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Capture Camera

Adversaries may utilize the camera to capture information about the user, their surroundings, or other physical identifiers. Adversaries may use the physical camera devices on a mobile device to capture images or video. By default, in Android and iOS, an application must request permission to access a camera device which is granted by the user through a request prompt. In Android, applications must hold the android.permission.CAMERA permission to access the camera. In iOS, applications must include the NSCameraUsageDescription key in the Info.plist file, and must request access to the camera at runtime.

ID: T1512
Sub-techniques:  No sub-techniques
Tactic Type: Post-Adversary Device Access
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Tactic: Collection
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Platforms: Android, iOS
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MTC ID: APP-19
Version: 1.0
Created: 09 August 2019
Last Modified: 12 September 2019
Provided by LAYER 8

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0655 BusyGasper

BusyGasper can record from the device’s camera.[1]
S0426 Concipit1248

Concipit1248 requests permissions to use the device camera.[2]
S0425 Corona Updates

Corona Updates can take pictures using the camera and can record MP4 files.[2]
S0301 Dendroid

Dendroid can take photos and record videos.[3]
S0505 Desert Scorpion

Desert Scorpion can record videos.[4]
S0320 DroidJack

DroidJack can capture video using device cameras.[5]
S0405 Exodus

Exodus Two can take pictures with the device cameras.[6]

S0408 FlexiSpy

FlexiSpy can record video.[7]
S0535 Golden Cup

Golden Cup can take pictures with the camera.[8]
S0551 GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle has taken photos with the device camera.[9]
S0421 GolfSpy

GolfSpy can record video.[10]
S0544 HenBox

HenBox can access the device’s camera.[11]
S0407 Monokle

Monokle can take photos and videos.[12]
S0399 Pallas

Pallas can take pictures with both the front and rear-facing cameras.[13]
S0316 Pegasus for Android

Pegasus for Android has the ability to take pictures using the device camera.[14]
S0295 RCSAndroid

RCSAndroid can capture photos using the front and back cameras.[15]
S0549 SilkBean

SilkBean can access the camera on the device.[9]
S0327 Skygofree

Skygofree can record video or capture photos when an infected device is in a specified location.[16]
S0324 SpyDealer

SpyDealer can record video and take photos via front and rear cameras.[17]
S0328 Stealth Mango

Stealth Mango can record and take pictures using the front and back cameras.[18]
S0558 Tiktok Pro

Tiktok Pro can capture photos and videos from the device’s camera.[19]
S0418 ViceLeaker

ViceLeaker can take photos from both the front and back cameras.[20]
S0506 ViperRAT

ViperRAT can take photos with the device camera.[21]
G0112 Windshift

Windshift has included video recording in the malicious apps deployed as part of Operation BULL.[22]
S0489 WolfRAT

WolfRAT can take photos and videos.[23]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1005 Application Vetting

During the vetting process applications using the android permission android.permission.CAMERA, or the iOS NSCameraUsageDescription plist entry could be analyzed more closely.
M1006 Use Recent OS Version

Android 9 and above restricts access to mic, camera, and other sensors from background applications.[24]

Detection

On Android and iOS, the user can view which applications have permission to use the camera through the device settings screen, and the user can choose to revoke the permissions.

References

  1. Alexey Firsh. (2018, August 29). BusyGasper – the unfriendly spy. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  2. T. Bao, J. Lu. (2020, April 14). Coronavirus Update App Leads to Project Spy Android and iOS Spyware. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  3. Marc Rogers. (2014, March 6). Dendroid malware can take over your camera, record audio, and sneak into Google Play. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  4. A. Blaich, M. Flossman. (2018, April 16). Lookout finds new surveillanceware in Google Play with ties to known threat actor targeting the Middle East. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  5. Viral Gandhi. (2017, January 12). Super Mario Run Malware #2 – DroidJack RAT. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  6. Security Without Borders. (2019, March 29). Exodus: New Android Spyware Made in Italy. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  7. Actis B. (2017, April 22). FlexSpy Application Analysis. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  8. R. Iarchy, E. Rynkowski. (2018, July 5). GoldenCup: New Cyber Threat Targeting World Cup Fans. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  9. A. Kumar, K. Del Rosso, J. Albrecht, C. Hebeisen. (2020, June 1). Mobile APT Surveillance Campaigns Targeting Uyghurs - A collection of long-running Android tooling connected to a Chinese mAPT actor. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  10. E. Xu, G. Guo. (2019, June 28). Mobile Cyberespionage Campaign ‘Bouncing Golf’ Affects Middle East. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  11. A. Hinchliffe, M. Harbison, J. Miller-Osborn, et al. (2018, March 13). HenBox: The Chickens Come Home to Roost. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  12. Bauer A., Kumar A., Hebeisen C., et al. (2019, July). Monokle: The Mobile Surveillance Tooling of the Special Technology Center. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  1. Blaich, A., et al. (2018, January 18). Dark Caracal: Cyber-espionage at a Global Scale. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  2. Mike Murray. (2017, April 3). Pegasus for Android: the other side of the story emerges. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  3. Veo Zhang. (2015, July 21). Hacking Team RCSAndroid Spying Tool Listens to Calls; Roots Devices to Get In. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  4. Nikita Buchka and Alexey Firsh. (2018, January 16). Skygofree: Following in the footsteps of HackingTeam. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  5. Wenjun Hu, Cong Zheng and Zhi Xu. (2017, July 6). SpyDealer: Android Trojan Spying on More Than 40 Apps. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  6. Lookout. (n.d.). Stealth Mango & Tangelo. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  7. S. Desai. (2020, September 8). TikTok Spyware. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  8. GReAT. (2019, June 26). ViceLeaker Operation: mobile espionage targeting Middle East. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  9. M. Flossman. (2017, February 16). ViperRAT: The mobile APT targeting the Israeli Defense Force that should be on your radar. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  10. The BlackBerry Research & Intelligence Team. (2020, October). BAHAMUT: Hack-for-Hire Masters of Phishing, Fake News, and Fake Apps. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  11. W. Mercer, P. Rascagneres, V. Ventura. (2020, May 19). The wolf is back... . Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  12. Android Developers. (, January). Android 9+ Privacy Changes . Retrieved August 27, 2019.