IPC Security addresses the risks associated with how applications exchange data, messages, or services with other apps or system components on a device.
If improperly secured, IPC mechanisms can allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, enable privilege escalation, or disrupt application functionality through malicious interactions.
IPC Security Tests:
User Proprietary Data in ASL
Tests whether personal or sensitive user data is being logged in Apple System Logs (ASL) or other device logs, which can be accessed by unauthorized apps or attackers through system interfaces.
Technical Valuable Data in ASL
Checks for the presence of technically sensitive information (like tokens, configuration data, or internal errors) in system logs, potentially exposing critical app internals to other apps or malicious users.
Exposed Components and Cross Application Authorization
Evaluates whether application components (such as services, activities, or broadcast receivers) are improperly exposed to other apps, allowing unauthorized access or privilege escalation through poorly controlled IPC mechanisms.
Permissions & Digital Signature Data Sharing Issues
Assesses whether the application’s data-sharing and IPC controls properly enforce permission requirements and digital signature checks when interacting with other apps, preventing unauthorized data access or actions.
Clipboard Separation
Tests whether sensitive data copied to the system clipboard is properly isolated from other applications, preventing untrusted apps from reading private or confidential information.
Code Puzzling and Abusing Application State
Examines whether attackers can manipulate the application’s runtime state or control flow through IPC channels or unintended sequences of actions, potentially causing security bypasses or data leaks.
Race Conditions, Deadlocks, and Concurrency Threats
Checks for issues where simultaneous or rapid-fire interactions between processes can cause unpredictable behavior, deadlocks, or security weaknesses by exploiting timing gaps in how the application handles concurrent IPC events.
In-Device Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
Tests for scenarios where malicious apps or processes could intentionally overwhelm IPC interfaces or shared resources, causing the target app or device functions to crash, hang, or become unresponsive.