In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, smart devices have become the new battleground for cybersecurity. The vulnerabilities within mobile devices are continually exploited by attackers and malware, making it crucial for enterprises to prioritize security practices from the early stages of the software development process. However, traditional tools used for mobile app development and security, such as emulators, simulators, and physical devices, present significant limitations that hinder efficiency and effectiveness.
Emulators and simulators, commonly used for mobile app development, fall short in keeping up with the new era of cybersecurity threats. They lack security fidelity, require code modifications, and often lack necessary tooling and APIs. Emulators do not run on Arm, which powers nearly 95% of smartphones and IoT devices. Consequently, they fail to provide an accurate representation of real-world device behavior.
Using physical devices for development and testing also presents a number of challenges. Physical device labs are expensive, offer limited device models and operating system options, and are time-consuming to maintain and refresh during testing cycles. Comprehensive testing often requires root access or jailbreaking, which is either not possible or complicated for iOS devices. Procuring and shipping physical devices also introduces delays and risks. The limited battery life of physical devices poses challenges for continuous use and safety risks. These factors contribute to longer R&D cycles and can lead to testing shortcuts and gaps due to the complexity involved.
To address these limitations and transform mobile app development and security, Corellium comes into play with the most powerful Arm virtualization technology in the world. Corellium is reinventing how mobile applications are being developed and tested in a new cybersecurity and cost-efficiency landscape.
From developer teams to security teams, the Virtual Hardware platform accelerates R&D, reduces DevOps costs, and helps shift security left in the software development lifecycle. By leveraging Arm-native virtualization technology, Corellium offers a powerful solution that overcomes the challenges posed by emulators, simulators, and physical devices.
The R&D Platform for the Next Generation of Devices
Corellium accelerates software development lifecycles with Arm-native virtual models
and a powerful browser interface and APIs. Easily spin-up endless combinations of device, OS and apps. Rooting or jailbreaking devices is made easy, as Corellium allows instant access without the need to add code or apply security vulnerabilities. Use powerful built-in security tools and integrate with your existing developer, security, and DevOps tools.
Corellium enables more secure DevSecOps by simplifying the critical work of developer and security teams, and narrowing the cybersecurity skills gap. The Corellium Virtual Hardware Platform offers a range of features and capabilities for enhanced development and testing. It provides simplified connection of IDE, debugging, network, and security tools and comprehensive APIs. With Corellium, users can configure various aspects of the virtual device such as buttons, sensors, location, environment, battery, device IDs, ports, cameras, and microphones.
The platform also offers powerful access and control over the operating system, applications, files, system calls, and console, providing users with X-ray vision-like capabilities. Advanced control and tooling for the OS, kernel, and boot processes allow for in-depth introspection.
Network analysis features enable inspection, tracing, and logging of HTTP/S traffic. The platform also supports replication by allowing users to take snapshots, clone, and restore device states. Additionally, it offers easy project workspace management and facilitates team collaboration.
Revolutionizing Mobile App Development
Mobile app development is challenging as iOS and Android operating systems don’t natively run on the laptops of developer and security teams. Emulators are inadequate for keeping up with the new era of cybersecurity threats. And using physical devices with your CI/CD systems is too costly. Corellium eliminates these challenges by providing a cost-effective virtualization solution that supports a wide range of devices, operating systems, and combinations. Virtualizing DevOps can bring significant cost reductions by eliminating the need for physical device labs
and cloud lab providers. Without physical devices or emulators, the software development lifecycle is both simplified and accelerated, leading to faster and more secure releases.
Enhancing Mobile App Pentesting
Corellium provides a powerful and polished user interface with built-in security tools for root access, forensic analysis, file system manipulation, Frida scripting, SSL/TLS stripped network monitoring, application debugging, and much more. Virtualization enhances the effectiveness of penetration testing by providing various advantages. With near-limitless combinations of devices and operating systems and instant root access, you can root any device configuration, including the latest versions of iOS, even when no public jailbreak is available.
For static pentesting, direct root file system access is available for Android and iOS devices, enabling application static analysis and mobile forensics. Unlike emulators, virtualization allows running production code without requiring code modifications that could compromise the integrity of the testing process. The platform offers a powerful API for scripting and seamless integration with popular testing tools such as Frida, Burp, IDA Pro, GDB/LLDB, Xcode, and Android Studio. Furthermore, virtualization allows precise control over device sensors like battery, GPS, and the environment, enabling simulation of real-world conditions.
For dynamic pentesting, the platform includes built-in network monitoring tools that enable instant analysis of encrypted application traffic.
Next-Generation Malware & Threat Research
The Corellium Arm virtualization platform empowers cybersecurity threat and research teams with never-before-possible mobile malware and threat research capabilities on virtualized iOS and Android devices. Its high accuracy, Arm-native device models enable static and dynamic mobile app and OS introspection.
Corellium offers built-in network monitoring tools for analyzing encrypted C2 and app traffic in real-time. With direct root file system access for iOS and Android devices, IoC evidence can be gathered during and after malware detonation. The platform provides a sandboxing environment for safer mobile threat analysis and arm-native virtualization allows quick restoration of device snapshots. Centralized administration simplifies onboarding and offboarding processes, while a unified platform for iOS and Android accelerates research and collaboration, eliminating the need to ship physical devices across teams.
Streamlined Cybersecurity Training
Corellium also caters to educational institutions, professors, and trainers by offering a powerful platform for teaching computer science and software development without physical devices.
With Corellium, instructors can create virtual training environments with any combination of
devices and operating systems. The Corellium Arm virtualization platform provides
never-before-possible mobile device training environments through the use of virtual iOS and Android phones. Its high accuracy, Arm-native phone virtualization allows instructors to effortlessly provide real-world, hands-on mobile security and app development training without the typical challenges or limitations of using software emulators.
By offering a comprehensive virtualization platform for Arm-powered devices, Corellium revolutionizes mobile app development and security. Its robust capabilities, seamless integration with existing tools, and cost-effective approach make it an invaluable solution in today’s dynamic and security-conscious mobile landscape.
With Corellium, developer and security teams can accelerate R&D, reduce costs, and shift security left in the software development lifecycle, ultimately strengthening the security of smart devices.
Learn more about Corellium and see the platform in action in this on-demand webinar on “Mobile AppSec Testing with Arm Virtualization.”
Anthony Ricco
Tags: AppSec, Mobile Security, R&D
