Mobile App Penetration Testing in India: Android and iOS Testing with OWASP MASVS (for Fintech, UPI and Healthtech Apps)
Mobile app penetration testing for Indian fintech, UPI and healthtech apps: the 8 OWASP MASVS areas testers check on Android and iOS, with examples and fixes.
Mobile App Penetration Testing in India: Android and iOS Testing with OWASP MASVS (for Fintech, UPI and Healthtech Apps)
Mobile app penetration testing for Indian fintech, UPI and healthtech apps: the 8 OWASP MASVS areas testers check on Android and iOS, with examples and fixes.
Mobile app penetration testing is a hands-on security test of your Android and iOS apps. Testers pull the app apart, watch how it stores data, talks to your servers and handles login, then try to break it the way an attacker would. The standard most testers follow is the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS), which groups mobile security into eight areas.
For Indian fintech, UPI-linked and healthtech apps, the stakes are simple. Your app holds OTPs, KYC images, account details and health records on a device you do not control.
The phone is not your server
On your own servers, you control who gets in. A mobile app is different. Once a customer installs it, anyone can download the same app, decompile it, run it on a rooted phone and watch every request it makes.
That is why mobile testing looks at two sides at once:
The app on the device
What it stores, what it leaks and how hard it is to tamper with
The backend it talks to
The APIs behind every screen
Most serious findings sit in the second part, so a good mobile test always includes the backend. SecurityLit's VAPT covers manual testing of web applications and APIs, which is where the app's data actually lives.
Eight questions an attacker asks about your app
Each MASVS area answers one question. Here is what testers check, with examples that fit Indian apps.
What is left on the phone?
Testers look through app files, databases, logs and backups. A common finding: KYC images such as PAN card photos saved in a shared folder, or a loan app writing account details into its logs.
Is the encryption real?
They check for weak algorithms and for encryption keys hardcoded inside the app. A hardcoded key means anyone who decompiles the app can read the data it "protects".
Can someone get in without being you?
They test whether biometric or PIN screens can be bypassed, and whether sensitive actions such as changing a bank account or approving a payment ask you to authenticate again.
Can someone read the traffic?
Testers try to intercept traffic between the app and your servers. If the app accepts any certificate, an attacker on the same public Wi-Fi can read or change requests.
Does the app leak through the phone itself?
This covers deep links, WebViews, notifications, screenshots and overlay attacks. Examples: an OTP shown in full in a notification on the lock screen, a balance screen captured in the "recent apps" view, or a deep link that opens a payment screen with attacker-chosen details.
Is the code itself safe?
They check for outdated third-party libraries with known vulnerabilities, unsafe handling of input, and whether old app versions are forced to update.
How hard is it to tamper with?
Testers try to run the app on rooted or jailbroken phones and emulators, attach debugging tools and modify the app. For high-risk apps such as payments and lending, root detection, device binding and integrity checks raise the effort an attacker needs. They do not replace server-side security.
Does the app collect only what it needs?
They review permissions, tracking SDKs and what personal data leaves the device. Asking for contacts or SMS access without a clear need is a privacy risk, and it is a growing concern under India's DPDP Act, whose main obligations apply from 14 May 2027.
Android and iOS: what changes in testing
The eight questions stay the same. The details change.
Android apps are easier to decompile and repackage, and Android lets apps share data through intents, content providers and external storage. Testers spend more time on exported components, intents and storage.
iOS apps are more locked down, but testers still check the Keychain, local files, URL schemes, universal links, WebViews and how strictly the app enforces secure connections.
Because each platform needs its own setup and tools, Android and iOS are usually scoped as two separate pieces of work. SecurityLit's pricing calculator lists Mobile Application as its own target, with grey box and black box options.
Where to focus, by type of app
The same eight areas apply to every app, but each sector has its own hot spots.
Lending apps
Fintech & LendingLook hard at permissions and KYC data. Contacts, SMS and photo access should match a real feature, and PAN, Aadhaar and selfie images should never sit unencrypted on the device or in shared storage.
UPI-linked and payment apps
Payments & UPIFocus on how payments start and finish. Test deep links and app-to-app handoffs, check that amounts and payee details cannot be changed in transit, and make sure every payment or bank change needs fresh authentication.
Healthtech apps
Healthtech & TelemedLab reports, prescriptions and consultation notes are often opened as PDFs or inside WebViews. Check where those files are cached, whether they stay after logout, and whether the WebView can load untrusted content.
