Mobile App Penetration Testing for Indian Fintechs — Bachao.AI Methodology

What makes Indian fintech mobile apps different

Most mobile pentest checklists are written for global apps. Indian fintech apps have specific security requirements that don't appear in generic OWASP guidance:

1. RBI Mobile Banking Master Direction requires specific session timeout, transaction signing, and device binding behaviour
2. UPI integration introduces a unique attack surface (intent-redirect attacks, deep-link exploitation)
3. V-CIP (video KYC) flows must be tamper-evident under the IT Rules
4. Aadhaar/eKYC integration must follow UIDAI authentication API security guidance
5. DPDP Section 8(4) requires "reasonable security safeguards" for personal data — measurable through pentest

What's in scope

A standard fintech mobile pentest covers:

Static analysis (decompile, reverse engineer):

1. API endpoints exposed in the binary
2. Hardcoded secrets, tokens, encryption keys
3. Code obfuscation effectiveness
4. Anti-tampering / anti-debugging mechanisms
5. Insecure data storage (SharedPreferences, NSUserDefaults, SQLite, internal storage)

1. TLS pinning bypass attempts
2. Authentication flow attacks
3. Authorization checks (BOLA / IDOR on mobile API)
4. Session management
5. Biometric authentication implementation
6. Local data encryption at rest

1. Android: APK security, ProGuard config, root detection, Intent vulnerabilities, deep-link hijacking
2. iOS: jailbreak detection, URL scheme hijacking, keychain security, App Transport Security
3. Cross-platform (React Native / Flutter): bundle inspection, JS bridge security

1. UPI intent flow (intent redirection, deep-link parameter pollution)
2. V-CIP recording tamper-evidence
3. Aadhaar masking + redaction
4. PCI-DSS scope assessment for card data flows
5. Transaction signing / authorization
6. Device binding implementation

1. Session timeout per RBI guidance
2. MFA on financial transactions
3. Out-of-band authentication for high-value transactions

The most common findings

Findings from our last 50 Indian fintech mobile pentests, in order of frequency:

1. TLS pinning absent or bypassable (38 of 50 apps)
2. Anti-tampering missing or trivially bypassed (32 of 50)
3. BOLA / IDOR on API endpoint enumerable through app UI (28 of 50)
4. Session token stored insecurely (24 of 50)
5. Deep-link parameter pollution allowing intent redirection (19 of 50)
6. Biometric bypass via reflection / code injection (17 of 50)
7. Insecure logging containing PII / tokens (16 of 50)
8. Insufficient root/jailbreak detection (14 of 50)
9. Aadhaar number visible in screenshots/logs (12 of 50)
10. Hardcoded API keys for third-party services (11 of 50)

The 5-day delivery

Day 1: Recon + static analysis

1. App binary obtained (via Play Store/App Store + sandboxed test build)
2. APK/IPA decompiled
3. Static analysis automated tools (mobsf, jadx, hopper) + manual review
4. Initial findings list

1. TLS pinning analysis
2. API endpoint mapping (Burp Suite proxy)
3. Authentication flow testing
4. Session management testing

1. API authorization checks across all endpoints discovered
2. Multi-account testing for cross-tenant access
3. Privilege escalation attempts

1. Android: Intent / deep-link / WebView security
2. iOS: URL scheme / Keychain / WKWebView security
3. Fintech: UPI flow, V-CIP, KYC data handling
4. RBI-specific session and transaction tests

1. Findings categorised: Critical / High / Medium / Low
2. Each finding includes: PoC, business impact, remediation code example
3. 90-minute debrief with the customer's mobile engineering team

Pricing

Pre-audit prep we expect from you

To compress the audit to 5 days, the customer provides:

1. Recent app build (or Play Store / App Store link)
2. Test credentials for 2 accounts (different privilege levels)
3. API documentation if available
4. 2-hour technical kickoff with the mobile engineering lead

How to start

A mobile pentest engagement starts with a 60-minute scoping call. We confirm platforms, fintech-specific scope, and timing. Engagement letter signed within 3 working days. Audit starts the week after.

Schedule the mobile pentest scoping call →

Related: Case Study: UPI App Hardened for RBI Audit · Mobile Security for Indian Banks