# ReversecLabs/needle

The iOS Security Testing Framework

Repository: https://github.com/ReversecLabs/needle
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/reverseclabs-needle
Homepage: https://mobiletools.mwrinfosecurity.com/
Language: Python
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: pentesting, ios, security, mobile, python, needle
Archived: true
Last push: 2020-10-25T16:17:16+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3693, "days_push": 2138, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived, no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1401, forks 296 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:37.241390+00:00)

## What it is
Needle is an open-source, modular Python framework for streamlining security assessments of iOS applications, covering areas like data storage, IPC, network communications, and binary protections. It requires a jailbroken device and has been decommissioned, with Objection recommended as its successor.

## Use cases
- assess security of ios apps
- penetration test an iphone application
- analyze ios app data storage
- hook and instrument ios binaries
- static code analysis of ios apps
- test ios app network communications

## When to choose
- testing apps on jailbroken devices running iOS 10 or below
- you need a modular one-stop toolkit for legacy iOS assessments

## When to avoid
- targeting devices running iOS 11 or above
- you want an actively maintained tool - use Objection or Frida instead

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: abandoned
- function: penetration-testing, security, cli
- domain: security, penetration-testing, mobile-development
- platform: python, cli
- tags: ios-security, mobile-pentesting, jailbroken-device, decommissioned, frida, ios

## Member repositories
- ReversecLabs/needle (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:37.241390+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:39:01.178694+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ReversecLabs/needle (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:37.241390+00:00, sha 49d32f13862e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.