Vulnerabilities in Government Mobile Applications: Evaluating the Security of Mobile Apps in Indonesia and Malaysia

The extensive use of government mobile applications in Indonesia and Malaysia has significantly enhanced the delivery of public services. However, this rapid digital transformation also raises critical security and privacy concerns. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the security features of various government mobile applications in these two countries. this study involves deep examination of 50 publicly available government mobile apps from Indonesia and Malaysia, from Google Play. This research focuses on certificate signing mechanisms, and unprotected component analysis. Based on the findings, several security and privacy vulnerabilities in the analyzed applications. This highlights a potential vulnerability in the signing mechanisms used by government mobile apps. Furthermore, nearly 40% of the apps contain exported components that could serve as a surface for potential malicious activities, increasing the risk of attacks and unauthorized access. Additionally, there is one app utilizing an advertisement library, which is uncommon for official government apps and raises concerns regarding the exposure of user data to third-party advertisers. The findings underscore the importance of addressing security flaws and ensuring robust privacy measures in government mobile applications to safeguard users' personal data and strengthen public trust in digital government services.