Top 7 Myths About App Permissions stick around because dangerous permissions and entitlements are tricky — they often fly under the radar until something goes wrong. Mobile apps ask for a lot of access, sometimes way more than they need, and most people barely notice. Businesses often assume apps are safe if they come from official stores, but that’s not always true.
On Android, apps can request access to messages, the camera, microphone, files, or even real-time location. On iOS, entitlements work differently but can give similar access. The more permissions an app has, the bigger the attack surface. That means more ways your data could leak, and more ways privacy can be compromised.
Not all permission requests are bad — some are necessary for the app to work. But problems arise when too many dangerous permissions stack up, especially when paired with other app risks. Misused by attackers, shady SDKs, or careless developers, they can open doors to data leaks, tracking, or surveillance.
This post dives into how dangerous permissions and entitlements work on Android and iOS, where the risks are, and what you can do to keep them in check.
Myth1: Dangerous Permissions Put Privacy at Risk
NowSecure runs automated mobile app security testing at a large scale. They look at security, privacy, and compliance risks across huge numbers of apps, and the data is pretty consistent. Over the past year, assessments of more than 378,000 Android apps showed that about 62% requested at least one dangerous permission. On iOS, out of roughly 335,000 app assessments, nearly 31,000 apps used dangerous entitlements. When you combine both platforms, around 37% of all assessments flagged risky permissions or entitlements.
That’s not some niche problem affecting a handful of bad apps. That’s a big chunk of the ecosystem.
If you zoom out even more, these patterns don’t really change. NowSecure founder Andrew Hoog talks through years of findings in his session “525,600 Assessments Later: Top Mobile App Risks Since 2022.” After hundreds of thousands of assessments, the same issues keep showing up. Over-permissioned apps, risky SDKs, weak controls. Different apps, same mistakes.
Myth2: Android: Dangerous Permissions and Overreaching Access
What Are Dangerous Permissions?
On Android, permissions are grouped into categories. “Dangerous” permissions are the ones that give apps access to sensitive data or important device functions. Some common examples include:
- Reading or writing external storage
- Sending or receiving SMS messages
- Recording audio
- Accessing precise location
- Using the camera
Android technically protects these permissions by requiring users to approve them at runtime. That sounds good until you remember how people actually behave. Most users just tap “Allow” so the app will stop asking. The permission prompt becomes a speed bump, not a decision point.
CyberNews looked at the top 50 apps in Google Play and found that Android apps request an average of 11 dangerous permissions in their manifest files. Communication apps and shopping apps were some of the biggest offenders. The manifest file, for anyone not deep into Android development, is basically where the app declares what it wants access to before it even runs.
The Most Commonly Requested Permissions In That Analysis Were Things Like:
- Posting notifications
- Reading and writing external storage
- Camera access
- Recording audio
- Reading media images
None of these are shocking on their own. The issue is how they stack up. An app that can read files, record audio, use the camera, and communicate over the network has a lot of visibility into what’s happening on a device. Add third-party SDKs into the mix — analytics, ads, tracking libraries — and suddenly that app is collecting and sharing far more data than most users realize.
Android’s developer guidance pushes the idea of least privilege. Basically, only ask for what you need, when you need it. The documentation even says it plainly: if the user asks the app to do something, request only the permissions required to complete that action.
That’s the guidance. In practice, a lot of apps ignore it. Sometimes it’s because permissions were added early and never revisited. Sometimes developers just ask for broad access because it’s easier. Sometimes it’s driven by monetization. Whatever the reason, over-permissioned apps have become normal, and that’s where the risk creeps in.
Myth3: IOS Entitlements and the Illusion of Safety
Apple’s platform gets a lot of credit for being secure, and to be fair, the baseline protections are strong. But that reputation can also make people less suspicious than they should be. On iOS, access is controlled through entitlements. These are special capabilities tied to the app’s signature that allow it to do certain things.
Entitlements can enable things like:
- Network extensions
- Specific file system operations
- Background execution
- Access to sensitive system APIs
Some entitlements are well-documented. Others are private and undocumented, officially reserved for Apple or a small set of partners. In theory, that should limit abuse. In reality, researchers have found increasing misuse of private entitlements, especially in apps that don’t come through the App Store.
Recent analysis showed more than 40,000 iOS apps using private entitlements. Many of these apps are sideloaded or installed via enterprise certificates, which means they bypass Apple’s normal review process entirely. That opens the door to sandbox escapes, hidden surveillance behavior, and exploits that rely on elevated privileges.
On jailbroken or compromised devices, the situation gets even worse. An app that looks like a harmless internal tool can end up with far more access than anyone intended. And because entitlements aren’t visible to users in the same way Android permissions are, these risks often stay completely hidden.
Myth4: Popular Apps Request Unnecessary Access
This isn’t just a problem with obscure apps or shady downloads. Even very popular apps ask for access they don’t strictly need.
