Kingdom: API Abuse

An API is a contract between a caller and a callee. The most common forms of API abuse are caused by the caller failing to honor its end of this contract. For example, if a program fails to call chdir() after calling chroot(), it violates the contract that specifies how to change the active root directory in a secure fashion. Another good example of library abuse is expecting the callee to return trustworthy DNS information to the caller. In this case, the caller abuses the callee API by making certain assumptions about its behavior (that the return value can be used for authentication purposes). One can also violate the caller-callee contract from the other side. For example, if a coder subclasses SecureRandom and returns a non-random value, the contract is violated.

Often Misused: SMS

Abstract

The application performs iOS specific SMS-related operations.

Explanation

iOS specific SMS-related operations should not be performed unless they are essential to the core functionality of an application. Malware written for mobile devices often abuses such functionality to steal money or data from the user.

Example 1: In following cases, the application sends an SMS message or precomposes and presents an SMS message to the user that he or she is prompted to send or cancel:

...
Device.OpenUri("sms:+12345678910");
...

References

[1] Apple UIApplication Class Reference

[2] Apple MFMessageComposeViewController Class Reference

[3] Xamarin Messaging Plugin for Xamarin and Windows

[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 265

[5] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-000213, CCI-002165

[6] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 AC

[7] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data

[8] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 AC-3 Access Enforcement (P1)

[9] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 AC-3 Access Enforcement

[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.5 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3)

[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M5 Poor Authorization and Authentication

[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M3 Insecure Authentication/Authorization

[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-AUTH-1

[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A2 Broken Access Control

[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A5 Security Misconfiguration

[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A05 Security Misconfiguration

[19] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.6

[20] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.6

[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.6

[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.6

[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 4.2.2, Requirement 6.2.4

[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.2, Requirement 6.2.4

[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[28] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 285

[29] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 285

[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[45] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Insufficient Authorization (WASC-02)

[46] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Insufficient Authorization

desc.semantic.dotnet.often_misused_sms

Abstract

The application performs SMS-related operations.

Explanation

SMS-related operations should not be performed unless they are essential to the core functionality of an application. Malware written for mobile devices often abuses such functionality to steal money or data from the user.

Example 1: In following cases, the application sends an SMS message or precomposes and presents an SMS message to the user that he or she is prompted to send or cancel:

...
[[CTMessageCenter sharedMessageCenter] sendSMSWithText:@"Hello world!" serviceCenter:nil toAddress:@"+12345678910"];
...

// or

...
[[UIApplication sharedApplication] openURL:[NSURL URLWithString:@"sms:+12345678910"]];
...

// or

...
MFMessageComposeViewController *messageComposerVC = [[MFMessageComposeViewController alloc] init];

[messageComposerVC setMessageComposeDelegate:self];
[messageComposerVC setBody:@"Hello World!"];
[messageComposerVC setRecipients:[NSArray arrayWithObject:@"+12345678910"]];

[self presentViewController:messageComposerVC animated:YES completion:nil];
...

References

[1] Apple UIApplication Class Reference

[2] Apple MFMessageComposeViewController Class Reference

[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 265

[4] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-000213, CCI-002165

[5] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 AC

[6] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data

[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 AC-3 Access Enforcement (P1)

[8] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 AC-3 Access Enforcement

[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.5 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3)

[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M5 Poor Authorization and Authentication

[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M3 Insecure Authentication/Authorization

[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-AUTH-1

[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A2 Broken Access Control

[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A5 Security Misconfiguration

[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A6 Security Misconfiguration

[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A05 Security Misconfiguration

[18] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.6

[19] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.6

[20] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.6

[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.6

[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 4.2.2, Requirement 6.2.4

[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.2, Requirement 6.2.4

[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection

[27] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 285

[28] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Porous Defenses - CWE ID 285

[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-000460 CAT I, APSC-DV-000470 CAT II

[44] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Insufficient Authorization (WASC-02)

[45] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Insufficient Authorization

desc.semantic.objc.often_misused_sms

Abstract

The application performs SMS-related operations.

Explanation


...
UIApplication.sharedApplication().openURL(NSURL(string: "sms:+12345678910"))
...


...
let messageComposeVC = MFMessageComposeViewController()
messageComposeVC.messageComposeDelegate = self
messageComposeVC.body = "Hello World!"
messageComposeVC.recipients = ["+12345678910"]

presentViewController(messageComposeVC, animated: true, completion: nil)
...