Mobile SSL Pinning
SSL pinning is a technique used in mobile applications to defend against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. It works by embedding a specific certificate or public key directly into the app and rejecting connections that don’t match. While this adds a layer of protection to client-server communications, it comes with significant trade-offs. According to the OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG), SSL pinning is not foolproof.
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What To Do Instead of SSL Pinning
White Box Cryptography (WBC) is leveraged by many organizations to protect against Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) by protecting keys even when threat actors have full control of the execution environment. WBC accomplishes this by interweaving the keys within the algorithms themselves and by arming apps with tamper-resistant techniques.
What to Use Instead of SSL Pinning?
To better protect sensitive app logic and cryptographic keys, security experts recommend White-Box Cryptography (WBC). Unlike SSL pinning, which can be disabled by attackers with root access, WBC embeds cryptographic operations in a way that keeps keys protected even if the attacker has full visibility into the app’s runtime environment. This makes it far more resistant to dynamic analysis and tampering.
In short, while SSL pinning can be part of your security stack, relying on it alone is risky. A more robust approach includes white-box cryptography, runtime protection, and app hardening techniques to secure mobile apps against real-world threats.