How to Protect iOS Apps from Jailbreak Detection Bypass Tools
Learn to Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools in iOS apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.
What is iOS Jailbreak Bypass?
Hackers use Jailbreak Bypass and Jailbreak Hiding tools to evade Jailbreak detection/protections. As Jailbreaking makes it easier to hack iOS apps and to compromise the mobile security model, when a mobile app is protected with Jailbreak detection or Jailbreak protection, hackers will try to either bypass the protection or hide the fact that the device is Jailbroken.
Evading detection allows hackers to operate in a Jailbreak state longer and to complete or continue the activity they used Jailbreak to achieve in the first place, such as:
• Playing the game for free longer
• Using more advanced or automated tools like emulators to modify in-app purchases
• Use FRIDA to inject malicious code
• Use IDA-Pro to create a call graph to trace the app’s source code
• Modify app workflows
• Send fake signals to unsuspecting users, to make the hackers’ attacks seem more legitimate/credible
Why Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools in iOS Apps?
Hackers combine Jailbreak tools with Jailbreak bypass tools to kill two birds with one stone. For example, hackers combine the use of Jailbreak tools like CheckRa1n, Unc0ver, Zylon, PlankFilza, and Chimera (which they use to Jailbreak iOS), alongside special-purpose Jailbreak Bypass or Jailbreak hiding tools like FlyJB, JailProtect, Liberty Lite, TweakRestrictor, and KernBypass. The first set of tools is used for achieving Jailbreak state, while the second set of tools is used for concealing that the device is Jailbroken or to bypass Jailbreak protection/detection mechanisms in the app. Appdome identifies all tools used for jailbreak or jailbreak bypass. When detecting that it is running on a Jailbroken device, the Appdome-secured app will shut itself down (default behavior) after displaying a message to the mobile user, thereby protecting that app, user, and mobile data from being compromised or attacked.
Prerequisites for Using Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools , you’ll need:
- Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
- A license for Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools
- Mobile App (.ipa for iOS)
- Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools on iOS apps using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending iOS Apps that Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools without an SDK or gateway:
-
Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.
-
Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System
-
Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
-
iOS Formats: .ipa
-
Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools Compatible With: Obj-C, Java, Swift, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and more
-
-
Build the feature: Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools.
-
Building Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools by using Appdome’s DEV-API:
-
Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature as shown below:
-
Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature via Appdome Console, to add the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature to this Fusion Set.
-
Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy 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, Circle CI or other system:
-
Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
-
Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
-
Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature
Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required). -
-
Building the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature via Appdome Console
To build the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.
-
Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Anti Fraud Tab > Mobile Malware Prevention section.
-
How: Check whether is toggled On (enabled), otherwise enable it . The feature Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools is enabled by default, as shown below. Toggle (turn ON) Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools, as shown below.
If needed, Customize the Threat Notification to be displayed to the mobile end-user in a standard OS dialog notification when Appdome Blocks Jailbreak Bypass Tools.Figure 3: Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools 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 select the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools
Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools protection
-
Select the Threat-Event™ in-app mobile Threat Defense and Intelligence policy for Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools:
-
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 Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools.
-
Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Detection
When this setting is used, Appdome detects tools which try to hide that your device is jailbroken 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 Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
-
Threat-Events™ ON > In-App Defense
When this setting is used, Appdome detects and defends against Jailbreak Bypass Tools (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 Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps.
-
-
Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
-
Congratulations! The Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools protection is now added to the mobile app -
-
Certify the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools feature in iOS Apps
After building Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools 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 Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools has been added to each iOS app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app
Using Threat-Events™ for Jailbreak Bypass Tools Intelligence and Control in iOS Apps
Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Jailbreak Bypass Tools are detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Jailbreak Bypass Tools in iOS Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Jailbreak Bypass Tools shown below.
The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Jailbreak Bypass Tools are:
Threat-Event™ Elements | Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools Method Detail |
---|---|
Appdome Feature Name | Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools |
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 Blocking Jailbreak Bypass Tools Threat-Event™ | |
Threat-Event NAME | JailbreakBypassDetected |
Threat-Event DATA | reasonData |
Threat-Event CODE | reasonCode |
Threat-Event REF | 6924 |
Threat-Event SCORE | |
currentThreatEventScore | Current Threat-Event score |
threatEventsScore | Total Threat-events score |
Threat-Event Context Keys | |
---|---|
message | Message displayed for the user on event |
failSafeEnforce | Timed enforcement against the identified threat |
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. |
deviceID | Current device ID |
reasonCode | Reason code of the occurred event |
buildDate | Appdome fusion date of the current application |
devicePlatform | OS name of the current device |
updatedOSVersion | Is the OS version up to date |
timeZone | Time zone |
deviceFaceDown | Is the device face down |
locationLong | Location longitude conditioned by location permission |
locationLat | Location latitude conditioned by location permission |
locationState | Location state conditioned by location permission |
wifiSsid | Wifi SSID |
wifiSsidPermissionStatus | Wifi SSID permission status |
reason | Detection cause |
data | Detection cause data |
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 Jailbreak Bypass Tools are detected.
The following is a code sample for native iOS apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools:
let center = NotificationCenter.default
center.addObserver(forName: Notification.Name("JailbreakBypassDetected"), 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: @"JailbreakBypassDetected" object:nil queue:nil usingBlock:^(NSNotification *org_note) {
__block NSNotification *note = org_note;
dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^(void) {
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(
"JailbreakBypassDetected",
(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("JailbreakBypassDetected"));
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)"JailbreakBypassDetected", // 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("JailbreakBypassDetected", 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...)
});
xxxxxxxxxx
import 'dart:async';
​
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
​
class PlatformChannel extends StatefulWidget {
const PlatformChannel({super.key});
​
State<PlatformChannel> createState() => _PlatformChannelState();
}
​
class _PlatformChannelState extends State<PlatformChannel> {
static const String _eventChannelName = 'JailbreakBypassDetected'; // Replace with your EventChannel name
static const EventChannel _eventChannel = EventChannel(_eventChannelName);
​
void initState() {
super.initState();
_eventChannel.receiveBroadcastStream().listen(_onEvent, onError: _onError);
}
​
void _onEvent(Object? event) {
setState(() {
// Adapt this section based on your specific event data structure
var eventData = event as Map;
​
// Example: Accessing 'externalID' field from the event
var externalID = eventData['externalID'];
​
// Customize the rest of the fields based on your event structure
String message = eventData['message']; // Message shown to the user
String reasonData = eventData['reasonData']; // Threat detection cause
String reasonCode = eventData['reasonCode']; // Event reason code
String currentThreatEventScore = eventData['currentThreatEventScore']; // Current threat event score
String threatEventsScore = eventData['threatEventsScore']; // Total threat events score
​
// Any other event specific context key
String variable = eventData['<Context Key>'];
});
}
​
// Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)
}
Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured iOS Apps by using Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools. 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 Block Jailbreak Bypass Tools
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.
Related Articles:
- How to Protect iOS Apps Against Liberty Lite Jailbreak detection Bypass
- How to Detect PlankFilza File System Tool, Protect iOS Apps
- How to Protect iOS Apps from FlyJB Jailbreak Detection Bypass
Check out the Appdome Mobile Malware Prevention solution page or request a demo at any time.
How Do I Learn More?
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
Thank you!
Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.