Android Application Penetration Testing
Android gives other apps more ways in, so we test what your app exposes to the device as well as what it sends to your servers. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £4,380, scoped in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- No rescheduling or cancellation fees
- Fixed quote within 24 hours
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
An exported activity, a permissive content provider or a broadcast receiver that trusts its input gives any installed application a way into yours. That is the difference that matters between the two platforms, and it is the first thing we enumerate from the manifest and then exercise on a device.
On Android, the other apps on the phone are part of your threat model
The second area is the WebView. JavaScript interfaces, file access, mixed content and redirect handling turn a browser component into an execution surface, and it is still the most common place we find serious client side issues.
Then the same two truths as iOS: what the app stores and how well it protects it, and the API behind it, which is where object level authorisation failures do the real damage. The backend is in scope on every engagement here.
ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS and Cyber Essentials Plus audits accept manual penetration test evidence. Scan-only evidence is generally insufficient.
ANDROID SPECIFICS
What We Actually Test in an Android Application
Ten test areas that apply because the app runs on Android, on top of the API testing behind it. Every finding is verified, reproducible and mapped to OWASP MASVS, CWE and CVSS 3.1.
Data at rest
Keystore use, shared preferences, SQLite databases, external storage and what ends up in backups.
Exported components
Activities, services, broadcast receivers and content providers reachable by other apps, and what they accept.
WebView configuration
JavaScript interfaces, file access settings, mixed content, and redirect handling inside the component.
Transport security
Network security configuration, certificate pinning, cleartext traffic permitted and behaviour when pinning fails.
Root detection and tampering
Detection quality, repackaging and resigning, instrumentation with standard tooling, and emulator behaviour.
Deep links and intents
Intent filters, implicit intents, and flows such as password reset or account linking reached from another app.
Authentication and session handling
Biometric gating, token storage, refresh behaviour and what logout actually clears.
Backend API
Every endpoint the app calls, tested against each role for object level authorisation and mass assignment.
Binary and obfuscation
Shrinking and obfuscation configuration, native libraries, secrets inside the package and bundled SDKs.
Device integrity signals
What the app relies on from Play Integrity or similar, and how it behaves when those signals are unavailable.
METHODOLOGY
What a Android finding looks like
Written the way a finding appears in our reports. The example below is reconstructed from publicly documented research, with hosts, paths and identifiers redacted. We do not republish client findings, named or anonymised.
Exported content provider hands any installed application the user record
- Affected
- The Android build of [redacted], version [redacted], with a provider and an activity exported in the merged manifest.
- What we found
- The provider was exported with no read permission. A test application holding no permissions at all queried it and received the user saved documents and account identifier. A second exported activity accepted a deep link that changed the registered email address with no confirmation.
- Why it matters
- Any application the user installs, including one that requests no permissions and therefore raises no prompt, reads their data and can begin an account takeover.
- Fix
- Set components to not exported unless they are genuinely for other applications, require a signature level permission where they are, validate every deep link and require re-authentication for identity changes, and review the merged manifest rather than the source one.
Reconstructed from public research: the Android developer guidance on exported components and permissions, and the OWASP MASVS platform interaction requirements.
Android App Penetration Testing: From Scope to Attestation
CREST-aligned methodology built on OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, OWASP ASVS, NIST SP 800-115, and PTES. Each finding maps to all four standards plus your specific compliance regime.
Reconnaissance
Application mapping, technology fingerprinting, content discovery, parameter enumeration, authentication-flow analysis, role-matrix construction.
Vulnerability Assessment
Authenticated and unauthenticated automated scanning across every user role, plus targeted manual checks for known weakness patterns.
Manual Exploitation
Hands-on testing by a CREST-certified pentester. Business-logic exploitation, chained vulnerabilities, privilege escalation, impact validation.
Reporting + Retest
Executive summary, technical report with CVSS scores and reproduction steps, walkthrough call, free retest after remediation, attestation letter.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST Android App assessment pen test quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £4,380 for a small, single-scope engagement, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,940 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonFounder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed pen test quote in 24 hours
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COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Findings are explicitly tagged to the relevant control reference. Your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
ISO 27001:2022
Annex A.8.8 management of technical vulnerabilities plus A.5.15-5.18 and A.8.2-8.5 access control validation.
