How to Use iOS Memory Protection to Defeat Memory Editing in iOS apps

Last updated May 2, 2024 by Appdome

Learn to Protect iOS Memory in iOS apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is iOS memory protection?

Using Appdome iOS Memory Protection, iOS mobile app and game developers can secure the data stored in RAM by protecting the data while the app is being used. iOS Memory Protection secures app-specific data stored in the application’s memory during runtime. This prevents malicious actors from accessing or attempting to modify the application’s memory in order to cheat in games, steal user information, or modify mobile app functionality, logic or behavior while the app is being used.

Appdome is a no-code mobile app security platform designed to add security features, like iOS Memory Protection to any iOS app without coding. This KB shows mobile developers, DevSec and security professionals how to use Appdome’s simple ‘click to build’ user interface to quickly and easily protect app-specific data in iOS apps.

Why Protect iOS Memory in iOS Apps?

In order to function, every mobile app needs to store many different kinds of data in memory (RAM) while the application is being used. This can include user data, strings including credentials, passwords, or keys, and other application-specific data, such as mobile game values, scores, in-app purchase data and more. Cybercriminals often target a running application’s memory and attempt to harvest, access or modify data while it is transiently stored in memory, for example by dumping the application memory while the data is in use. The sensitive memory might be saved to disk, stored in a core dump, or remain uncleared if the application crashes, or if the programmer does not properly clear the memory before freeing it.

Prerequisites for Using iOS Memory Protection:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Protect iOS Memory , you’ll need:

Protect iOS Memory on iOS apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending iOS Apps that Protect iOS Memory 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. iOS Formats: .ipa
    4. iOS Memory Protection Compatible With: Obj-C, Java, Swift, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, Cordova and more
  2. Build the feature: iOS Memory Protection.

    1. Building iOS Memory Protection by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the iOS Memory Protection feature as shown below:
      2. fusion set that contains iOS Memory Protection

        Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the iOS Memory Protection 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 iOS Memory Protection feature via Appdome Console, to add the iOS Memory Protection 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 iOS Memory Protection feature via Appdome Console

      To build the iOS Memory Protection protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

      1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Anti Fraud Tab > Mobile Fraud Detection section.
      2. How: Check whether is toggled On (enabled), otherwise enable it . The feature iOS Memory Protection is enabled by default, as shown below. Toggle (turn ON) iOS Memory Protection, as shown below.
        If needed, Customize the Threat Notification to be displayed to the mobile end-user in a standard OS dialog notification when Appdome Protects iOS Memory.
        iOS Memory Protection option

        Figure 3: Protect iOS Memory option
        Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.

      3. When you select the iOS Memory Protection you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains iOS Memory Protection

        Fusion Set applied iOS Memory Protection

        Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added iOS Memory Protection protection

      4. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).
    Congratulations!  The iOS Memory Protection protection is now added to the mobile app
  3. Certify the iOS Memory Protection feature in iOS Apps

    After building iOS Memory Protection, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the iOS Memory Protection protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the iOS Memory Protection protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below: iOS Memory Protection 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 iOS Memory Protection has been added to each iOS app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that iOS Memory Protection and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app

Using Threat-Events™ for iOS Memory Intelligence and Control in iOS Apps

Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when iOS Memory is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for iOS Memory in iOS Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for iOS Memory shown below.

The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for iOS Memory are:

Threat-Event™ Elements Protect iOS Memory Method Detail
Appdome Feature Name iOS Memory Protection
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 Protecting iOS Memory 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.
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
updatedOSVersion Is the OS version up to date
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), iOS developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in iOS applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when iOS Memory is detected.


The following is a code sample for native iOS apps, which uses all values in the specification above for iOS Memory Protection:


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 iOS Apps by using iOS Memory Protection. 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 iOS Memory Protection

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.

Thank you!

Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.

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