What a regulator may expect
If you are an NBFC, RBI's 2026 Cybersecurity Directions ask NBFCs that use mobile financial services to safeguard the information assets their apps use. The technology must ensure confidentiality, integrity, authenticity and end-to-end encryption. Larger NBFCs also have fixed VA and PT cycles for customer-facing systems, and your mobile app and its APIs are part of that picture.
For healthtech apps, patient data raises the stakes further, especially under the DPDP Act. A compliance pre-assessment can show where your app and backend stand before an audit or a large customer review.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Getting the most from your mobile test
Share these before the test starts:
For Android (APK or AAB) and iOS (IPA), ideally without extra obfuscation for the first round
For each user type, such as borrower, merchant and admin
A list of SDKs the app uses, including payments, KYC, analytics and chat
Complete API documentation for the backend supporting the app
If you can share source code, a source code review finds issues faster than testing the compiled app alone, such as hardcoded keys and unsafe crypto.
Mobile teams often ship every week or two. A yearly test only covers one version. Continuous pentesting keeps testing as new versions go live.
A quick pre-release check for your app
Are OTPs, tokens and KYC images kept out of logs, backups and shared storage?
Does the app reject untrusted certificates?
Do payment and account changes ask the user to authenticate again?
Are sensitive screens hidden from screenshots and the recent apps view?
Do deep links validate what they receive before opening a screen?
Any "no" is a place to start testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OWASP MASVS?
The OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard is a free, open standard for mobile app security. It groups controls into eight areas: storage, cryptography, authentication, network, platform, code, resilience and privacy.
Do Android and iOS apps need separate penetration tests?
Usually yes. The security questions are the same, but the platforms, tools and weak spots differ, so each app is normally tested and scoped on its own. The shared backend can be tested once.
Is root detection enough to protect a fintech app?
No. Root detection, device binding and integrity checks make attacks harder, but a determined attacker can often bypass them. Real protection still depends on secure APIs, strong authentication and proper server-side checks.
How long does a mobile app penetration test take?
It depends on the number of screens, user roles, platforms and backend APIs in scope. A clear scope and test accounts shared up front help the test move faster.
Should we test before or after publishing on the Play Store or App Store?
Before a major release, so fixes ship with the release. Test again after big changes such as a new payment flow or login method.
Launching or updating a fintech, UPI or healthtech app?
Book a free scoping call with SecurityLit or get an instant estimate for mobile application testing.
Mobile app penetration testing is a hands-on security test of your Android and iOS apps. Testers pull the app apart, watch how it stores data, talks to your servers and handles login, then try to break it the way an attacker would. The standard most testers follow is the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS), which groups mobile security into eight areas.
For Indian fintech, UPI-linked and healthtech apps, the stakes are simple. Your app holds OTPs, KYC images, account details and health records on a device you do not control.
The phone is not your server
On your own servers, you control who gets in. A mobile app is different. Once a customer installs it, anyone can download the same app, decompile it, run it on a rooted phone and watch every request it makes.
That is why mobile testing looks at two sides at once:
The app on the device
What it stores, what it leaks and how hard it is to tamper with
The backend it talks to
The APIs behind every screen
Most serious findings sit in the second part, so a good mobile test always includes the backend. SecurityLit's VAPT covers manual testing of web applications and APIs, which is where the app's data actually lives.
Eight questions an attacker asks about your app
Each MASVS area answers one question. Here is what testers check, with examples that fit Indian apps.
What is left on the phone?
Testers look through app files, databases, logs and backups. A common finding: KYC images such as PAN card photos saved in a shared folder, or a loan app writing account details into its logs.
Is the encryption real?
They check for weak algorithms and for encryption keys hardcoded inside the app. A hardcoded key means anyone who decompiles the app can read the data it "protects".
Can someone get in without being you?
They test whether biometric or PIN screens can be bypassed, and whether sensitive actions such as changing a bank account or approving a payment ask you to authenticate again.
Can someone read the traffic?
Testers try to intercept traffic between the app and your servers. If the app accepts any certificate, an attacker on the same public Wi-Fi can read or change requests.
Does the app leak through the phone itself?
This covers deep links, WebViews, notifications, screenshots and overlay attacks. Examples: an OTP shown in full in a notification on the lock screen, a balance screen captured in the "recent apps" view, or a deep link that opens a payment screen with attacker-chosen details.
