The Mobile App Security Library

A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack occurs when an attacker intercepts and potentially alters the communication between two parties without their knowledge. The attacker positions themselves between the victim and the intended service, enabling them to eavesdrop on sensitive data like passwords or financial information, or inject malicious content into the communication.

Certificate pinning is a security technique that increases secure communication over the TLS (transport layer security) protocol, like HTTPS. It ties a chosen TLS certificate or public key exclusively to the API server, allowing the application to reliably confirm the server's identity each time it connects. During interactions, the server presents a digital certificate to prove its identity and secures the encryption of data sent through APIs between the client and server. By matching the server’s shown certificate against a predetermined or "pinned" certificate within the app, certificate pinning ensures an additional layer of security, preventing man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and ensuring server communication integrity.

OWASP is a non-profit that provides free tools, standards, and frameworks to help build secure software and guides security best practices.

A debugger is a tool that helps find and fix bugs in real time. Attackers use them to exploit vulnerabilities, bypass security controls, or tamper with apps.