How to Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection on iOS apps
Learn to Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection in iOS apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.
What is self-modifying root detection?
An attacker can create a Self Modifying Root application on jailbroken devices, which modifies itself during runtime (by changing its name, for example), in order to hide from other applications or prevent its detection by security products.
How does Appdome Detect Self-modifying Root?
As part of the Jailbreak Detection protection, Appdome detects applications running on Rooted Devices/Jailbroken devices capable of modifying their binary file to avoid detection.
Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection on iOS apps using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these simple steps to create self-defending iOS Apps that Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection without an SDK or gateway:
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Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.
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Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System
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Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
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iOS Formats: .ipa
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Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection Compatible With: Obj-C, C+, Java, Swift, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and more
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Build the feature: Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection.
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Building Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection by using Appdome’s DEV-API:
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Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature as shown below:
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Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature via Appdome Console, to add the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature to this Fusion Set.
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Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set, as shown in Figure 1 above, and get the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):
Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory). -
Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, App Center, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Cirlce CI or other system:
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Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
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Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
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Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature
Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required). -
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Building the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature via Appdome Console
To build the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.
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Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Security Tab > OS Integrity section
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How: Check whether Jailbreak Detection is toggled On (enabled), otherwise enable it . You can see that the feature Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection is enabled by default, as shown below.
Figure 3: Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection option
Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging. -
When you enable Jailbreak Detection you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection
Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection protection
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Select the Threat-Event™ in-app mobile Threat Defense and Intelligence policy for Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection:
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Threat-Events™ OFF > In-App Defense
If the Threat-Events™ setting is cleared (not selected). Appdome will detect and defend the user and app by enforcing Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection.
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Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Detection
When this setting is used, Appdome detects if the application is capable of modifying its binary at runtime to avoid detection and passes Appdome’s Threat-Event™ attack intelligence to the app’s business logic for processing, enforcement, and user notification. For more information on consuming and using Appdome Threat-Events™ in the app, see section Using Threat-Events™ for Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
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Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Defense
When this setting is used, Appdome detects and defends against Self-Modifying Root Detection (same as Appdome Enforce) and passes Appdome’s Threat-Event™ attack intelligence the app’s business logic for processing. For more information on consuming and using Appdome Threat-Events™ in the app, see section Using Threat-Events™ for Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
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Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
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Congratulations! The Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection protection is now added to the mobile app -
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Certify the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection feature in iOS Apps.
After building Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:
Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate
Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection has been added to each iOS app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app
Using Threat-Events™ for Self-Modifying Root Detection Intelligence and Control in iOS Apps
Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Self-Modifying Root Detection is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Self-Modifying Root Detection in iOS Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Self-Modifying Root Detection shown below.
The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Self-Modifying Root Detection are:
Threat-Event™ Elements | Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection Method Detail |
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Appdome Feature Name | Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection |
Threat-Event Mode | |
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE | Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging. |
ON, IN-APP DETECTION | Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce). |
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE | Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection). |
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check | |
Visible in ThreatScope™ | |
Developer Parameters for Detecting Self-Modifying Root Detection Threat-Event™ | |
Threat-Event NAME | JailbrokenDevice |
Threat-Event DATA | reasonData |
Threat-Event CODE | reasonCode |
Threat-Event REF | 6801 |
Threat-Event SCORE | |
currentThreatEventScore | Current Threat-Event score |
threatEventsScore | Total Threat-events score |
Threat-Event Context Keys | |
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message | Message displayed for the user on event |
externalID | The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events |
osVersion | OS version of the current device |
deviceModel | Current device model |
deviceManufacturer | The manufacturer of the current device |
fusedAppToken | The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app |
kernelInfo | Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine. |
carrierPlmn | PLMN of the device |
deviceID | Current device ID |
reasonCode | Reason code of the occured event |
buildDate | Appdome fusion date of the current application |
devicePlatform | OS name of the current device |
carrierName | Carrier name of the current device |
updatedOSVersion | Is the OS version up to date |
timeZone | Time zone |
deviceFaceDown | Is the device face down |
locationLong | Location long |
locationLat | Location lat |
locationState | Location state |
wifiSsid | Wifi SSID |
wifiSsidPermissionStatus | Wifi SSID permission status |
internalError | Internal error code as hex |
extendedMessageText | Internal error code |
rInternalErrorCode | Internal error code |
reason | Reason for the root detection |
With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), iOS developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in iOS applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when Self-Modifying Root Detection is detected.
