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Video Capture

An adversary can leverage a device’s cameras to gather information by capturing video recordings. Images may also be captured, potentially in specified intervals, in lieu of video files.

Malware or scripts may interact with the device cameras through an available API provided by the operating system. Video or image files may be written to disk and exfiltrated later. This technique differs from Screen Capture due to use of the device’s cameras for video recording rather than capturing the victim’s screen.

In Android, an application must hold the android.permission.CAMERA permission to access the cameras. In iOS, applications must include the NSCameraUsageDescription key in the Info.plist file. In both cases, the user must grant permission to the requesting application to use the camera. If the device has been rooted or jailbroken, an adversary may be able to access the camera without knowledge of the user.

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: 2.1
Created: 09 August 2019
Last Modified: 12 May 2026
Version Permalink

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu

AbstractEmu can grant itself camera permissions.[1]
S0292 AndroRAT

AndroRAT can take photos and videos using the device cameras.[2]

S1079 BOULDSPY

BOULDSPY can take photos using the device cameras.[3]
S0655 BusyGasper

BusyGasper can record from the device’s camera.[4]
S0426 Concipit1248

Concipit1248 requests permissions to use the device camera.[5]
S0425 Corona Updates

Corona Updates can take pictures using the camera and can record MP4 files.[5]
S9004 Crocodilus

Crocodilus has the ability to start and stop image streaming from the device’s front camera.[6]

S1243 DCHSpy

DCHSpy has captured photos from the device by taking control of the camera.[7]

S0301 Dendroid

Dendroid can take photos and record videos.[8]
S0505 Desert Scorpion

Desert Scorpion can record videos.[9]
S9005 DocSwap

DocSwap has the ability to start and stop camera recording.[10][11]

S0320 DroidJack

DroidJack can capture video using device cameras.[12]
S1092 Escobar

Escobar can take photos using the device cameras.[13]
S0405 Exodus

Exodus Two can take pictures with the device cameras.[14]

S1080 Fakecalls

Fakecalls can request camera permissions.[15]
S0408 FlexiSpy

FlexiSpy can record video.[16]
S0535 Golden Cup

Golden Cup can take pictures with the camera.[17]
S0551 GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle has taken photos with the device camera.[18]
S0421 GolfSpy

GolfSpy can record video.[19]
S0544 HenBox

HenBox can access the device’s camera.[20]
S1128 HilalRAT

HilalRAT can activate a device’s camera.[21]
S1077 Hornbill

Hornbill can access a device’s camera and take photos.[22]
S1185 LightSpy

LightSpy has the ability to take one picture, continuous pictures or event-related pictures using the device’s camera.[23][24][25][26][27] For iOS devices, the default file type for pictures is in High Efficiency Image Format (HEIC); for Android devices, the default file type for pictures is in JPEG format.

S0407 Monokle

Monokle can take photos and videos.[28]
S0399 Pallas

Pallas can take pictures with both the front and rear-facing cameras.[29]
S0316 Pegasus for Android

Pegasus for Android has the ability to take pictures using the device camera.[30]
S1126 Phenakite

Phenakite can capture pictures and videos.[31]
S1241 RatMilad

RatMilad has taken photos and videos using the device’s camera.[32]

S0295 RCSAndroid

RCSAndroid can capture photos using the front and back cameras.[33]
S0549 SilkBean

SilkBean can access the camera on the device.[18]
S0327 Skygofree

Skygofree can record video or capture photos when an infected device is in a specified location.[34]
S1195 SpyC23

SpyC23 can capture pictures and videos.[35][36][37]
S0324 SpyDealer

SpyDealer can record video and take photos via front and rear cameras.[38]
S0328 Stealth Mango

Stealth Mango can record and take pictures using the front and back cameras.[39]
S1082 Sunbird

Sunbird can access a device’s camera and take photos.[22]
S1069 TangleBot

TangleBot can record video from the device camera.[40]
S0558 Tiktok Pro

Tiktok Pro can capture photos and videos from the device’s camera.[41]
S9006 VajraSpy

VajraSpy has captured pictures using the device’s camera by requesting for android.permission.CAMERA.[42][43]

S0418 ViceLeaker

ViceLeaker can take photos from both the front and back cameras.[44]
S0506 ViperRAT

ViperRAT can take photos with the device camera.[45]
G0112 Windshift

Windshift has included video recording in the malicious apps deployed as part of Operation BULL.[46]
S0489 WolfRAT

WolfRAT can take photos and videos.[47]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1006 Use Recent OS Version

Android 9 and above restricts access to the mic, camera, and other device sensors from applications running in the background. iOS 14 and Android 12 introduced a visual indicator on the status bar (green dot) when an application is accessing the device’s camera.[48]

Detection Strategy

ID Name Analytic ID Analytic Description
DET0695 Detection of Video Capture AN1808

The defender correlates Android camera access by an app identity with app and device context showing that the capture is inconsistent with expected user-driven recording behavior. The strongest Android evidence is camera resource access followed by sustained capture duration, video or image artifact creation, buffer or cache growth, and optional outbound transfer, especially when the app is backgrounded, operating as a foreground service without visible user initiation, active while the device is locked, or capturing without recent user interaction. The detection is strengthened when the app is unmanaged, recently granted camera access, or not approved to record video.
AN1809

The defender correlates managed-app or supervised-device camera access with app and device context showing that the capture is inconsistent with expected user-driven recording behavior. The strongest iOS evidence is camera access or camera-adjacent capture activity followed by app-state evidence such as background or low-interaction operation, optional media artifact creation, and optional post-capture network transfer. Because direct low-level runtime visibility is weaker than Android for many enterprises, the primary iOS analytic should anchor on managed app context, device state, and downstream effects around camera use, with local subsystem telemetry treated as enrichment rather than sole proof.

References

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