How to Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication in MobileBOT™ Defense

Last updated October 20, 2024 by Appdome

Learn to Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication in Android apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is Traditional mTLS Pre-Authentication?

Mutual TLS (mTLS) Pre-Authentication is a process where both the client and the server authenticate each other before a secure communication session is established. Unlike standard TLS, which only verifies the server, mTLS requires the client to present a valid certificate to verify its identity. This ensures that both parties are trusted, providing an additional layer of security by preventing unauthorized devices or entities from accessing the service.

mTLS pre-authentication is often used to secure communications in sensitive mobile applications such as financial transactions, healthcare systems, and enterprise environments. It works by:

  1. Initiating the TLS handshake.
  2. Requesting and validating certificates from both the client and the server.
  3. Establishing an encrypted connection only if both certificates are validated.

This approach mitigates various risks, including impersonation attacks, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, and unauthorized access.

How Does Appdome Protect Mobile Apps from mTLS Pre-Authentication Attacks?

MobileBOT™ Defense enhances traditional mTLS Pre-Authentication by embedding this robust two-way authentication directly into mobile app interactions. One of the key advantages is that the app becomes an integral part of the mTLS process, ensuring that both the mobile app and backend server authenticate each other before any communication occurs. This guarantees a more secure mobile environment where bot attacks, automated threats, and impersonation risks are prevalent.

How MobileBOT™ Defense Differs from Traditional mTLS

  • Secure Certificate Storage: Unlike standard implementations of mTLS, where handling the certificate securely on mobile devices can be a challenge, MobileBOT™ Defense securely stores the client’s p12 certificate within the app, protecting it from tampering or unauthorized access. This ensures that the certificate required for mTLS is always securely available, further enhancing security.
  • Simplified Configuration Process: MobileBOT™ Defense simplifies the complex mTLS configuration typically required in traditional environments. By automating critical parts of the process, mobile developers and security teams can more easily integrate mTLS into their apps without needing extensive configuration steps or managing complex certificate setups.
  • Client Provides CA Certificate: For the mTLS Pre-Authentication process to be configured on Appdome, the client must provide Appdome with the CA (Certificate Authority) certificate. This certificate is crucial to authenticate the mobile app during the mutual TLS process, ensuring that only authorized devices can access the service.

Appdome’s MobileBOT™ Defense enhances mTLS Pre-Authentication by integrating it directly into mobile apps. This feature automatically establishes secure communication channels by verifying both the client and the server’s identities without requiring additional coding or SDKs from the app developer. The process safeguards the mobile app against impersonation and ensures that only authorized servers and apps can communicate with one another.

Prerequisites for Using mTLS Pre-Authentication:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication , you’ll need:

Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication on Android apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Android Apps that Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication without an SDK or gateway:

  1. Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.

    1. Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System

    2. Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
    3. Android Formats: .apk or .aab
    4. mTLS Pre-Authentication Compatible With: Java, JS, C++, C#, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and other Android apps
  2. Build the feature: mTLS Pre-Authentication.

    1. Building mTLS Pre-Authentication by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature as shown below:
      2. fusion set that contains mTLS Pre-Authentication

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature
        Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required).

      3. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature via Appdome Console, to add the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature to this Fusion Set.

      4. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below): fusion Set Detail Summary image

        Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
        Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      5. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, App Center, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
        1. Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
        2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository
    2. Building the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature via Appdome Console

      To build the mTLS Pre-Authentication protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

      1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Anti Bot Tab > MobileBOT™ Defense section.
      2. How: Check whether is toggled On (enabled), otherwise enable it . The feature mTLS Pre-Authentication is enabled by default, as shown below. Toggle (turn ON) mTLS Pre-Authentication, as shown below. mTLS Pre-Authentication option

        Figure 3: Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication option

      3. When you select the mTLS Pre-Authentication you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains mTLS Pre-Authentication

        Fusion Set applied mTLS Pre-Authentication

        Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added mTLS Pre-Authentication protection

      4. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
    Congratulations!  The mTLS Pre-Authentication protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the mTLS Pre-Authentication feature in Android Apps

    After building mTLS Pre-Authentication, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the mTLS Pre-Authentication protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the mTLS Pre-Authentication protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: mTLS Pre-Authentication shown in Certificate secure

    Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

    Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that mTLS Pre-Authentication has been added to each Android app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that mTLS Pre-Authentication and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app

Using Threat-Events™ for mTLS Pre-Authentication Intelligence and Control in Android Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when mTLS Pre-Authentication is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for mTLS Pre-Authentication in Android Apps, use registerReceiver in the Application OnCreate, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for mTLS Pre-Authentication shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for mTLS Pre-Authentication are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Enforce mTLS Pre-Authentication Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name mTLS Pre-Authentication
Threat-Event Mode
OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging.
ON, IN-APP DETECTION Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce).
ON, IN-APP DEFENSE Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection).
Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check x
Visible in ThreatScope™ x
Developer Parameters for Enforcing mTLS Pre-Authentication Threat-Event™
Threat-Event NAME
Threat-Event DATA reasonData
Threat-Event CODE reasonCode
Threat-Event REF
Threat-Event SCORE
currentThreatEventScore Current Threat-Event score
threatEventsScore Total Threat-events score
Threat-Event Context Keys
message Message displayed for the user on event
failSafeEnforce Timed enforcement against the identified threat
externalID The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events
osVersion OS version of the current device
deviceModel Current device model
deviceManufacturer The manufacturer of the current device
fusedAppToken The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app
kernelInfo Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine.
carrierPlmn PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices.
deviceID Current device ID
reasonCode Reason code of the occurred event
buildDate Appdome fusion date of the current application
devicePlatform OS name of the current device
carrierName Carrier name of the current device. Only available for Android.
updatedOSVersion Is the OS version up to date
deviceBrand Brand of the device
deviceBoard Board of the device
buildUser Build user
buildHost Build host
sdkVersion Sdk version
timeZone Time zone
deviceFaceDown Is the device face down
locationLong Location longitude conditioned by location permission
locationLat Location latitude conditioned by location permission
locationState Location state conditioned by location permission
wifiSsid Wifi SSID
wifiSsidPermissionStatus Wifi SSID permission status

With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Android developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Android applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when mTLS Pre-Authentication is detected.


The following is a code sample for native Android apps, which uses all values in the specification above for mTLS Pre-Authentication:


Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.



Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Android Apps by using mTLS Pre-Authentication. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.

Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with mTLS Pre-Authentication

After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:

Related Articles:

How Do I Learn More?

If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.

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