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Misc42k · #4719

competition-ios-runtime

Helps your agent analyze iOS applications in real time. It can intercept calls, inspect sensitive data, and understand how apps handle security.

What it does

This tool helps analyze how an iPhone app works internally, especially when it needs to verify trust or security. It allows observing and interacting with specific parts of the app in real-time.

When to use it

  • ✓When you want to see how an app verifies security certificates.
  • ✓To understand how an app protects sensitive information (like passwords).
  • ✓When trying to figure out how an app communicates securely with servers.

Example of what to ask your AI

“Analyze how this iOS app handles data security and server communication.”

Want more? Open the sections below.

How to use

The easiest way: copy the message below and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI. It reads the skill and follows the instructions.

Skill link

https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-ios-runtime/SKILL.md

Ready-to-paste message

Use this skill to help me: https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-ios-runtime/SKILL.md Read the SKILL.md file at that link and follow its instructions for my task.
How it works

It works by observing and, if necessary, modifying the app's behavior while it's running. This is done by 'hooking' into specific code parts to see what's happening or to change how something functions.

Installation

Easiest way: copy the skill link and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor asking it to follow the instructions.

In the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), in your project folder:

npx skills add zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill --skill competition-ios-runtime

Or download just the file:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-ios-runtime/SKILL.md -o SKILL.md
Technical content (original SKILL.md)

Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.

Competition iOS Runtime

Use this skill only as a downstream specialization after $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator is already active and has established sandbox assumptions, node ownership, and evidence priorities. If that has not happened yet, return to $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator first.

Use this skill when the decisive path runs through live iOS trust boundaries rather than static strings or plist values alone.

Reply in Simplified Chinese unless the user explicitly requests English.

Quick Start

  1. Preserve the original IPA, extracted bundle, and any decrypted or re-signed copy as separate artifacts.
  2. Start with Info.plist, entitlements, URL schemes, frameworks, Keychain usage, and local app storage before broad runtime hooks.
  3. Choose the narrowest runtime boundary that proves behavior: signer, trust evaluator, Keychain accessor, Objective-C or Swift method, or network request builder.
  4. Correlate static bundle evidence and live hook output before claiming the trust path is understood.
  5. Reproduce the accepted request, token, or gated branch from the smallest hook set.

Workflow

1. Static iOS Triage

  • Map bundle structure, Info.plist, entitlements, URL schemes, universal links, embedded frameworks, and app group paths.
  • Record likely trust boundaries: request signers, device binding, certificate checks, jailbreak checks, Keychain access, or local cache loading.
  • Note whether sensitive logic sits in Objective-C, Swift, embedded frameworks, or a bundled web surface.

2. Hook The Runtime Boundary

  • Prefer hooking request builders, crypto helpers, trust evaluators, Keychain reads, or Objective-C selectors instead of broad UI handlers.
  • Record plaintext inputs, headers, nonces, signed strings, and outputs at the boundary that changes server acceptance.
  • Patch or bypass pinning or environment checks only enough to expose the real request path.

3. Replay The Accepted Path

  • Rebuild the smallest stateful sequence: local token, device identifier, request body, signature, headers, and trust checks.
  • Keep hook logs, bundle paths, plist keys, and local storage artifacts tied to the same session or account state.
  • If the task becomes mostly about transform recovery instead of iOS runtime, switch back to the broader crypto or mobile skill.

Read This Reference

  • Load references/ios-runtime.md for hook targets, storage checklist, and evidence packaging.

What To Preserve

  • Bundle paths, entitlements, plist keys, selectors, class names, hook points, and header names
  • Keychain items, local DB or plist paths, URL schemes, and app-group storage locations
  • The smallest replayable request or branch that proves the iOS trust boundary
FAQ

What does 'hook' mean?

A hook is like placing a 'hook' into a part of the app's code to be able to see or change what it's doing at that moment.

What is 'Keychain'?

Keychain is a secure location on the iPhone where apps store sensitive information, such as passwords and encryption keys.

What is 'SSL pinning'?

SSL pinning is a security technique where the app verifies that the server's certificate is exactly the expected one, making interception attacks more difficult.

Details

Original description by the author

Internal downstream skill for ctf-sandbox-orchestrator. CTF-sandbox workflow for IPA runtime analysis, Frida hooks, Objective-C or Swift method tracing, Keychain inspection, SSL pinning bypass, URL scheme handling, and iOS request-signing recovery. Use when the user asks to hook an IPA, trace Objective-C or Swift runtime behavior, inspect Keychain or plist state, bypass pinning, analyze deeplinks

repo: zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill

Popularity

GitHub stars
42k
Ranking position
#4719
License
MIT
Updated
9/22/2026

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