Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST) is the practice of evaluating mobile applications for security vulnerabilities, data leakage risks, and privacy concerns across their full lifecycle. MAST combines static analysis of application binaries, dynamic runtime testing, behavioral analysis, and backend API assessment to identify weaknesses specific to the mobile platform including insecure data storage, improper certificate validation, and excessive permission requests.
MAST employs multiple testing methodologies. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) decompiles mobile application binaries to examine source code, hardcoded credentials, encryption implementations, and third-party library vulnerabilities without executing the application. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) runs the application in instrumented environments, monitoring network traffic, file system operations, inter-process communication, and runtime behavior. Interactive testing combines both approaches, correlating static findings with runtime observations. Backend API testing examines the server-side components that mobile applications communicate with, checking for authentication bypass, authorization flaws, and data exposure. MAST tools also analyze application manifests for excessive permissions, evaluate certificate pinning implementations, test for reverse engineering resistance, and verify data-at-rest encryption. Automated MAST platforms integrate into CI/CD pipelines, scanning each build before deployment to app stores.
Mobile applications operate in hostile environments where attackers have physical access to devices, can intercept network traffic, and can reverse-engineer application binaries. Unlike web applications protected by server-side controls, mobile apps carry sensitive logic and data onto user devices. Insecure data storage, weak cryptographic implementations, and insufficient transport security are prevalent vulnerabilities that expose user credentials, personal data, and backend system access. Regulatory requirements including GDPR and PCI DSS apply equally to mobile data handling.
CDA integrates MAST into VSD domain operations alongside traditional application security testing. Theater missions establish mobile-specific testing procedures, train development teams on OWASP Mobile Top 10 risks, and build automated scanning pipelines that catch mobile vulnerabilities before they reach production app stores.