Authorization Keys
In cybersecurity, authorization keys grant users or applications specific access rights and permissions. They function as digital keys, allowing access to particular resources or functionalities within a system. Authorization keys are critical in preventing unauthorized access and ensuring that users and applications only have the necessary privileges.
They differ from authentication keys, which verify a user's or application's identity. Once authenticated, authorization keys determine the extent of access granted.
Authorization keys, which can be implemented in various ways, such as OAuth 2.0 tokens or JSON Web Tokens (JWTs), are often used with API keys to provide a second layer of security.
ThreatNG's ability to detect authorization keys in mobile apps helps organizations identify potential security risks associated with exposed keys. This information can be used to revoke compromised keys, implement stronger access controls, and improve the overall security of mobile apps.
Let's delve into how ThreatNG helps manage the risks of exposed secrets and credentials in mobile apps, with a specific focus on its key capabilities:
1. External Discovery and Assessment
ThreatNG excels at finding and assessing mobile apps related to your organization without needing internal access. It scans popular app marketplaces to identify relevant apps and then analyzes their contents for potential security risks.
Deep Dive into Assessment Examples:
API Keys: ThreatNG can pinpoint various API keys hidden within the app, such as those for AWS, Facebook, Google, Stripe, and Twitter. This allows you to identify and replace any keys that might be compromised quickly.
OAuth Credentials: It can uncover OAuth credentials, including client IDs and secret keys, which could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to user accounts.
Private Keys: ThreatNG can even identify the presence of private keys used for cryptography, such as PGP and RSA keys, within the mobile app. Exposing these keys could severely compromise the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data.
2. Reporting and Continuous Monitoring
ThreatNG doesn't just find problems; it provides detailed reports on its findings, including the types of exposed credentials, their locations within the app, and the associated risks. This information helps prioritize your remediation efforts.
Moreover, ThreatNG's continuous monitoring capabilities ensure that new mobile app releases are automatically scanned for potential security risks. This helps you avoid emerging threats and maintain a strong security posture.
ThreatNG's investigation modules empower your security teams to investigate identified risks more deeply. For example, the "Sensitive Code Exposure" module provides detailed information about exposed access credentials, database exposures, application data exposures, and more. This module helps you understand the context of the exposed credentials and assess their potential impact.
ThreatNG leverages various intelligence repositories to enrich its analysis. These repositories include information on known vulnerabilities, compromised credentials, and ransomware events. This information helps ThreatNG identify high-risk exposures and prioritize remediation efforts.
5. Working with Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG is designed to integrate with other security tools, such as mobile app security testing solutions and vulnerability scanners. This integration allows organizations to comprehensively combine ThreatNG's external analysis with in-depth code analysis and dynamic testing to view their mobile app security posture.
Integration Examples:
Mobile App Security Testing: ThreatNG can identify potential vulnerabilities in a mobile app, such as exposed API keys. This information can be passed to a mobile app security testing solution, which can then perform dynamic testing to confirm the vulnerability's exploitability.
Vulnerability Scanner: ThreatNG can discover an organization's cloud services and SaaS implementations. It can then share this information with a vulnerability scanner to assess the security posture of these external assets.
By combining ThreatNG's capabilities with complementary solutions, organizations can proactively identify and mitigate security risks associated with their mobile apps, protecting sensitive data and user privacy.