Is the code itself safe?
They check for outdated third-party libraries with known vulnerabilities, unsafe handling of input, and whether old app versions are forced to update.
How hard is it to tamper with?
Testers try to run the app on rooted or jailbroken phones and emulators, attach debugging tools and modify the app. For high-risk apps such as payments and lending, root detection, device binding and integrity checks raise the effort an attacker needs. They do not replace server-side security.
Does the app collect only what it needs?
They review permissions, tracking SDKs and what personal data leaves the device. Asking for contacts or SMS access without a clear need is a privacy risk, and it is a growing concern under India's DPDP Act, whose main obligations apply from 14 May 2027.
Android and iOS: what changes in testing
The eight questions stay the same. The details change.
Android apps are easier to decompile and repackage, and Android lets apps share data through intents, content providers and external storage. Testers spend more time on exported components, intents and storage.
iOS apps are more locked down, but testers still check the Keychain, local files, URL schemes, universal links, WebViews and how strictly the app enforces secure connections.
Because each platform needs its own setup and tools, Android and iOS are usually scoped as two separate pieces of work. SecurityLit's pricing calculator lists Mobile Application as its own target, with grey box and black box options.
Where to focus, by type of app
The same eight areas apply to every app, but each sector has its own hot spots.
Lending apps
Fintech & LendingLook hard at permissions and KYC data. Contacts, SMS and photo access should match a real feature, and PAN, Aadhaar and selfie images should never sit unencrypted on the device or in shared storage.
UPI-linked and payment apps
Payments & UPIFocus on how payments start and finish. Test deep links and app-to-app handoffs, check that amounts and payee details cannot be changed in transit, and make sure every payment or bank change needs fresh authentication.
Healthtech apps
Healthtech & TelemedLab reports, prescriptions and consultation notes are often opened as PDFs or inside WebViews. Check where those files are cached, whether they stay after logout, and whether the WebView can load untrusted content.
What a regulator may expect
If you are an NBFC, RBI's 2026 Cybersecurity Directions ask NBFCs that use mobile financial services to safeguard the information assets their apps use. The technology must ensure confidentiality, integrity, authenticity and end-to-end encryption. Larger NBFCs also have fixed VA and PT cycles for customer-facing systems, and your mobile app and its APIs are part of that picture.
For healthtech apps, patient data raises the stakes further, especially under the DPDP Act. A compliance pre-assessment can show where your app and backend stand before an audit or a large customer review.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Getting the most from your mobile test
Share these before the test starts:
For Android (APK or AAB) and iOS (IPA), ideally without extra obfuscation for the first round
For each user type, such as borrower, merchant and admin
A list of SDKs the app uses, including payments, KYC, analytics and chat
Complete API documentation for the backend supporting the app
If you can share source code, a source code review finds issues faster than testing the compiled app alone, such as hardcoded keys and unsafe crypto.
Mobile teams often ship every week or two. A yearly test only covers one version. Continuous pentesting keeps testing as new versions go live.
A quick pre-release check for your app
Are OTPs, tokens and KYC images kept out of logs, backups and shared storage?
Does the app reject untrusted certificates?
Do payment and account changes ask the user to authenticate again?
Are sensitive screens hidden from screenshots and the recent apps view?
Do deep links validate what they receive before opening a screen?
Any "no" is a place to start testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OWASP MASVS?
The OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard is a free, open standard for mobile app security. It groups controls into eight areas: storage, cryptography, authentication, network, platform, code, resilience and privacy.
Do Android and iOS apps need separate penetration tests?
Usually yes. The security questions are the same, but the platforms, tools and weak spots differ, so each app is normally tested and scoped on its own. The shared backend can be tested once.
Is root detection enough to protect a fintech app?
No. Root detection, device binding and integrity checks make attacks harder, but a determined attacker can often bypass them. Real protection still depends on secure APIs, strong authentication and proper server-side checks.
How long does a mobile app penetration test take?
It depends on the number of screens, user roles, platforms and backend APIs in scope. A clear scope and test accounts shared up front help the test move faster.
Should we test before or after publishing on the Play Store or App Store?
Before a major release, so fixes ship with the release. Test again after big changes such as a new payment flow or login method.
Launching or updating a fintech, UPI or healthtech app?
Book a free scoping call with SecurityLit or get an instant estimate for mobile application testing.