1. Home
  2. Techniques
  3. Mobile
  4. Audio Capture

Audio Capture

Adversaries may capture audio to collect information by leveraging standard operating system APIs of a mobile device. Examples of audio information adversaries may target include user conversations, surroundings, phone calls, or other sensitive information.

Android and iOS, by default, require that applications request device microphone access from the user.

On Android devices, applications must hold the RECORD_AUDIO permission to access the microphone or the CAPTURE_AUDIO_OUTPUT permission to access audio output. Because Android does not allow third-party applications to hold the CAPTURE_AUDIO_OUTPUT permission by default, only privileged applications, such as those distributed by Google or the device vendor, can access audio output.[1] However, adversaries may be able to gain this access after successfully elevating their privileges. With the CAPTURE_AUDIO_OUTPUT permission, adversaries may pass the MediaRecorder.AudioSource.VOICE_CALL constant to MediaRecorder.setAudioOutput, allowing capture of both voice call uplink and downlink.[2]

On iOS devices, applications must include the NSMicrophoneUsageDescription key in their Info.plist file to access the microphone.[3]

ID: T1429
Sub-techniques:  No sub-techniques
Tactic Type: Post-Adversary Device Access
ⓘ
Tactic: Collection
ⓘ
Platforms: Android, iOS
ⓘ
MTC ID: APP-19
Version: 3.1
Created: 25 October 2017
Last Modified: 24 October 2025
Version Permalink

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu

AbstractEmu can grant itself microphone permissions.[4]
S1095 AhRat

AhRat can record audio using a device’s microphone.[5]
S0292 AndroRAT

AndroRAT gathers audio from the microphone.[6][7]

S0422 Anubis

Anubis can record phone calls and audio.[8]
S1079 BOULDSPY

BOULDSPY can access a device’s microphone to record audio, as well as cell and VoIP application calls.[9]
S0655 BusyGasper

BusyGasper can record audio.[10]
C0033 C0033

During C0033, PROMETHIUM used StrongPity to record phone calls.[11]

S0529 CarbonSteal

CarbonSteal can remotely capture device audio.[12]
S0425 Corona Updates

Corona Updates can record MP4 files and monitor calls.[13]
S1243 DCHSpy

DCHSpy has captured audio from the device by taking control of the microphone.[14]

S0301 Dendroid

Dendroid can record audio and outgoing calls.[15]
S0505 Desert Scorpion

Desert Scorpion can record audio from phone calls and the device microphone.[16]
S9005 DocSwap

DocSwap has the ability to start and stop audio recording.[17][18]

S0550 DoubleAgent

DoubleAgent has captured audio and can record phone calls.[12]
S0320 DroidJack

DroidJack is capable of recording device phone calls.[19]
S1092 Escobar

Escobar can record audio from the device’s microphone.[20]
S0507 eSurv

eSurv can record audio.[21]
S0405 Exodus

Exodus Two can record audio from the compromised device's microphone and can record call audio in 3GP format.[22]

S1080 Fakecalls

Fakecalls can turn on a device’s microphone to capture audio.[23]
S0182 FinFisher

FinFisher uses the device microphone to record phone conversations.[24]
S0408 FlexiSpy

FlexiSpy can record both incoming and outgoing phone calls, as well as microphone audio.[25]
S0577 FrozenCell

FrozenCell has recorded calls.[26]
S1231 GodFather

GodFather has requested for the RECORD_AUDIO permission to record audio with the microphone.[27]

S0535 Golden Cup

Golden Cup can record audio from the microphone and phone calls.[28]

S0551 GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle has recorded calls and environment audio in .amr format.[12]
S0421 GolfSpy

GolfSpy can record audio and phone calls.[29]
S0544 HenBox

HenBox can access the device’s microphone.[30]
S1128 HilalRAT

HilalRAT can activate a device’s microphone.[31]
S1077 Hornbill

Hornbill can record environmental and call audio.[32]
S1185 LightSpy

LightSpy has captured environment audio, phone calls and Voice over IP (VoIP) calls.[33][34][35][36][37]
S0407 Monokle

Monokle can record audio from the device's microphone and can record phone calls, specifying the output audio quality.[38]
C0054 Operation Triangulation

During Operation Triangulation, the threat actors used a microphone-recording module.[39]

S0399 Pallas

Pallas captures audio from the device microphone.[24]
S0316 Pegasus for Android

Pegasus for Android has the ability to record device audio.[40]
S0289 Pegasus for iOS

Pegasus for iOS has the ability to record audio.[41]
S1126 Phenakite

Phenakite can record phone calls.[42]
S1241 RatMilad

RatMilad has captured audio from the device.[43]

S0295 RCSAndroid

RCSAndroid can record audio using the device microphone.[44]
S0326 RedDrop

RedDrop captures live recordings of the device's surroundings.[45]
S0327 Skygofree

Skygofree can record audio via the microphone when an infected device is in a specified location.[46]
S1195 SpyC23

