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For bug bounty hunters, iOS remains a powerful and lucrative target — if you know where to look. This two-part guide drills into the most rewarding attack surfaces and real-world exploitation tactics, keeping you engaged and maximizing your chances for critical bounties!

1. Insecure Code Patterns & API Mishandling

Many iOS applications stumble due to lazy input validation, bad API choices, and overtrust in frameworks. As a hunter:

  • Probe every input — file uploads, URLs, user data, request parameters.
  • Hunt for vulnerable functions like system() or unfiltered path/file access.
  • Fuzz anything that accepts external data and look for command or path injection.
  • Watch for privilege escalation paths by chaining flaws (from input validation all the way to system APIs).

2. Device Exploitation & Jailbreak Vulnerabilities

Going below the app layer pays! Attackers and researchers have shown elevation chains on iOS devices:

  • Examine how firmware updates patch previous vulnerabilities and look for logic/sandbox escapes.
  • Know how jailbreaks work: check for debug/test hooks left accidentally exposed in production apps.
  • Escalate permissions using exposed device APIs, vulnerable system calls, or unpatched kernel bugs.

3. Malware, Trojans & RATs

Bounty programs love hunters who spot live malware or persistent threats. Your workflow:

  • Reverse engineer suspicious binaries for C2 (command and control) communications, exfiltration routines, or credential theft.
  • Use network monitoring tools to map traffic and identify unusual destinations.
  • Identify encryption routines and verify certificate validation.

Scoring malware in a bug bounty can mean big rewards — don't skip your static and dynamic analysis!

4. Social Engineering & Authentication Weaknesses

Attackers do more than break code — they exploit users. Always:

  • Test login and password reset flows for logic flaws, bypasses, or information leaks.
  • Abuse "magic links" and email-based authentication for open redirects or broken session handling.
  • Manipulate multi-step account recovery to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access.

5. Debugging, Code Injection & Memory Hacking

  • Seek out debug interfaces or memory dump features accidentally left in production builds.
  • Analyze Objective-C/Swift functions for unsanitized calls to system() or similar shell escape vectors.
  • Look for dangerous binary execution or unsafe NSTask/Process usage.
  • Attacking iOS: Professional Bug Bounty Playbook (Part 2)
  • Let's dive deeper: this second part unlocks advanced exploitation, critical config flaws, and bounty-worthy hunting tactics. Stay sharp — these techniques set elite bug bounty hunters apart!

6. TLS/Certificate Pinning Bypasses

Many apps rely on certificate pinning but forget about test/debug mode escapes or fallback trust paths:

  • Hunt for hardcoded certificates and logic that disables pinning in debug builds — but accidentally ship it to production.
  • Try active MITM (man-in-the-middle) attacks using dynamic analysis tools to sniff insecure comms.
  • Probe Keychain storage and validate fallback routines for insecure trust.

7. Logging, Caching & Info Leaks

Sensitive data often ends up in logs, cache files, or memory snapshots:

  • Scrape app logs (NSLog and third-party lib logging) for credentials, API keys, tokens, PII, or debug info.
  • Analyze cache settings: "no-store" and "no-cache" missing means sensitive data can be extracted from the filesystem.
  • Look for accidental info leaks in background states, multitasking overlays, or state preservation.

8. Third-Party Integrations: WebView, APIs, SDKs

Third-party libraries and SDKs can introduce vulnerabilities — make them a priority:

  • WebViews: Attack configurations that allow HTTP sources, insecure script execution, or lack CSP.
  • APIs: Probe forgotten endpoints, weak authentication, over-permissive CORS setups, and excessive scopes.
  • SDKs: Check for outdated libraries and insecure authentication/session management.

9. Universal Links, URL Schemes, and Inter-App Communication

Chaining deep links and inter-app communication leads to creative exploitation:

  • Manipulate URL schemes to perform sensitive actions, execute XSS, or escalate privileges.
  • Exploit Universal Links without proper origin validation for open redirects, spoofing, or privilege jumps.
  • Abuse poorly validated external interactions for session hijack and credential theft.

10. State Preservation, Snapshots & Sensitive Data

Snapshotting UI or saving state between multitasking can expose secrets:

  • Examine how apps serialize state and what info is left visible in device multitasking view (passwords, account details, tokens).
  • Search for background overlays that don't hide sensitive screens.

Top Pro Bounty Techniques (Quick Reference)

  • Command Injection: Exploit system calls, shell escapes, and unsafe API usage.
  • Debug Endpoints: Find test features not removed before release.
  • TLS/Pinning Bypass: MITM attacks, fallback logic, and Keychain cert flaws.
  • Leaked Credentials: Logs, snapshots, cache, and error messages.
  • Inter-App Abuse: Deep link spoofing, URL scheme privilege escalation, and XSS.
  • Third-Party Flaws: Hit outdated SDKs, insecure configurations, and weak external APIs.