January 21, 2025
Mobile App Protection Strategies to Safeguard Streaming Media
Written by: Dario Dallefrate - Product Marketing Manager
Digital media creators face a constant battle against piracy which not only impacts revenue but also erodes user trust and devalues intellectual property. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is essential for preventing unauthorized copying, sharing, or access to media.
For mobile streaming apps, DRM plays a critical role as a foundational technology in securing content. However, the complexity of mobile environments demands more than DRM. Many media companies now combine DRM with advanced mobile app protection, or rely on app protection when DRM isn’t feasible, to safeguard their content effectively.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
- The role of DRM in securing mobile streaming apps.
- The challenges both DRM and non-DRM apps face in mobile environments.
- How advanced mobile app protection enhances security for streaming media, whether DRM is used or not.
Use cases for protecting streaming media mobile apps
Working with leading digital content creators and streaming media companies, we have found two primary use cases. Both present unique challenges and require distinct security strategies:
1. Securing on-demand media (e.g., movies & tv shows)
Media such as movies, TV shows, and music, produced by companies like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon, represents a major target for piracy. This pre-recorded content is encrypted and stored on servers, with DRM ensuring that only authorized users can access it.
Here’s how media content protection works:- Encryption: Content is locked before streaming.
- Authentication: DRM license servers verify user credentials, granting access only to those with valid permissions.
- Supporting a wide variety of devices and operating systems without compromising user experience.
- Maintaining security while maintaining a seamless process for authorized users.
2. Protecting live events (e.g., sports)
Live streaming events, such as sports broadcasts from ESPN and Sky, pose distinct challenges. Unlike on-demand content, live broadcasts are time-sensitive, losing value almost immediately after the event ends.
Here’s how live media content protection works:- Token-Based Authentication: Limits access to only authorized users
- Forensic watermarking: embeds a unique identifier into digital media, enabling the tracing of unauthorized copies back to their source for piracy detection
- Balancing speed and security without delaying broadcasts. For this reason, DRM may not be used.
For on-demand content, the focus is on long-term protection and monetization whereas, for live events, speed and real-time security are paramount.
System design overview for DRM implementation on Android
Google’s Widevine DRM is a leading solution for securing content on Android apps. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how the system works:
- Setup: Content is encrypted using Widevine standards. Developers integrate DRM with Android’s MediaDrm framework and ExoPlayer.
- License Request Flow: When a user streams content, the app sends a license request to Widevine’s server, authenticating the user and device.
- Security Levels ranging from:
- L1: Content is decrypted in the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) for maximum security.
- L3: If no TEE is available, decryption falls back to software, which is less secure
- Playback: ExoPlayer uses decryption keys to securely stream the content.
Understanding threats to streaming media apps
Streaming media apps face varying levels of vulnerability across different attack points. Below, we outline the key attack surfaces for both DRM-protected and non-DRM-protected apps:
DRM-protected apps
| Attack surface | Why | Threat actor requirements |
|---|---|---|
| User | Phishing or credential theft by using malware can grant unauthorized access, but doesn’t directly expose DRM-protected content to redistribution risks. | Basic: Depends on user behavior. |
| Decrypted media content | Decrypted content is vulnerable to attacks during playback, especially on rooted devices without secure paths like Widevine L3. | Moderate: Tools for memory scraping or screen recording. |
| Android app | When using DRM L3, the DRM logic is fully software backed, making it vulnerable to reverse engineering and tampering (e.g. bypassing on rooted devices.) Moreover, reverse engineering and tampering can expose other sensitive functions such as account management, watermarking and more | Moderate: Skills in reverse engineering and debugging. |
| Network communication | Weak TLS or missing certificate pinning leaves user credentials open to Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks (see user behavior attack surface). | Basic: Networking tools like Wireshark or Burp Suite. |
| Smart TV or external devices | Content streamed to unauthorized devices, such as jailbroken Smart TVs, can bypass DRM protections, especially if HDMI protocols lack HDCP enforcement. | Moderate: Access to unauthorized devices or custom firmware. |
| Encrypted media content | Encrypted content is difficult to decrypt without decryption keys, though attackers may attempt to exploit encryption flaws. | High: Modern encryption standards (AES-128, AES-256) are robust. |
| DRM license server | Attacking the license server involves exploiting server vulnerabilities to access decryption keys, which are often device-specific or time-limited, reducing their usefulness. | High: Advanced server exploitation skills. |
| Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) | Decryption and key management in the TEE are highly secure, isolating keys and unprotected content. Exploiting it requires expertise in proprietary hardware vulnerabilities or undisclosed flaws. | Extremely High: Requires advanced skills and specialized tools. |
Non-DRM protected apps
| Attack surface | Why It differs without DRM | Threat actor requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Decrypted media content | The playback is handled fully by the app meaning that there is a greater chance that the decrypted content will stay longer in app memory which makes automated memory scanning tools more relevant. | Basic: Tools for memory scraping or screen recording. |
| Application code | Code is likely less protected than in standard DRM applications which can reduce the expertise required to reverse engineer it. | Moderate: Reverse engineering knowledge. |
| Media content | Non-DRM are unlikely to leverage TEE to protect content. Instead, it is likely to be fully software backed which means that the attacker can (for instance) use hooking to recover the decrypted video feed. | Moderate: Hooking framework knowledge. |
Best practices for protecting streaming media mobile apps
Regardless of whether your app uses DRM, a layered security approach is essential to effectively address the attack surface vulnerabilities.
For DRM-protected mobile apps, priorities include securing decrypted media, managing encryption keys, and protecting playback paths. For non-DRM mobile apps, the focus shifts to broader security practices, such as safeguarding network communications and preventing unauthorized device access. Both approaches rely on shared principles like strong encryption, runtime protections, and user security measures.
Here are key recommendations to address critical attack surfaces, tailored for both DRM-protected and non-DRM streaming media apps.
Network communication- Encrypt server API communication with HTTPS/TLS to prevent MITM attacks.
- Use certificate pinning and tokenized authentication to secure API endpoints and license requests.
| Area | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| Decrypted media content (playback) | For DRM-protected content:
|
| Mobile app security |
|
| Network communication |
|
| Cryptographic best practices |
|
With a multi-layered approach, developers can create security defenses that safeguard their mobile apps and the streaming media they deliver against even the most advanced threats.
Conclusions
DRM can serve as a cornerstone of mobile streaming app security, safeguarding intellectual property and enabling the delivery of premium content. However, its effectiveness relies on a comprehensive, multi-layered security approach that incorporates app protection, network security, and user education. Streaming live events introduces unique challenges for DRM, making robust mobile app protection even more critical to ensure comprehensive security.
By adopting best practices such as code obfuscation and runtime application self-protection (RASP), developers can build resilient streaming media apps that effectively counter today’s ever-evolving threats.
Guardsquare offers advanced mobile app protection solutions that seamlessly integrate with your app, whether it streams DRM-protected or non-DRM-protected content. Whether your apps deliver premium on-demand shows or live broadcasts, we provide enhanced security and peace of mind for you, your content creator studios, and your users.
Contact us today to learn more!
Dario Dallefrate - Product Marketing Manager
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