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securityios11xcode9nslog

iOS do NSLog statements represent a security /privacy issue, or are they ignored by the system in 2018?

I have an app that potentially prints sensitive information to console using NSLog. I'm not aware of the current status of NSLog and am looking to make a suggestion on whether this should be removed.

  • Are NSLog statements visible in device logs when plugged into a computer?
  • Can other apps read from the console/ NSLog?
  • Do NSLog statements with sensitive info (like keys or tokens) represent a security /privacy issue, or are they ignored by the system in 2018?

My information is very outdated - around iOS 4 I could see my own NSLogs in the console and logs available from organizer>Devices>device logs. But recently it seems I'm only seeing the crash logs in there.

Solution

  • You can't prevent debugging your app on jailbroken device, so it's better to avoid output of sensitive information using NSLog.