SpyC23 can record phone calls and audio.[47][48][49][50][51]
S0324 SpyDealer

SpyDealer can record phone calls and surrounding audio.[52]
S0305 SpyNote RAT

SpyNote RAT can activate the victim's microphone.[53]
S0328 Stealth Mango

Stealth Mango can record audio using the device microphone.[54]
S1082 Sunbird

Sunbird can record environmental and call audio.[32]
S0329 Tangelo

Tangelo contains functionality to record calls as well as the victim device's environment.[54]
S1069 TangleBot

TangleBot can record audio using the device microphone.[55]
S0558 Tiktok Pro

Tiktok Pro can capture audio from the device’s microphone and can record phone calls.[56]
S9006 VajraSpy

VajraSpy has recorded surrounding audio and phone calls from WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, Signal, and Telegram by requesting android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO.[57][58]

S0418 ViceLeaker

ViceLeaker can record audio from the device’s microphone and can record phone calls together with the caller ID.[59][60]
S0506 ViperRAT

ViperRAT can collect and record audio content.[61]
G0112 Windshift

Windshift has included phone call and audio recording capabilities in the malicious apps deployed as part of Operation BULL and Operation ROCK.[62]
S0489 WolfRAT

WolfRAT can record call audio.[63]
S0318 XLoader for Android

XLoader for Android covertly records phone calls.[64]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1006 Use Recent OS Version

Android 9 and above restricts access to microphone, camera, and other sensors from background applications.[65]

M1011 User Guidance

Users should be wary of granting applications dangerous or privacy-intrusive permissions, such as access to microphone or audio output.

Detection Strategy

ID Name Analytic ID Analytic Description
DET0673 Detection of Audio Capture AN1772

A defender observes an application holding microphone capture capability transitioning into active microphone resource usage through Android audio APIs (e.g., MediaRecorder or AudioRecord), followed by sustained capture while the application is backgrounded or the device is locked, and subsequent outbound network traffic suggesting potential audio exfiltration or streaming.
AN1773

A defender observes an application with declared microphone capability initiating microphone resource use through iOS audio frameworks, potentially during background execution or shortly after a silent wake event, followed by sustained audio capture and outbound encrypted traffic suggesting audio streaming or upload activity.

