1. Home
  2. Techniques
  3. Mobile
  4. Protected User Data
  5. Call Log

Protected User Data: Call Log

ID Name
T1636.001 Calendar Entries
T1636.002 Call Log
T1636.003 Contact List
T1636.004 SMS Messages

Adversaries may utilize standard operating system APIs to gather call log data. On Android, this can be accomplished using the Call Log Content Provider. iOS provides no standard API to access the call log.

If the device has been jailbroken or rooted, an adversary may be able to access the Call Log without the user’s knowledge or approval.

ID: T1636.002
Sub-technique of:  T1636
Tactic Type: Post-Adversary Device Access
ⓘ
Tactic: Collection
ⓘ
Platforms: Android, iOS
ⓘ
MTC ID: APP-13
Version: 1.1
Created: 01 April 2022
Last Modified: 16 March 2023
Version Permalink

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu

AbstractEmu can access device call logs.[1]
S0309 Adups

Adups transmitted call logs.[2]
S1095 AhRat

AhRat can collect the device’s call log.[3]
S0304 Android/Chuli.A

Android/Chuli.A stole call logs.[4]
S0292 AndroRAT

AndroRAT collects call logs.[5][6]

S1079 BOULDSPY

BOULDSPY can access device call logs.[7]
C0033 C0033

During C0033, PROMETHIUM used StrongPity to collect call logs.[8]

S0425 Corona Updates

Corona Updates can collect the device’s call log.[9]
S0550 DoubleAgent

DoubleAgent has accessed the call logs.[10]
S1054 Drinik

Drinik can request the READ_CALL_LOG permission.[11]
S0320 DroidJack

DroidJack captures call data.[12]
S1092 Escobar

Escobar can access the device’s call log.[13]
S0405 Exodus

Exodus Two can exfiltrate the call log.[14]

S1080 Fakecalls

Fakecalls can access the device’s call log.[15]
S0182 FinFisher

FinFisher accesses and exfiltrates the call log.[16]
S0551 GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle has collected call logs.[10]
S0421 GolfSpy

GolfSpy can obtain the device’s call log.[17]
S0544 HenBox

HenBox has collected all outgoing phone numbers that start with "86".[18]
S1077 Hornbill

Hornbill can gather device call logs.[19]
S0463 INSOMNIA

INSOMNIA can retrieve the call history.[20]
S0407 Monokle

Monokle can retrieve call history.[21]
S0399 Pallas

Pallas accesses and exfiltrates the call log.[16]
S0316 Pegasus for Android

Pegasus for Android accesses call logs.[22]
S0289 Pegasus for iOS

Pegasus for iOS captures call logs.[23]
S0539 Red Alert 2.0

Red Alert 2.0 can collect the device’s call log.[24]
S0549 SilkBean

SilkBean can access call logs.[10]
S0324 SpyDealer

SpyDealer harvests phone call history from victims.[25]
S0328 Stealth Mango

Stealth Mango uploads call logs.[26]
S1082 Sunbird

Sunbird can exfiltrate call logs.[19]
S0329 Tangelo

Tangelo contains functionality to gather call logs.[26]
S1069 TangleBot

TangleBot can request permission to view call logs.[27]
S0558 Tiktok Pro

Tiktok Pro can collect the device’s call logs.[28]
S0418 ViceLeaker

ViceLeaker can collect the device’s call log.[29]
S0506 ViperRAT

ViperRAT can collect the device’s call log.[30]
S0489 WolfRAT

WolfRAT can collect the device’s call log.[31]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1011 User Guidance

Call Log access an uncommonly needed permission, so users should be instructedto use extra scrutiny when granting access to their call logs.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component Detects
DS0041 Application Vetting Permissions Requests

Application vetting services could look for android.permission.READ_CALL_LOG in an Android application’s manifest. Most applications do not need call log access, so extra scrutiny could be applied to those that request it.

DS0042 User Interface System Settings

On Android, the user can manage which applications have permission to access the call log through the device settings screen, revoking the permission if necessary.

References

  1. P Shunk, K Balaam. (2021, October 28). Rooting Malware Makes a Comeback: Lookout Discovers Global Campaign. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  2. Matt Apuzzo and Michael S. Schmidt. (2016, November 15). Secret Back Door in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  3. Lukas Stefanko. (2023, May 23). Android app breaking bad: From legitimate screen recording to file exfiltration within a year. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  4. Costin Raiu, Denis Maslennikov, Kurt Baumgartner. (2013, March 26). Android Trojan Found in Targeted Attack. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  5. Lookout. (2016, May 25). 5 active mobile threats spoofing enterprise apps. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  6. Dela Paz, R. (2016, October 21). BITTER: a targeted attack against Pakistan. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  7. 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.
  8. Stefanko, L. (2023, January 10). StrongPity espionage campaign targeting Android users. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  9. T. Bao, J. Lu. (2020, April 14). Coronavirus Update App Leads to Project Spy Android and iOS Spyware. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  10. 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.
  11. Cyble. (2022, October 27). Drinik Malware Returns With Advanced Capabilities Targeting Indian Taxpayers. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  12. Viral Gandhi. (2017, January 12). Super Mario Run Malware #2 – DroidJack RAT. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  13. B. Toulas. (2022, March 12). Android malware Escobar steals your Google Authenticator MFA codes. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  14. Security Without Borders. (2019, March 29). Exodus: New Android Spyware Made in Italy. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  15. Igor Golovin. (2022, April 11). Fakecalls: a talking Trojan. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  16. Blaich, A., et al. (2018, January 18). Dark Caracal: Cyber-espionage at a Global Scale. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  1. E. Xu, G. Guo. (2019, June 28). Mobile Cyberespionage Campaign ‘Bouncing Golf’ Affects Middle East. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  2. A. Hinchliffe, M. Harbison, J. Miller-Osborn, et al. (2018, March 13). HenBox: The Chickens Come Home to Roost. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  3. Apurva Kumar, Kristin Del Rosso. (2021, February 10). Novel Confucius APT Android Spyware Linked to India-Pakistan Conflict. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  4. I. Beer. (2019, August 29). Implant Teardown. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  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. Mike Murray. (2017, April 3). Pegasus for Android: the other side of the story emerges. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  7. Lookout. (2016). Technical Analysis of Pegasus Spyware. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  8. J. Chandraiah. (2018, July 23). Red Alert 2.0: Android Trojan targets security-seekers. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. Wenjun Hu, Cong Zheng and Zhi Xu. (2017, July 6). SpyDealer: Android Trojan Spying on More Than 40 Apps. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  10. Lookout. (n.d.). Stealth Mango & Tangelo. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  11. 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.
  12. S. Desai. (2020, September 8). TikTok Spyware. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  13. GReAT. (2019, June 26). ViceLeaker Operation: mobile espionage targeting Middle East. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  14. M. Flossman. (2017, February 16). ViperRAT: The mobile APT targeting the Israeli Defense Force that should be on your radar. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  15. W. Mercer, P. Rascagneres, V. Ventura. (2020, May 19). The wolf is back... . Retrieved July 20, 2020.