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App Security6 min read

The 7 Security Gaps Hiding in Every New Build App

SC

Sarah Chen

Head of Security Research · May 28, 2026

Illustration of a smartphone being scanned for vulnerabilities

When a team ships a new mobile app, the pressure is on speed and features, not security. The result is predictable: the same handful of vulnerabilities appear in build after build, long before a single attacker shows up. The good news is that these gaps are easy to find and close when you scan early.

1. Hardcoded secrets and API keys

Embedding API keys, tokens, or credentials directly in the app is the single most common issue we find in new builds. Anyone can decompile an APK or IPA in minutes and read those strings in plain text.

RASMISER decompiles every build and flags hardcoded secrets automatically, mapping each finding to OWASP MASVS so your team knows exactly what to rotate and where.

2. Insecure data storage

New apps frequently cache sensitive data, including auth tokens and personal information, in unencrypted local storage or shared preferences. On a rooted or jailbroken device, that data is trivial to extract.

  • Unencrypted SQLite databases and preference files
  • Sensitive values written to logs
  • Backups that include private user data

3. Weak transport security

Missing TLS, accepting self-signed certificates, or skipping certificate pinning leaves apps open to man-in-the-middle attacks on public networks. Our dynamic analysis exercises the running app and reports exactly which connections are exposed.

4. Over-permissioned components

Exported activities, broadcast receivers, and content providers that should be private are a frequent oversight in early builds. They give other apps an entry point you never intended to open.

How RASMISER closes the gap before launch

Instead of waiting for a manual pentest weeks before release, you upload a build and get a prioritized report in minutes. Every finding includes a plain-English explanation, the real-world impact, and a concrete suggested fix your developers can act on the same day.

Teams that wire RASMISER into CI catch these seven issues automatically on every commit, so a critical finding fails the build instead of reaching the store.

The takeaway

The vulnerabilities that sink new apps are well understood and entirely preventable. Scanning early turns a launch-blocking surprise into a routine, five-minute checklist.

Scan your app free

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