Mobile and server-side penetration tools together constitute the core technology of current network security assessment, which can form a complementary system for different attack surfaces and vulnerability types. The functional characteristics, applicable scenarios and technical synergy of these testing tools are summarized as follows!
1. Mobile Penetration Testing Tools
In terms of asset information collection, AppInfoScanner is designed for red team scenarios and supports multi-platform asset scanning such as Android, iOS, WEB/H5, etc. It can extract key information such as domain names, IPs, CDN nodes, fingerprints, etc. from files such as APK and IPA, and implement targeted asset mining through rule customization, greatly improving the efficiency of mobile attack surface mapping. For example, in HW operations, exposed API interfaces and background management addresses can be quickly located.
Automated Security Assessment MobSF (Mobile Security Framework) provides full-stack analysis capabilities: statically deconstructing APK/IPA code vulnerabilities and permission abuse issues; dynamically monitoring runtime behaviors (such as sensitive API calls and data leakage paths). Its Dockerized deployment supports CI/CD integration, which is suitable for compliance detection and malware analysis. The supporting tool mobexler virtual machine pre-installs a reverse engineering kit to provide out-of-the-box support for the test environment.
Frida, a dynamic behavior intervention tool, implements Java/Native layer hooks through dynamic plugging technology, which can bypass certificate binding and tamper with logical processes. Typical applications include cooperating with r0capture to capture HTTPS traffic regardless of reinforcement measures, solving the problem of invisible data packets caused by proxy detection. Focusing on Android component security testing, verifying cross-application data leakage risks by exposing the attack surface of Activity and Content Provider.
BlackDex, a defense against reinforcement and unpacking, runs directly on Android devices, unpacks and reinforces APK within 5 seconds, and supports Android 512 systems. Fridadexdump extracts DEX files based on memory scanning to deal with advanced protection solutions such as VMP. Both provide basic capability support for closed-source application reverse engineering.
2. Server-side penetration testing tools
Metasploit, a vulnerability exploitation framework, integrates more than 1,500 vulnerability exploitation modules and maintains permissions through automatic Payload generation (such as meterpreter). Its commercial version expands advanced evasion techniques and is suitable for intranet lateral movement drills.
Network detection and vulnerability scanning Nmap completes host discovery, port scanning and OS fingerprinting, providing intelligence for subsequent attacks. Nessus deeply detects configuration errors and unpatched vulnerabilities (such as CVE vulnerability library matching), generates repair priority reports, and meets the requirements of security compliance.
Web application penetration suite Burp Suite intercepts HTTP/S traffic as a middleman proxy, supporting automatic detection and manual exploitation of vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and XSS. Acunetix supplements its capabilities, covering OWASP Top 10 risks with 7000+ test cases, especially good at SPA application scanning.
Special breakthrough tool sqlmap automatically detects SQL injection points and extracts database content, supporting advanced techniques such as Boolean blind injection and time blind injection. John the Ripper implements brute force cracking for weak password hashes, and is often used for domain control server password breakthrough.
3. Tool chain integration and application scenarios
Mobile application risk assessment: AppInfoScanner extracts assets → MobSF static scanning → Frida dynamically analyzes certificate binding → r0capture captures packets to verify data leakage.
Deep penetration on the server side: Nmap scans open ports → Nessus identifies vulnerabilities → Metasploit uses vulnerabilities to implant backdoors → sqlmap attacks the database.
Red team collaboration: The API key obtained on the mobile side is combined with Burp Suite to replay the attack, breaking through the server authentication boundary and achieving full chain connection from the mobile entrance to the data center.
Frida+MobSF is prioritized on the mobile side to deal with reinforcement and compliance audits; Metasploit+Nessus is used on the server side to cover vulnerability exploitation and management requirements; Burp Suite+Acunetix dual engines are used on the Web layer to reduce the false negative rate. Tool integration needs to match the characteristics of the business architecture - for example, Kubernetes audit tools are added to the cloud native environment, and hardware protocol analyzers are added to the IoT scenario. Through automated scripts in series with tool chains (such as importing Nmap results into Metasploit), a penetration testing infrastructure that adapts to continuous evolution can be built.
