How to Reverse Engineer iOS Apps with Hopper, Ghidra & R2Frida

Reverse engineering is a core discipline for security researchers, ethical hackers, and pentesters working to understand how software behaves beneath the surface — from mobile apps to low-level system components. In the context of iOS application security testing, reverse engineering is used to uncover undocumented app behavior, analyze obfuscated or encrypted logic, and identify runtime issues that static tools often miss.

App testers often reverse engineer iOS applications to inspect jailbreak detection routines, trace API calls, or evaluate how embedded security checks function. On the other hand, researchers focused on iOS itself — the operating system — may analyze lower-level system binaries or kernel extensions to understand platform behavior or uncover vulnerabilities.

In both cases, reverse engineering on iOS faces unique obstacles. Code-signing enforcement, hardware-backed protections, and jailbreak restrictions limit access to traditional debugging workflows. To overcome this, researchers and testers can use virtualized environments like Corellium that allow them to run real iOS devices in software. These platforms enable dynamic analysis with tools like Hopper, Ghidra, and R2Frida — without needing physical devices or jailbreaks.

Identifying Hard Coded Secrets

Corellium Chief Evangelist Brian Robison, Corellium Researcher Steven Smiley, and mobile cybersecurity professional Robert Ferri recently dug into iOS reverse engineering tactics and techniques, showing live demonstrations of disassembling and application patching using virtual iOS devices.

To kick off the demonstration, Steven introduced the Corellium Cafe app, a fictitious coffee shop application that serves as a playground for ethical hackers. The app is full of vulnerabilities, including hardcoded values, bypassable root detection mechanisms and areas to exploit via dynamic instrumentation, that give security researchers an opportunity to experiment with and practice testing. 

Steven demonstrated how to use tools like Hopper and Ghidra to identify secrets hardcoded in an iOS application. These tools help locate secrets, configuration files, and insecure storage mechanisms that attackers could exploit. With Ghidra’s decompiler, researchers can map out control flow and reverse logic, while Hopper offers streamlined navigation for Objective-C class structures.

For hands-on practice, check out our access guide to Corellium Cafe, designed for ethical reverse engineering.

Breaking Down iOS Reverse Engineering: A Deep Dive with Robert Ferri

During the live demonstration, Robert went into common techniques that are used for jailbreak detection as well as common bypasses. Using the Corellium Cafe app as an example, Robert demonstrated tools and techniques he uses all the time when doing mobile penetration tests.

“My goal for this talk is to show you that you don't actually have to be like a reverse engineering wizard or be able to read assembly at a really high level to figure out what's going on in the app and to do some basic reverse engineering.” — Robert Ferri, Mobile Cybersecurity Professional 

Robert specifically focused on R2Frida, including its use cases, how to download and set it up, and how to launch R2Frida on a jailbroken iOS within Corellium. Radare2 (R2) and Frida are both essential tools for static and dynamic analysis. While R2 offers a comprehensive suite for disassembling, Frida is known for its dynamic instrumentation toolkit, allowing for real-time code injections and manipulations. The versatility of R2Frida makes it a must-have in a researcher's toolkit.

For those new to the world of reverse engineering, becoming familiar with the commands and their syntax in R2Frida can be daunting. Robert walked through the syntax of R2 commands and explained how R2 files, described as configuration files, allow researchers to type out commands. When imported, these files automatically execute traces and hooks, streamlining the analysis process. Additionally, Robert covered the following:

• Live Device Analysis: Within Corellium, reverse engineering is done live on the device, allowing for real-time changes to values and instructions.
• Jailbreak Detection: An app can use various methods to detect jailbreaks, including setting up a socket to listen on specific ports. Ferri showed that one way to bypass this is to start a server on a different port.
• Tracing Functions: Ferri outlined how to set up a file to trace functions and replace values to bypass security checks. He also discusses how to filter out what's going on so you can stub your own trace.
• Private APIs: Some APIs, like 'ptrace,' are private and not allowed by Apple's specifications. However, they can be used for debugging iOS apps.

For a hands-on example of these techniques, explore our full webinar Hunting for Vulnerabilities in iOS Apps.

Additional iOS Reverse Engineering Resources

• Corellium Webinars
• Ghidra
• Hopper
• Frida
• R2Frida
• Radare2

The Future of iOS App Security

They're reverse engineering business logic, exploiting hidden vulnerabilities, and bypassing in-app defenses. To keep up, security teams are replacing outsourced, one-off assessments with continuous in-house validation built on virtualization, automation, and real-time visibility.

What’s changing? iOS app security is evolving beyond traditional, hardware-based testing. Teams are adopting virtualized environments that allow for secure, scalable testing without needing physical jailbroken devices.

Why it matters: As mobile apps become more complex and threat actors more advanced, relying on manual, outsourced, or fragmented testing slows down remediation and increases risk. In-house security teams need real-time insight and control.

How teams are adapting: Security engineers now use integrated platforms that support both SAST and DAST workflows inside virtual devices. This enables them to identify jailbreak detection, intercept key API calls, trace functions, and simulate targeted attacks using a repeatable setup that speeds up vulnerability discovery and patch validation.

Trends in iOS Reverse Engineering

• iOS is fighting back. Apple’s defenses now include hardened system integrity checks, anti-debugging logic, and runtime detection of tools like Frida and Ghidra. To stay ahead, reverse engineers are developing stealthier hooks, using snapshot diffing to pinpoint binary changes, and scripting around dynamic protections that monitor system calls and memory modifications.
• Virtualized testing environments are a game-changer. They allow researchers to spin up controlled iOS instances, simulate low-level behaviors, and observe code execution across OS versions — without the need to jailbreak. Combined with frameworks like Frida, Hopper, or Ghidra, reverse engineers can trace execution paths, patch memory, and explore encrypted binaries.
• Security testing is shifting left. Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST) is being integrated earlier in CI/CD workflows, enabling reverse engineering techniques to identify system-level vulnerabilities such as exposed entitlements, insecure IPC mechanisms, and runtime bypass opportunities. While the OWASP MASTG lacks a CI/CD guide, it underscores the value of early-stage dynamic and static testing. With tools like Corellium, teams can automate these analyses across builds in high-fidelity iOS virtual devices.

Unlock Superior Mobile Security Testing with Corellium

Ditch the limitations of outdated testing labs and outsourced vendors. With Corellium, your team can instantly launch high-fidelity virtual iOS devices, run live reverse engineering workflows, and automate vulnerability discovery — all from a single platform. Whether you're validating jailbreak detection, decompiling an app, or integrating with your MAST pipeline, Corellium gives you the speed, control, and visibility to stay ahead of mobile threats.

Ready to modernize your mobile app security strategy? Book a meeting today or secure a free trial to see how Corellium can accelerate your reverse engineering and testing processes — without sacrificing compliance or coverage.