Combat Mobile Bots: Zimperium's Security Solutions

Zimperium has reported an increasing threat from mobile bots infiltrating trusted applications, posing a significant risk to enterprises by impersonating legitimate users.

These sophisticated bots can bypass conventional defenses such as CAPTCHAs, rate limits, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), blending seamlessly with authentic user activity. This capability allows them to perpetrate fraud on a large scale without raising suspicion.

How Mobile Bots Operate?

Unlike traditional web bots known for generating suspicious network traffic, mobile bots operate client-side within the app itself. They exploit APIs, sessions, and app logic, creating actions that appear legitimate to backend servers.

The result is various threats, such as account takeovers, loyalty program manipulations, and payment fraud, conducted from within apps that may not be adequately safeguarded against such intrusions.

Techniques Used by Mobile Bots

Mobile bots employ diverse strategies to remain undetected and perpetuate their activities, including:

• Emulators & Device Farms: These mimic thousands of real devices simultaneously.
• Runtime Injection Tools: These modify app logic on-the-fly to circumvent security measures.
• Repackaged Apps: Bot code is integrated into cloned apps resembling legitimate ones.
• Malware on Devices: This intercepts app traffic and automates interaction within apps.
• Accessibility Abuse: It involves automated tapping, typing, and navigation within applications.

The Growing Impact on Enterprises

Mobile applications have become essential gateways for customer transactions and enterprise operations, including logins, bookings, payments, and accessing confidential information like health records. Consequently, the presence of mobile bots is more than a mere inconvenience; it represents a burgeoning risk for businesses.

Some bots are managed remotely from emulators and device farms, while others are embedded in compromised devices, executing fraudulent tasks or distributing malicious links. Recent campaigns have identified over 600 bot samples and 50 droppers, emphasizing the urgent need to address this escalating threat.