PoC and steps of reproduction of bugs help to fix vulnerabilities in apps

Security Blogs | 4 min read

In the previous blog post, we discussed security audits in detail. After a security audit finds bugs or vulnerabilities in a mobile application, “Proof-of-Concept (PoC)” and “steps of reproduction of bugs” are reported for each vulnerability. They help companies to verify the security vulnerabilities, understand where they were found in the code and fix them. The more vulnerabilities a company fixes, the more secure its products will be.

Table of contents

• Proof-of-Concept (PoC)

• Steps of reproduction of bugs

• Bugsmirror: One-stop solution for all your security needs

Proof-of-Concept (PoC)

A proof-of-concept of a bug or vulnerability is a screenshot or a video which shows & proves that the vulnerability was found during a security audit of an app or a product. PoC can be screenshots of parts of a code, data leaked due to security vulnerability, etc.

Let’s understand proof-of-concept in detail with an example of a hospital data management app’s security audit. To check the security of patient data, a security auditor requested data of patient “ABC” who was admitted in room no. 1. But the app displayed data of all the patients admitted in room no. 1. It resulted in the undesired leak of patients’ data and hence is a vulnerability. The screenshots of the data are the PoC of the vulnerability.

An example of data leak due to a vulnerability

PoC proves to companies that security vulnerabilities exist in their apps.

Steps of reproduction of bugs

After establishing proof-of-concept of a bug or a vulnerability, it is necessary to demonstrate the steps required to reproduce the bug. Without knowing them, you cannot fix the bug easily.

The steps to reproduce a bug are the minimum conditions necessary for triggering the security vulnerability in a controlled test environment. For example, the steps can be a code snippet or a set of instructions that result in a vulnerability. The steps can also simulate a threat or attack demonstrating how an app or a product may be compromised using security flaws.

The steps need to be simple, accurate and should be written in the exact order so that anyone can reproduce the vulnerabilities in minimum possible time and quickly resolve them. The steps can be reported in the form of text, screenshots, or videos.

Steps of reproduction of bugs help companies to:

- Identify & generate bugs/vulnerabilities on their own

- Evaluate the risk & impact of the vulnerabilities by exploiting them on a small scale

- Allocate the right resources & time required to fix the vulnerabilities

- Verify & implement vulnerability patches & security measures

- Try to reproduce & resolve the vulnerabilities in different test environments

Bugsmirror: One-stop solution for all your security needs

Bugsmirror is a premier research-based security company that provides protection at every level for mobile apps with Mobile Application Security Suite & Tools (MASST):

• Threat Detection: Identify vulnerabilities using CodeLock for static code analysis, RunLock Lite for free attack simulations, RunLock Pro for deep runtime assessments across 45+ attack vectors, and ThreatLock for advanced Red Teaming evaluations.
• Threat Mitigation: Secure applications in real time with Bugsmirror Defender, protect against reverse engineering with Bugsmirror Shield, and safeguard app data with Bugsmirror Guard.
• Threat Visibility: Monitor security insights and detect real-time threats using the ThreatLens Dashboard, which integrates seamlessly with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools.

For individual users, Bugsmirror offers SecureOne, an all-in-one security superapp that safeguards personal data and devices.

We generate well documented PoC & steps of reproduction of bugs reports that contain:

1. Proof-of-concept for exploitation of each & every bug/vulnerability found during security audits

2. Steps of reproduction for each & every vulnerability found during the audits

3. Easy description of the vulnerabilities and their impact, that any IT professional can understand

4. Details of the types of bugs and their severity level

5. Attack scenarios that show the risks of the vulnerabilities

6. References that helped to detect bugs/vulnerabilities

Bugsmirror works with various MNCs as well as startups across diverse sectors such as IT, fintech, automobiles and healthcare to fix security vulnerabilities and improve security of their products. Assess your app’s security with Bugsmirror’s Free Runtime Security Audit, and experience Bugsmirror Defender with a 7-day free trial.

For complete security of your products contact Bugsmirror - One-stop solution for all your security needs.

- Vivek Tanwani