SOC 2 Type I & II
CC6 logical access, CC7 system operations, CC8 change management evidence.
PCI DSS
Requirement 11.4 application penetration testing across cardholder data environments, including ecommerce penetration testing for online retail platforms.
FCA SYSC
SYSC 4.1.1R, 6.1.1R, 13 mapped to each finding for FCA-regulated firms.
UK GDPR
Article 32 effectiveness testing, customer-data security controls, ICO-acceptable evidence.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Direct certification through our IASME body status, single-vendor delivery.
PRICING
Transparent Android App Penetration Testing Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of platforms in scope, the size of the API surface behind the app, and how much of the logic sits on the device. The day count flexes; the included deliverables stay the same across all engagements.
3 to 5 testing days
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Around 5 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote5 to 7 testing days
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Around 8 to 12 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote7 to 9 testing days
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. Around 15 to 20 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quotePart of Technologies We Pen Test. These are examples of the stacks we publish pages for, not a complete list. If yours is not here we still test it. Related pages:
BY SECTOR
Android App Penetration Testing for Your Sector
Sector-specialist scoping for UK businesses with sector-specific compliance regimes and threat models.
Fintech & FCA-Regulated
FCA SYSC, Open Banking FAPI 1.0, PSD2 SCA, payment-flow scrutiny, KYC/AML testing.
Fintech sector pageSaaS Companies
SOC 2 Type I & II evidence, multi-tenant boundaries, role escalation, customer-tenant isolation.
SaaS sector pageLaw Firms
SRA Cyber Standard, privileged data, conveyancing fraud defence, partner-tier procurement.
Law firm sector pageHealthcare
NHS DTAC, DSP Toolkit v6, UK GDPR Article 32, EHR systems, telehealth platforms.
Healthcare sector pageInsurance
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience, cyber underwriting, claims data, broker portals.
Insurance sector pagePublic Sector
CCS / G-Cloud framework, NCSC-aligned, citizen-facing services, PSN-compliance scrutiny.
Public sector pageWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From Android App Penetration Testing
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Do you need the source or just the APK?
The APK or app bundle is enough. Source access speeds up triage and is welcome.
Do you test on a real device?
Yes, on a rooted device, plus an emulator where it helps. Both behave differently and both matter.
Is the API included?
Yes, by default. It is where the serious findings are.
Can you test apps distributed outside the Play Store?
Yes. Enterprise and sideloaded builds are common in our client base and change nothing about the test.
What about React Native or Flutter?
Covered. Bundle extraction and storage checks differ by framework and we name the framework in the report.
Do you test the Play Store listing itself?
Only the parts that matter for security: permissions requested, data safety declarations and what the listing promises.
Do you test Android deep links and intent filters?
Yes. We test exported activities, intent filters and deep link handling for cases where another app, or a malicious link, can trigger a screen or action that should only be reachable from within your own app. We also check whether intent extras are validated before use, since unvalidated extras are a common way to bypass an app’s normal login or navigation flow.
Do you check local data storage such as the Keystore and shared preferences?
Yes. We check what the app writes to shared preferences, internal and external storage, and whether the Android Keystore is used correctly for tokens and keys rather than storing them in plain text. We also check backup behaviour, since Android’s auto-backup can copy sensitive files off the device unless it is explicitly excluded.
Can you test our Android app for ISO 27001 evidence?
Yes. ISO 27001 does not require a penetration test, but Annex A 8.8 and 8.29 expect you to identify technical vulnerabilities and test security in your development lifecycle once those controls apply. An Android-specific report, covering storage, intent handling and the backend API, gives you dated, third-party evidence for that control. See our ISO 27001 penetration testing page for how reports map to the standard.
What is included in the price?
Scoping, testing, the executive summary, the technical report, a walkthrough call and free retests until the finding is closed. One scope, one number, no follow-up invoices.
How fast can you start?
Scope to active testing in 24 hours once the scope is agreed, subject to tester availability in your window.
Are your testers CREST certified?
Yes. EJN Labs is a CREST member company and testing is delivered by CREST-qualified testers. The membership is verifiable on the CREST marketplace.
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Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get your Android app tested properly
Send us the build and the test accounts. You will have a fixed scope and a number within 24 hours.
