Corellium debuted in 2018 as the first-ever Advanced RISC Machine virtualization platform. It has security vulnerability research for iOS and Android devices.
After a year of development, Corellium became a popular platform used to test security on iPhone devices. It can clone the entire operating system accurately without needing to buy physical Apple devices instead.
In December 2021, Corellium raised $25 million in funding; the aim is to expand its operations into the Android and iPhone cyber research force.
It boasts of never-before-possible vulnerability research and accuracy; this baffles software and app developers alike.
Here’s a brief and informative analysis of how Corellium works and how it benefits app developers and hackers alike.
Understanding Corellium
Corellium essentially allows mobile developers to virtualize any mobile device that operates with iOS on this platform.
By creating a virtual clone of the mobile device, developers can then create and test applications and software. They can do this on virtually cloned devices without actually having to purchase any hardware.
This platform provides users with every single aspect of the operating system (from processor speed to capacity). So that the virtual device is as good as the actual physical device that can be emulated with virtualized ARM chips.
What makes using ARM chips so special is that unlike common processors such as Intel, processors can execute millions more instructions per second, thus making processing considerably fast.
For example, Corellium can completely clone virtualized hardware of an iPhone 6. This clone can perform every single function of an iPhone 6, creating a real hardware environment for any Apple device so that it can be tested.
Even though it is virtual and cannot be touched, developer toolsets like Xcode assume the virtual clone as a real iPhone 6 and treat it as one.
However, Corellium is not a simulation and should not be mistaken as one. Simulations do not end up with the same build as iOS.
They don’t virtualize certain components of the device that are essential requirements at the debugging and comprehensive testing stage of program development. This causes the simulator to give different results than the ones given by Corellium.
Benefits to app developers
As mentioned earlier, Corellium allows developers to virtualize iPhone hardware that they don’t own.
This is an efficient way of saving costs and reducing waste, all the while proficiently allowing users to test the functionality of their apps on various iOS devices.
Using Corellium is a more reliable way of testing apps because the virtual clone’s aspects are controlled and standardized to be congruent.
Security companies, such as Azimuth Security, which is also Corellium’s first-ever customer, benefit from Corellium as well. This company is known for successfully hacking into the iPhone of one of the shooters in the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack.
Benefits to ethical hackers
Corellium also aids hackers in easily looking for loopholes in iOS that can be used to filtrate the system.
This can be useful to White Hat hackers, who use hacking for ethical means such as identifying and checking vulnerabilities in a security system and making improvements to it.
This is done so that illegal hackers or Black Hat hackers do not gain unauthorized access to any confidential information and misuse it.
Endnote
Corellium has already made its mark as a helpful tool and promises more significant potential in the future.
With its ability to create identical virtual clones, Corellium can revolutionize app and software development, making it easier for developers and engineers to develop and test their software and apps as effectively as the real deal with less investment.
But even Corellium is susceptible to hackers, external threats, and inconveniences such as malware and crashes. To add a layer of security, a proxy must be set with your platform.
Using Burp Suite with Corellium to regulate and intercept traffic to avoid crashes is an effective way of enhancing security and protection from threats like malware and spyware.
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