Jamf analyzed 100,000 iOS apps to understand what data they collect. The results were pretty consistent: popular apps frequently request permissions that don’t directly support their core functionality.
The most commonly requested permissions were:
- Photos
- Camera
- Location
- Microphone
The categories most likely to request these permissions included photo and video apps, shopping apps, and social networking apps. That’s not surprising. What is surprising is how often these permissions remain even when they’re not essential. They get requested early, approved once, and then never questioned again.
For businesses, this creates a quiet but persistent risk. An app might look harmless on the surface, but behind the scenes it’s collecting more data than expected — data that could be leaked, misused, or handled in ways that violate internal policies or regulations.
Myth5: The Enterprise Impact
Granting dangerous permissions on Android or allowing iOS apps with risky entitlements into the environment doesn’t just affect a single user. It can affect the entire organization.
Some of the more obvious risks include:
- Data leakage: Sensitive information can be accessed or transmitted without clear oversight.
- User tracking: Cross-app tracking and behavioral analytics undermine privacy.
- Shadow IT: Apps installed outside approved channels often bypass controls entirely.
- Compliance risk: Violating GDPR, HIPAA, or other privacy laws gets expensive fast.
- Brand damage: A mobile app breach tends to stick around in public memory.
Location data deserves special attention here. Exposing location isn’t just a privacy issue. In some cases, it can put people at real physical risk, especially executives or employees in sensitive roles.
Myth6: Best Practices for CISOs and AppSec Leaders
You can’t eliminate mobile risk completely, but you can reduce it a lot. At an individual level, CISA recommends basics like installing only necessary apps, denying permissions that aren’t essential, and removing apps that aren’t being used anymore.
For CISOs and AppSec leaders, it needs to go further than that. Mobile risk management has to be ongoing, not something you look at once a year.
1. Enforce Least Privilege in Development
Internal teams and third-party developers should follow the same rule: if a permission isn’t clearly required, it shouldn’t be there. That sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly hard to enforce without formal review and accountability.
2. Vet Third-Party SDKs
Third-party SDKs are one of the biggest blind spots in mobile apps. They often bring tracking or data collection behavior with them, quietly expanding the app’s permission footprint. Every SDK should be evaluated for privacy and security impact using automated testing or mobile pen testing services.
3. Continuously Monitor Permissions and Entitlements
Apps change over time. SDKs update. New permissions get added quietly. What looked fine six months ago might not be fine today. Automated mobile app security testing platforms help catch dangerous permissions and entitlement abuse throughout the app lifecycle.
4. Assess Third-Party Apps for Risk
Before allowing third-party apps into the enterprise, their security and privacy posture should be evaluated. Ongoing monitoring helps ensure new risks don’t slip in later.
Myth7: Safeguard Your Mobile Ecosystem
Dangerous permissions and entitlements aren’t rare edge cases. They’re common, often invisible, and deeply embedded in everyday apps. If they’re not managed deliberately, they expose organizations to data leaks, compliance problems, and long-term trust issues.
Mobile apps are no longer a side concern. They’re core infrastructure. Treating them that way — with proper visibility, continuous monitoring, and least-privilege enforcement — goes a long way toward reducing risk.
If you need help tightening up mobile app risk management and getting real visibility into what apps are actually doing, NowSecure can help identify and manage those risks before they turn into incidents.
Conclusion
App permissions are messier than most people think. Popular apps aren’t automatically safe, and blindly tapping “Allow” can give apps more power than they need. The key is to be aware and intentional: check what apps are asking for, question unnecessary access, and stick to least privilege whenever possible.
It’s not about fear, just about being smart. A little attention goes a long way in keeping your data, your users, and your company safe.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)
Q. What are dangerous permissions and entitlements?
Ans: Dangerous permissions (on Android) and entitlements (on iOS) are special app privileges that allow access to sensitive data or device features, like your camera, microphone, messages, or location. They can be misused if apps or third-party SDKs aren’t trustworthy.
Q. Why do apps ask for more permissions than they need?
Ans: Sometimes it’s just poor development practices, other times it’s for analytics or advertising purposes. Some developers request broad access “just in case” or to simplify coding, even if the app doesn’t really need it.
Q. Are popular apps safe from permission abuse?
Ans: Not necessarily. Even well-known apps often request permissions they don’t need. Popularity doesn’t guarantee privacy or security. That’s why it’s important to check permissions yourself.
Q. How can I tell if an app is overreaching?
Ans: Look at the permissions the app requests and ask if they make sense for its core function. For example, a calculator app probably doesn’t need camera or microphone access.
Q. Can dangerous permissions lead to data leaks?
Ans: Yes. Apps with excessive access can unintentionally or intentionally expose sensitive data, track your behavior, or share info with third-party SDKs.
