Platform-Specific Identifiers
In cybersecurity, platform-specific identifiers are unique values or data associated with a particular platform and can be used to identify or interact with it. These identifiers are crucial for various functions, including authentication, authorization, tracking, and accessing platform-specific features or services. In mobile app security, these identifiers can hold significant importance.
Here are some examples of platform-specific identifiers:
Facebook Identifiers: These could include Facebook IDs, access tokens, or other data specific to the Facebook platform and its APIs.
Twitter Identifiers: Like Facebook, Twitter has its own set of identifiers, such as Twitter IDs, API keys, and access tokens, which are used to interact with the Twitter platform.
Google Cloud Platform Identifiers: When dealing with applications that interact with Google Cloud services, there are platform-specific identifiers such as Google Cloud project IDs, service account credentials, and API keys.
In mobile app security, the exposure of platform-specific identifiers can lead to several risks:
Unauthorized Access: If these identifiers are compromised, attackers can gain unauthorized access to user accounts, sensitive data, or platform resources.
Data Breaches: Exposed identifiers can be exploited to extract sensitive information from a platform or service.
Account Takeover: Attackers can use compromised identifiers to take control of user accounts and perform malicious activities.
Reputational Damage: Security incidents resulting from exposed identifiers can harm an organization's reputation and erode user trust.
Organizations must implement robust security measures to protect platform-specific identifiers and prevent them from being exposed or compromised.
ThreatNG Capabilities and Platform-Specific Identifiers
ThreatNG is an all-in-one solution for external attack surface management, digital risk protection, and security ratings. It provides a comprehensive approach to identifying and mitigating risks associated with platform-specific identifiers through its various capabilities:
ThreatNG performs purely external unauthenticated discovery, meaning it can identify potential exposures without needing any login credentials or connectors. This is crucial for platform-specific identifiers because it allows ThreatNG to find potential exposures across an organization's digital footprint, including areas that might be overlooked.
ThreatNG offers a wide range of assessment ratings that are highly relevant to the security of platform-specific identifiers:
Cyber Risk Exposure: ThreatNG considers various parameters to determine cyber risk exposure, including code secret exposure. This is important because platform-specific identifiers within code repositories represent a significant risk. For example, ThreatNG can discover exposed API keys (a platform-specific identifier) in public code repositories.
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG evaluates an organization's mobile apps by discovering them in marketplaces and analyzing their contents. This assessment specifically looks for the presence of Authentication/Authorization Tokens & Keys, Authentication Credentials, OAuth Credentials, Service Account/Key Files, and Private Keys (Cryptography), all of which can be considered platform-specific identifiers.
For example, ThreatNG can identify exposed:
GitHub Access Tokens (for accessing GitHub APIs)
Google API Keys (for accessing Google APIs)
Facebook Access Tokens (for accessing Facebook APIs)
AWS Access Key ID (Credentials for accessing AWS services)
3. Reporting
ThreatNG provides various reports, including executive, technical, and prioritized reports. These reports can highlight exposures of platform-specific identifiers, allowing organizations to understand and address the associated risks quickly.
ThreatNG continuously monitors external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings. This is crucial for platform-specific identifiers because it allows organizations to detect new exposures as they arise.
ThreatNG's investigation modules provide in-depth analysis of potential risks:
Domain Intelligence: This module provides various insights, including subdomain intelligence and content identification. While not directly focused on platform-specific identifiers, it can help identify potential attack vectors or areas where these identifiers might be at risk.
Sensitive Code Exposure: This module is highly relevant to platform-specific identifiers. It focuses on:
Exposed Public Code Repositories: ThreatNG uncovers digital risks that include Access Credentials (API Keys, Access Tokens, Cloud Credentials, Security Credentials, Other Secrets), Database Exposures, Application Data Exposures, Activity Records, Communication Platform Configurations, Development Environment Configurations, Security Testing Tools, Cloud Service Configurations, Remote Access Credentials, System Utilities, Personal Data, and User Activity.
Mobile Application discovery: ThreatNG discovers mobile applications and analyzes their contents for Authentication/Authorization Tokens & Keys, Authentication Credentials, OAuth Credentials, Service Account/Key Files, and Private Keys (Cryptography).
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: ThreatNG helps identify potential exposures in cloud services and SaaS solutions. This is relevant because platform-specific identifiers are often used to access cloud-based resources and SaaS applications.
For example, ThreatNG can discover exposed API keys or access tokens for SaaS applications.
Search Engine Exploitation: ThreatNG helps investigate an organization’s susceptibility to exposing information via search engines. This is important as search engines can unintentionally index platform-specific identifiers.
ThreatNG uses intelligence repositories to enhance its detection capabilities. These repositories include data on known vulnerabilities, compromised credentials, and mobile apps. The mobile app intelligence repository specifically contains indicators of Authentication/Authorization Tokens & Keys, Authentication Credentials, OAuth Credentials, Service Account/Key Files, and Private Keys (Cryptography) found within mobile apps.
7. Working with Complementary Solutions
While the provided documents do not explicitly detail ThreatNG's direct integrations with other cybersecurity solutions, ThreatNG's capabilities and reporting can complement other security tools:
SIEM Systems: ThreatNG's reports and intelligence can be fed into SIEM systems to provide a broader view of an organization's security posture and trigger alerts based on identified exposures of platform-specific identifiers.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG's discovery of exposed platform-specific identifiers can help prioritize vulnerability remediation efforts by highlighting areas where attackers could gain unauthorized access.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solutions: ThreatNG can help identify potential weaknesses in IAM configurations by detecting exposed credentials or API keys that could be used to bypass access controls.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping
ThreatNG can discover exposed AWS credentials in a public code repository, preventing unauthorized access to cloud resources.
ThreatNG can identify API keys for SaaS applications embedded within a mobile app, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data.
ThreatNG can detect a malicious version of an organization's mobile app designed to steal platform-specific identifiers, protecting users and the organization from potential harm.
By combining these capabilities, ThreatNG provides a robust solution for managing the risks associated with platform-specific identifiers, helping organizations to identify and mitigate potential threats proactively.
