might damage the organization's reputation.
Data Leak Prevention: It helps monitor apps that might leak sensitive data.
Here’s how ThreatNG helps in assessing the App Store Footprint:
ThreatNG excels at external discovery by performing purely external unauthenticated discovery without using connectors.
This is crucial for understanding an organization's "App Store Footprint" because it allows ThreatNG to find apps in various places, not just official stores.
ThreatNG discovers mobile apps in numerous marketplaces, including major ones like the Apple App Store and Google Play, and others like Amazon Appstore, APKCombo, APKPure, AppBrain, appdb, Aptoide, AppCake, LG Content Store, TutuApp, and uptodown.
This extensive discovery capability enables ThreatNG to thoroughly understand an organization's "App Store Footprint."
ThreatNG doesn't just find apps; it also assesses them for security risks:
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG evaluates an organization’s mobile app exposure. This is a core part of understanding the security implications within the "App Store Footprint."
ThreatNG's assessment involves looking for various credentials and identifiers within the mobile apps, which reveals potential vulnerabilities and risks:
Access Credentials: ThreatNG checks for sensitive access credentials like API keys, authentication tokens, and passwords. Exposed credentials in any app within the "App Store Footprint" can be a significant risk.
For example, ThreatNG can detect an exposed AWS API Key within an app, which could allow unauthorized access to cloud resources.
Security Credentials: The solution also searches for security credentials like private keys. If a rogue app within the "App Store Footprint" contains a leaked private key, it could severely compromise secure communications.
For instance, ThreatNG can identify an app with an embedded RSA private key, which, if compromised, could allow attackers to impersonate the application.
Platform-Specific Identifiers: ThreatNG identifies platform-specific identifiers that could be misused, such as admin directories and cloud storage buckets. If exposed, these identifiers can provide attackers with valuable information to target specific systems.
ThreatNG's ability to detect an exposed Amazon AWS S3 Bucket name within a mobile app could indicate a potential data leak if the bucket is not correctly secured.
3. Reporting
ThreatNG delivers reports in various formats, including executive, technical, and prioritized.
These reports can detail the findings of the "App Store Footprint" assessment, highlighting any risky apps or security vulnerabilities.
For example, a report could provide an inventory of all discovered apps and highlight those with exposed API keys or other critical vulnerabilities.
ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings.
This ongoing monitoring is essential for managing the dynamic nature of the "App Store Footprint." Apps get updated, new apps are released, and risks evolve. Continuous monitoring helps organizations stay on top of these changes.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide in-depth information to analyze the "App Store Footprint":
Mobile Application Discovery: This module focuses explicitly on discovering mobile apps in marketplaces and analyzing their contents.
It provides the core data for understanding the "App Store Footprint" by identifying all associated apps.
It also provides a crucial analysis of the apps' contents.
For example, this module discovers apps in marketplaces like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It identifies the presence of Access Credentials (like AWS API Keys), Security Credentials (like RSA Private Keys), and Platform Specific Identifiers (like AWS S3 Bucket names) within those apps.
ThreatNG uses intelligence repositories, including data on compromised credentials, known vulnerabilities, and other relevant information.
These repositories add context to the "App Store Footprint" analysis. For instance, if ThreatNG finds credentials in an app, the compromised credentials repository can reveal if those credentials have already been exposed in a data breach.
7. Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG enhances other security tools by providing an external view of the "App Store Footprint."
Internal tools might miss apps downloaded from unofficial stores, but ThreatNG can identify them.
Examples of ThreatNG helping:
ThreatNG can identify all apps related to an organization, giving a complete picture of the "App Store Footprint," even those not managed by internal mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
ThreatNG can detect exposed credentials within apps, providing an early warning of potential compromises that internal tools might miss.
Examples of ThreatNG working with complementary solutions:
ThreatNG can integrate with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, providing external threat intelligence about the "App Store Footprint" to improve the SIEM's threat detection.
ThreatNG's findings on app vulnerabilities can be fed into vulnerability management systems to prioritize remediation efforts within the organization's "App Store Footprint."
