iOS Entitlements Extractor

Extract entitlements and mobile provision files from compiled iOS application binaries, even when direct file access isn't available.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• You need to extract

  .entitlements

  files from an iOS app binary
• You're analyzing an IPA file or installed app on a jailbroken device
• You're performing iOS security testing (MASVS-PLATFORM compliance)
• You need to review embedded permissions in a compiled app
• The entitlements file isn't directly accessible and must be extracted from the binary

Prerequisites

• Access to the app binary (from IPA, jailbroken device, or decrypted binary)
• One of the following tools installed:

  • binwalk

    (recommended for XML extraction)

  • radare2

    (for string searching)

  • grep

    (for quick searches on jailbroken devices)
• For encrypted binaries:

  Clutch

  ,

  frida-ios-dump

  , or similar decryption tools

Extraction Methods

Method 1: Using Binwalk (Recommended for XML Extraction)

Binwalk can extract all embedded XML files from the binary:

binwalk -e -y=xml <path-to-binary>

Example:

$ binwalk -e -y=xml ./Telegram\ X

DECIMAL       HEXADECIMAL     DESCRIPTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1430180       0x15D2A4        XML document, version: "1.0"
1458814       0x16427E        XML document, version: "1.0"

What to do next:

1. Note the hex addresses where XML documents are found
2. Extract the plist at those offsets using a hex editor or

   dd

   command
3. Look for entitlements-related content (keys like

   application-identifier

   ,

   keychain-access-groups

   , etc.)

Method 2: Using Radare2 (String Search)

Radare2 can search for PropertyList strings in the binary:

r2 -qc 'izz~PropertyList' <path-to-binary>

Example:

$ r2 -qc 'izz~PropertyList' ./Telegram\ X

0x0015d2a4 ascii <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>...
0x0016427d ascii H<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>...

What to do next:

1. Use the hex addresses to extract the full plist content
2. The first occurrence is typically the entitlements file
3. Parse the XML to review embedded permissions

Method 3: Using Grep (Jailbroken Devices)

On jailbroken devices accessed via SSH, use grep with the

-a

flag to treat binaries as text:

grep -a -A 5 'PropertyList' /var/containers/Bundle/Application/<app-path>/<binary-name>

Adjusting output:

• Use

  -A <num>

  to show more or fewer lines after the match
• Example:

  grep -a -A 20 'PropertyList' <binary>

  for more context

Why this works:

• The

  -a

  flag treats all files as ASCII text
• Works even on encrypted app binaries
• Verified against multiple App Store apps

Important Notes

Don't Use

strings

Directly

Avoid using the

strings

command for this task. It has limitations in finding relevant entitlements information. Instead:

• Use

  grep -a

  on the binary
• Use radare2's

  izz

  command
• Use rabin2's

  -zz

  flag

Handling Encrypted Binaries

If the above methods fail on encrypted binaries:

1. Use Clutch (if compatible with the iOS version)
2. Use frida-ios-dump to decrypt and extract the app
3. Then apply the extraction methods above

Expected Entitlements Content

Look for these common entitlements keys:

• application-identifier

  - App's bundle identifier

• keychain-access-groups

  - Keychain sharing groups

• com.apple.developer.team-identifier

  - Developer team ID

• com.apple.security.app-sandbox

  - Sandbox status

• com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-only

  - File access permissions

• com.apple.security.network.client

  - Network access

Quick Reference Script

For automated extraction, use the bundled script:

./scripts/extract-entitlements.sh <path-to-binary>

This script:

1. Checks for available tools (binwalk, radare2, grep)
2. Attempts extraction using the best available method
3. Outputs the extracted entitlements to a readable format

Security Testing Context

This extraction technique is part of the OWASP MASVS-PLATFORM security testing guidelines, specifically MASTG-TEST-0069 for reviewing entitlements embedded in compiled app binaries.

Troubleshooting

No XML found with binwalk:

• Try radare2 method instead
• The binary may be heavily obfuscated
• Consider decrypting first if encrypted

Grep returns nothing:

• Verify the binary path is correct
• Try

  grep -a -i 'entitlement'

  as an alternative search
• Check if the app is encrypted and needs decryption first

Extracted content is garbled:

• The binary may be encrypted
• Use Clutch or frida-ios-dump to decrypt first
• Verify you're extracting from the correct offset