The following is a code sample for native iOS apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection:
let center = NotificationCenter.default
center.addObserver(forName: Notification.Name("JailbrokenDevice"), object: nil, queue: nil) { (note) in
guard let usrInf = note.userInfo else {
return
}
let message = usrInf["message"]; // Message shown to the user
let reasonData = usrInf["reasonData"]; // Threat detection cause
let reasonCode = usrInf["reasonCode"]; // Event reason code
let currentThreatEventScore = usrInf["currentThreatEventScore"]; // Current threat event score
let threatEventsScore = usrInf["threatEventsScore"]; // Total threat events score
let variable = usrInf["<Context Key>"]; // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
}
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserverForName: @"JailbrokenDevice" object:nil queue:nil usingBlock:^(NSNotification *org_note) {
__block NSNotification *note = org_note;
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^(void) {
var threatEventsScore = intent.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore")
NSString *message = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"message"]; // Message shown to the user
NSString *reasonData = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"reasonData"]; // Threat detection cause
NSString *reasonCode = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"reasonCode"]; // Event reason code
NSString *currentThreatEventScore = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"currentThreatEventScore"]; // Current threat event score
NSString *threatEventsScore = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"threatEventsScore"]; // Total threat events score
NSString *variable = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"<Context Key>"]; // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
});
}];
const { ADDevEvents } = NativeModules;
const aDDevEvents = new NativeEventEmitter(ADDevEvents);
function registerToDevEvent(action, callback) {
NativeModules.ADDevEvents.registerForDevEvent(action);
aDDevEvents.addListener(action, callback);
}
export function registerToAllEvents() {
registerToDevEvent(
"JailbrokenDevice",
(userinfo) => Alert.alert(JSON.stringify(userinfo))
var message = userinfo["message"] // Message shown to the user
var reasonData = userinfo["reasonData"] // Threat detection cause
var reasonCode = userinfo["reasonCode"] // Event reason code
var currentThreatEventScore = userinfo["currentThreatEventScore"] // Current threat event score
var threatEventsScore = userinfo["threatEventsScore"] // Total threat events score
var variable = userinfo["<Context Key>"] // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
);
}
RegisterReceiver(new ThreatEventReceiver(), new IntentFilter("JailbrokenDevice"));
class ThreatEventReceiver : BroadcastReceiver
{
public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent)
{
String message = intent.getStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user
String reasonData = intent.getStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
String reasonCode = intent.getStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
String currentThreatEventScore = intent.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
String threatEventsScore = intent.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
String variable = intent.getStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
}
}
NSNotificationCenter.DefaultCenter.AddObserver(
(NSString)"JailbrokenDevice", // Threat-Event Identifier
delegate (NSNotification notification)
{
var message = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("message"); // Message shown to the user
var reasonData = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause
var reasonCode = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonCode"); // Event reason code
var currentThreatEventScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("currentThreatEventScore"); // Current threat event score
var threatEventsScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("threatEventsScore"); // Total threat events score
var variable = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("<Context Keys>"); // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
});
window.broadcaster.addEventListener("JailbrokenDevice", function(userInfo) {
var message = userInfo.message // Message shown to the user
var reasonData = userInfo.reasonData // Threat detection cause
var reasonCode = userInfo.reasonCode // Event reason code
var currentThreatEventScore = userInfo.currentThreatEventScore // Current threat event score
var threatEventsScore = userInfo.threatEventsScore // Total threat events score
var variable = userInfo.<Context Key> // Any other event specific context key
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
});
Prerequisites to Using Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection , you’ll need:
- Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
- A license for Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection
- Mobile App (.ipa For iOS)
- Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured iOS Apps by using Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.
Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Detect Self-Modifying Root Detection
After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:
- Customizing, Configuring & Branding Secure Mobile Apps
- Deploying/Publishing Secure mobile apps to Public or Private app stores
- Releasing Secured Android & iOS Apps built on Appdome.
All apps protected by Appdome are fully compatible with any public app store, including Apple App Store, Google Play, Huawei App Gallery and more.
Related Articles:
How to Build Root Detection, Protect Android Apps
How to Protect iOS Apps from Liberty Lite Jailbreak Detection Bypass
How to Protect iOS Apps from FlyJB Jailbreak Detection Bypass
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
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