How to tell if my iOS app is making the api request - ios

We have an open API and I was wondering how I could securely tell if my own app is making the api request. I recently figured this out on android (use the sha1 fingerprint), what would the iOS equivalent of this be?
Here's a quote from the android question that was asked:
I have an android app. Now I want that only my App can access my database on server. I know any body can decompile my app and can find the API urls and can access my database from the browser. Is there any way to protect my database from such API calls which are not generated by my Android App ?
I want to add any secret in Android App which change or destroy if anybody de-compile my Android App.
https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-check-if-that-API-call-is-from-my-Android-app-or-from-outside-on-the-server-side

Related

Twitter Posts - from client or server?

I'm creating an iPhone app that will allow users to log in with Twitter and for the app to then be able to post on their behalf.
Is it better to make post requests to Twitter from the app or from the server? Why?
For my app I found it easier to do it on the client. If you are looking for a iOS twitter library I have it here https://github.com/narup/PSTwitterEngine Though, you can still post using iOS native twitter support. You will need this library if you are using browser based authentication
Also, didn't want to write extra code on server since i am writing server myself :)

Check if a request came from android App in rails

How can I detect that a request is coming from an Android App and not android browser.
If I use this:
request.env['HTTP_USER_AGENT'].downcase.match(/android/)
It will also include the android browser.
The answer depends on how you coded your Android application. In order to interact with your webapp, the Android app will use an HTTP client. You need to determine how you configured the HTTP client and which user agent you decided to use.
If you are not setting any user agent in the Android application, you may want to release a new version where you pass a specific user agent for the app, in this way you can easily isolate the requests coming from it.

iOS Google Maps API Key Invalid for Account

I am having issues with my API key for the iOS Google Maps SDK.
Currently I have multiple applications one using the Javascript API, and Android one and now and iOS app. The Web and Android app works fine but I always receive and invalid api key. Bundles are definitely matching and the iOS SDK is enabled under services.
I created an api key on my personal gmail account and linked it to the bundle and it worked fine. Removed it and create the api key back on the console for the other api's and it fails. Has anyone come across this problem before?

Google Places API: iOS key: Request Denied [duplicate]

I'm trying to make an Autocomplete field which should fetch cities as the user types, by using the Google Places API as described in this tutorial:
https://developers.google.com/places/training/autocomplete-android
You've probably found this question around many times before as I did, but none of the answers helped me. Here are the things you should know:
The URL is
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/autocomplete/json?sensor=false&key=myKey&components=country:ro&input=whatTheUserTypes
Please don't reply by saying you replaced the API key with your own and it worked - the API key which goes there must be Android specific and won't work from a browser.
So did I make the Android API key using the SHA1 fingerprint obtained from the keystore I signed the app with.
I turned on Maps and Places APIs from the console.
The quota isn't exceeded.
All those and it still gives me REQUEST_DENIED
What I didn't mention is that I have O2Auth activated - does that change anything? Shouldn't it be as simple as putting the API key in the app?
Thanks!
Although this has been answered, I think the community could do better.
I was tearing my hair out about this, it just didn't make sense to me.. I was making an iOS/Android App, so I made an iOS/Android Key...
Wrong.
With Google's Places API, your bundle identifier isn't even considered.
What you really want to do is this:
(I'm using the new User Interface)
1. Log into https://cloud.google.com/console#/project
Select your Project Name, then go into API's & Auth > APIs
Make sure you have Places API Turned on. This is the only thing that needs to be turned on for Places-API to work.
2. Go into Credentials
Click CREATE NEW KEY under Public API Access
3. Select BROWSER KEY
4. Click Create, Nothing Else
Leave the HTTP Refer box empty.
5. Use the Key Generated here
This key will allow ANY user from any device access to the API via your Developer login.
You can try it out here: (Be sure to replace YOUR_KEY_HERE with your generated Key)
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/autocomplete/json?input=Food%20Sh&sensor=false&radius=500&location=0,0&key=YOUR_KEY_HERE
6. Enjoy
Now you can use that URL above in your Android/iOS device.
The Google Places API does not currently support Android or iOS keys generated from the Google APIs Console. Only Server and Browser keys are currently supported.
If you would like to request this support, please file a Places API - Feature Request.
https://developers.google.com/places/training/autocomplete-android
Storing your API key
Although the above code demonstrates how to communicate directly
between an Android app and the Places Autocomplete service, you should
not store your Places API key with your app.
You should therefore build a web application that stores your API key
and proxies the Places API services. In order to secure communication
between your Android app and the proxy web service, you should require
user authentication to your proxy web service. Your Android app can
securely store user credentials and pass them to your web service, or
the user can log into your web app via an Android WebView.
For the latter approach, your web app should create and return a user
authentication token to your Android app, and your Android app should
subsequently pass this token to your proxy web service.
Go to google cloud platform console>Credentials click on edit by selected your YOUR_API_KEY>Application restrictions > select none option>save thats it.
If you select the android apps option from Application restrictions then google deny the place API with exception REQUEST_DENIED.
In Google dev console, you should be able to find both "Places API" and "Places API for Android"
Make sure to use "Places API for Android"
For some reason, "Places API for Android" is hidden in the API list, but can be accessed using search.
I had the same issue , I fix it by leaving
Accept requests from these HTTP referrers (web sites) (Optional)
in browser key Empty
I am still new, so I cannot comment, but to shed some light on Moe's answer, I resolved some similar Google Maps API issues regarding URL queries (for directions, using Volley) with the following steps:
Get Android API Key (including Google Maps Directions API in my case).
Get "Server" API Key (which seems to be created by using a key restriction of "HTTP referrers" these days - really, it's just used to issue URL queries through HTTP).
Store the Android API key as a meta-data tag in the application tag in AndroidManifest.xml with android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY" and android:value as your key. This is used for direct interaction with the Maps API (minus URL queries).
Use the server API key whenever issuing URL queries.
I am not sure if this also applies to URL queries for the Places API, if you only need the server API key, or if there is a better solution, but this worked for me.
I imagine that it works with just the first key - the one not restricted to Android.
Inside Google Cloud Console type Places and Activate it. Create an API Key and insert it onto your Android Studio App as you would do normally. That`s it.
I had the same problem. For me the key was to enable billing on project. I am still using "Applications for Android" restrictions. After setting up the payment method, Places Api started working.
Prior to using the Places SDK for Android, do the following:
Follow the Get an API Key guide to get, add, and restrict an API key.
Enable billing on each of your projects.
Enable the Places API for each of your projects.
See it there.
Be sure also to check out the billing plans for the Google Places API as it is not free!

Embed API credentials in iOS code

I have to call payment gateway API from iOS code. Problem is it needs merchant credentials and I feel insecure embedding the merchant credentials in code. If someone somehow reverse engineer the code and get the credentials then the client is dead. Any advice?
I found this post Does Apple modify iOS application executables on apps submitted to the App Store? which says that app binaries are encrypted by Apple be default. Does it mean I can safely embed the credentials in code?
NO! Instead of adding the credentials to iOS app you should think about setting up a server which handles the interaction with the API, you are talking about, and let the app only interact with your server. So you can store the API key on your server and can limit whats possible by the user on server side (which will be much harder to abuse).

Resources