References

  1. Google. (2021, August 11). Manifest.permission. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  2. Android Developers. (2022, March 17). Voice Call. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  3. Apple Developers. (n.d.). Requesting Authorization for Media Capture on iOS. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  4. P Shunk, K Balaam. (2021, October 28). Rooting Malware Makes a Comeback: Lookout Discovers Global Campaign. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. Lukas Stefanko. (2023, May 23). Android app breaking bad: From legitimate screen recording to file exfiltration within a year. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  6. Lookout. (2016, May 25). 5 active mobile threats spoofing enterprise apps. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  7. Dela Paz, R. (2016, October 21). BITTER: a targeted attack against Pakistan. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  8. M. Feller. (2020, February 5). Infostealer, Keylogger, and Ransomware in One: Anubis Targets More than 250 Android Applications. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. Kyle Schmittle, Alemdar Islamoglu, Paul Shunk, Justin Albrecht. (2023, April 27). Lookout Discovers Android Spyware Tied to Iranian Police Targeting Minorities: BouldSpy. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  10. Alexey Firsh. (2018, August 29). BusyGasper – the unfriendly spy. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  11. Stefanko, L. (2023, January 10). StrongPity espionage campaign targeting Android users. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  12. 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.
  13. T. Bao, J. Lu. (2020, April 14). Coronavirus Update App Leads to Project Spy Android and iOS Spyware. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  14. Albrecht, J., Islamoglu, A. (2025, July 21). Lookout Discovers Iranian APT MuddyWater Leveraging DCHSpy During Israel-Iran Conflict . Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  15. Marc Rogers. (2014, March 6). Dendroid malware can take over your camera, record audio, and sneak into Google Play. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  16. 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.
  17. EnkiWhiteHat. (2025, December 16). Kimsuky Distributing Malicious Mobile App via QR Code. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  18. Kim, H., S2W TALON. (2025, March 13). Detailed Analysis of DocSwap Malware Disguised as Security Document Viewer. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  19. Viral Gandhi. (2017, January 12). Super Mario Run Malware #2 – DroidJack RAT. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  20. B. Toulas. (2022, March 12). Android malware Escobar steals your Google Authenticator MFA codes. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  21. A. Bauer. (2019, April 8). Lookout discovers phishing sites distributing new iOS and Android surveillanceware. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  22. Security Without Borders. (2019, March 29). Exodus: New Android Spyware Made in Italy. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  23. Igor Golovin. (2022, April 11). Fakecalls: a talking Trojan. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  24. Blaich, A., et al. (2018, January 18). Dark Caracal: Cyber-espionage at a Global Scale. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  25. Actis B. (2017, April 22). FlexSpy Application Analysis. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  26. Michael Flossman. (2017, October 5). FrozenCell: Multi-platform surveillance campaign against Palestinians. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  27. Merkle Science. (2023, April 25). The Godfather Android Malware: Threat under the lens. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  28. R. Iarchy, E. Rynkowski. (2018, July 5). GoldenCup: New Cyber Threat Targeting World Cup Fans. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  29. E. Xu, G. Guo. (2019, June 28). Mobile Cyberespionage Campaign ‘Bouncing Golf’ Affects Middle East. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  30. A. Hinchliffe, M. Harbison, J. Miller-Osborn, et al. (2018, March 13). HenBox: The Chickens Come Home to Roost. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  31. Agranovich, D., et al. (2022, April). Adversarial Threat Report. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  32. Apurva Kumar, Kristin Del Rosso. (2021, February 10). Novel Confucius APT Android Spyware Linked to India-Pakistan Conflict. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  33. Firsh, A., et al. (2020, March 26). iOS exploit chain deploys LightSpy feature-rich malware. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  1. Melikov, D. (2024, April 11). LightSpy Returns: Renewed Espionage Campaign Targets Southern Asia, Possibly India. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  2. ThreatFabric. (2023, October 2). LightSpy mAPT Mobile Payment System Attack. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  3. ThreatFabric. (2024, October 29). LightSpy: Implant for iOS. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  4. Dmitry Bestuzhev. (2025, April 7). The Coordinated Kill Switch: LightSpy's iOS Destructive Plugin Architecture Manages Device Disablement. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  5. Bauer A., Kumar A., Hebeisen C., et al. (2019, July). Monokle: The Mobile Surveillance Tooling of the Special Technology Center. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  6. Kucherin, G., et al. (2023, October 23). The outstanding stealth of Operation Triangulation. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  7. Mike Murray. (2017, April 3). Pegasus for Android: the other side of the story emerges. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  8. Lookout. (2016). Technical Analysis of Pegasus Spyware. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  9. Flossman, M., Scott, M. (2021, April). Technical Paper // Taking Action Against Arid Viper. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  10. Gupta, N. (2022, October 5). We Smell A RatMilad Android Spyware. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  11. Veo Zhang. (2015, July 21). Hacking Team RCSAndroid Spying Tool Listens to Calls; Roots Devices to Get In. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  12. Nell Campbell. (2018, February 27). RedDrop: the blackmailing mobile malware family lurking in app stores. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  13. Nikita Buchka and Alexey Firsh. (2018, January 16). Skygofree: Following in the footsteps of HackingTeam. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  14. Stefanko, L. (2020, September 30). APT‑C‑23 group evolves its Android spyware. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  15. Kohli, P. (2021, November 23). Android APT spyware, targeting Middle East victims, enhances evasiveness. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  16. Delamotte, A. (2023, November 6). Arid Viper | APT’s Nest of SpyC23 Malware Continues to Target Android Devices. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  17. Cyware. (2020, October 2). APT‑C‑23 is Still Active and Enhancing its Mobile Spying Capabilities. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  18. O'Donnell, L. (2020, September 30). Android Spyware Variant Snoops on WhatsApp, Telegram Messages. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  19. Wenjun Hu, Cong Zheng and Zhi Xu. (2017, July 6). SpyDealer: Android Trojan Spying on More Than 40 Apps. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  20. Shivang Desai. (2017, January 23). SpyNote RAT posing as Netflix app. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  21. Lookout. (n.d.). Stealth Mango & Tangelo. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  22. Felipe Naves, Andrew Conway, W. Stuart Jones, Adam McNeil . (2021, September 23). TangleBot: New Advanced SMS Malware Targets Mobile Users Across U.S. and Canada with COVID-19 Lures. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  23. S. Desai. (2020, September 8). TikTok Spyware. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  24. Stefanko, L. (2024, February 1). VajraSpy: A Patchwork of espionage apps. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  25. Dhanalakshmi. (2022, April 19). VajraSpy – An Android RAT. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  26. GReAT. (2019, June 26). ViceLeaker Operation: mobile espionage targeting Middle East. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  27. L. Arsene, C. Ochinca. (2018, August 20). Triout – Spyware Framework for Android with Extensive Surveillance Capabilities. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  28. M. Flossman. (2017, February 16). ViperRAT: The mobile APT targeting the Israeli Defense Force that should be on your radar. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  29. The BlackBerry Research & Intelligence Team. (2020, October). BAHAMUT: Hack-for-Hire Masters of Phishing, Fake News, and Fake Apps. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  30. W. Mercer, P. Rascagneres, V. Ventura. (2020, May 19). The wolf is back... . Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  31. Lorin Wu. (2018, April 19). XLoader Android Spyware and Banking Trojan Distributed via DNS Spoofing. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  32. Android Developers. (, January). Android 9+ Privacy Changes . Retrieved August 27, 2019.