Device Secure Lock Not Enforced for Sensitive Storage
device_secure_lock_not_enforced MEDIUM
| Category | Insufficient Cryptography |
| OWASP Mobile (2024) | M9 |
| MASVS | MASVS-CRYPTO-2MASVS-STORAGE-1 |
| MASWE | MASWE-0017 |
| CWE | CWE-311CWE-522 |
| Platform | AndroidiOS |
Description
A secret is persisted without requiring a device secure lock (PIN/passcode/biometric) or binding the key to it, so on a device with no lock screen the secret is recoverable at rest with no user presence.
How it works
A session secret is persisted without requiring a device secure lock (PIN/passcode/biometric) or binding the key to one. On a device with no lock screen the secret is recoverable at rest with no user presence, which is the value a hardened app would keep only in lock-gated Keystore/Keychain.
How to exercise it. DVMA is the harness - open this module from the home index and tap the demo action. The screen ships the malicious input and simulates the attacker (e.g. the companion app, crafted intent, or scanned payload) in-process, and the evidence panel prints the proof. The Tools (optional) and Attack inputs below are only needed to reproduce the exploit end-to-end on a real device.
Exploit steps
- Set up. Build DVMA with a flavor that enables the Insufficient Cryptography category (e.g.
--dart-define-from-file=config/flavors/dev.json) and run on an emulator/simulator you control. The demo needs no external tooling; for the optional on-device reproduction the relevant tools are:frida· Android:adb. - Locate the target. From the home index, open Device Secure Lock Not Enforced for Sensitive Storage (
device_secure_lock_not_enforced). The How it works section above describes this module’s specific weakness; the screen states the intended-secure behavior and exposes the vulnerable action. - Exploit. Capture the algorithm/key/IV the module uses (the evidence panel prints it), then reproduce the weakness offline - e.g. recompute the digest, brute the short key, or decrypt a captured blob - to show the protection is ineffective.
- Observe the evidence. Trigger the vulnerable action and read the evidence panel - it prints the concrete proof (leaked value, accepted replay, executed payload, or unauthorized result).
- Contrast with the secure path. Run the module’s secure/hardened action (where provided) and confirm the same attack is rejected - this is what a correct implementation should do.
Tools (optional)
Android
Attack inputs
Payloads/artifacts you author for the on-device attack. The demo already ships and simulates these in-process (e.g. the malicious companion app / crafted intent is emulated inside the screen), so you only need to craft them to reproduce the exploit on a real device:
unlocked device