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While testing a popular fitness app, a concerning privacy violation was discovered—unauthorized clipboard monitoring. The app silently read clipboard data upon launch, leading to targeted ads based on copied content. Further investigation using Corellium Viper’s CoreTrace revealed additional undisclosed activities:
- UIPasteboard.generalPasteboard calls during app initialization
- CLLocationManager startUpdatingLocation despite “While Using” permissions
- PHAsset methods accessing photo metadata without consent
- Background network transmissions of device identifiers post opt-out
You Should Know: How to Detect & Prevent Such Violations
1. Monitoring Clipboard Access (iOS/macOS)
To check if an app reads clipboard data:
// Swift snippet to detect clipboard access
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(forName: UIPasteboard.changedNotification, object: nil, queue: nil) { _ in
print("Clipboard accessed!")
}
For Android, use:
adb logcat | grep -i clipboard
2. Tracing System Calls (Linux/macOS)
Use strace or dtrace to monitor API calls:
strace -f -e trace=open,read,write -p <PID>
For macOS:
sudo dtrace -n 'syscall::open:entry { printf("%s %s", execname, copyinstr(arg0)); }'
3. Checking Location Permissions Bypass
On Linux/Android, verify location services:
adb shell dumpsys location
For iOS, inspect plist files:
grep -r "NSLocation" /var/containers/Bundle/Application/
4. Detecting Photo Metadata Access
Use ExifTool to analyze extracted metadata:
exiftool suspicious_image.jpg
5. Blocking Unwanted Network Calls
Intercept traffic using mitmproxy:
mitmproxy -p 8080
Or block domains via hosts file:
echo "0.0.0.0 tracking.adservice.com" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
What Undercode Say
Mobile apps increasingly exploit side-channels—clipboard, sensors, metadata—to bypass permissions. Static analysis (e.g., MobSF) and dynamic tracing (Frida, CoreTrace) are critical. Always:
– Audit system calls (strace, dtrace)
– Monitor file access (inotifywait)
– Inspect network traffic (tcpdump, Wireshark)
– Revoke unnecessary permissions (adb shell pm revoke)
Expected Output: A detailed log of unauthorized API calls, network leaks, and permission abuses for forensic reporting.
(End of Report)
References:
Reported By: Swaroop Yermalkar – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
