Reduce Repetition and Free up Time With Mobile File Extracto...

[carlospolop]

🤖 Automated Content Update

This PR was automatically generated by the HackTricks News Bot based on a technical blog post.

📝 Source Information

• Blog URL: https://trustedsec.com/blog/reduce-repetition-and-free-up-time-with-mobile-file-extractor
• Blog Title: Reduce Repetition and Free up Time With Mobile File Extractor
• Suggested Section: 📱 Mobile Pentesting -> Android Applications Pentesting / iOS Pentesting -> On-device storage review (plists/SQLite/logs) & automated extraction/triage tooling

🎯 Content Summary

What this post is:
TrustedSec released Mobile Data Extractor, a Python 3 automation tool aimed at speeding up a repetitive but important part of mobile application security assessments: extracting an app’s on-device files to a workstation and rapidly triaging them for common sensitive artifacts (plists, SQLite DBs, nested/embedded plists, and “interesting” file types). This is not a CVE write-up; it is a workflow/tooling post focused on operational efficien...

🔧 Technical Details

Repeatable mobile storage review via automated extraction: When you have privileged access to a test device (jailbroken iOS with SSH or rooted Android with ADB/USB debugging), automate the collection of an application’s bundle and data directories to a workstation. This removes manual, error-prone repetition of copying files and walking multiple directories during assessments.

Artifact normalization to avoid missing hidden data: Use libmagic-backed file identification (via python-magic + OS libmagic) to classify files, enumerate plists and SQLite databases, and automatically convert plists to XML for readability. Then recursively parse and extract embedded/nested plists (including plists embedded inside SQLite databases) into separate files so configuration/secrets hidden in container formats are surfaced for review.

Deterministic secret hunting with audit-friendly logs: After extraction, run extension-b...

🤖 Agent Actions

Inspecting the mobile sections first, then I’ll read the nearest storage-analysis pages to decide whether this belongs in Android, iOS, or a cross-platform mobile workflow page.
I’ve narrowed this to existing mobile-pentesting pages. Next I’m reading the core Android/iOS methodology files plus ADB/iOS environment content to see whether this is already covered and where a single concise addition fits best.
The repo already has deep iOS storage coverage in the iOS main page, so I’m checking those exact storage sections now. I want a single-file edit that adds the new automation workflow without duplicating existing plist/SQLite/log explanations.
I’ve confirmed this is not already documented and I’ve picked a single target file. I’m editing the iOS storage-review page to add the new technical workflow: automated extraction, nested plist/SQLite triage, Android ADB notes, and audit-friendly search logging.
The edit is in place. I’m reading the updated section and diff now to make sure the content fits the existing style, stays non-duplicative, and that the references section remains at the end.
Updated README.md with a new storage-triage subsection covering the useful new content from the blog: automated SSH/ADB extraction, libmagic-backed plist/SQLite identification, carving nested plists from SQLite/blob data, and audit-friendly extension/string search logging.

I chose the iOS storage-review page because HackTricks already centralizes plist/SQLite/log analysis there, and this blog adds workflow/tooling detail rather than a new vulnerability class. I also added the TrustedSec post and tool repo to the references section at the end of README.md. No tests were needed for this markdown-only change.

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This PR was automatically created by the HackTricks Feed Bot. Please review the changes carefully before merging.

[carlospolop]

🔗 Additional Context

Original Blog Post: https://trustedsec.com/blog/reduce-repetition-and-free-up-time-with-mobile-file-extractor

Content Categories: Based on the analysis, this content was categorized under "📱 Mobile Pentesting -> Android Applications Pentesting / iOS Pentesting -> On-device storage review (plists/SQLite/logs) & automated extraction/triage tooling".

Repository Maintenance:

• MD Files Formatting: 964 files processed

Review Notes:

• This content was automatically processed and may require human review for accuracy
• Check that the placement within the repository structure is appropriate
• Verify that all technical details are correct and up-to-date
• All .md files have been checked for proper formatting (headers, includes, etc.)

Bot Version: HackTricks News Bot v1.0