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Protected User Data: SMS Messages

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 SMS messages. On Android, this can be accomplished using the SMS Content Provider. iOS provides no standard API to access SMS messages.

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

ID: T1636.004
Sub-technique of:  T1636
ⓘ
Tactic: Collection
ⓘ
Platforms: Android, iOS
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MTC ID: APP-13
Version: 1.1
Created: 01 April 2022
Last Modified: 20 March 2023
Version Permalink

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu

AbstractEmu can intercept SMS messages containing two factor authentication codes.[1]
S0309 Adups

Adups transmitted the full contents of text messages.[2]
S0304 Android/Chuli.A

Android/Chuli.A stole SMS message content.[3]
S0292 AndroRAT

AndroRAT captures SMS messages.[4][5]

S0540 Asacub

Asacub can collect SMS messages as they are received.[6]
S1079 BOULDSPY

BOULDSPY can exfiltrate SMS logs.[7]
S0432 Bread

Bread can access SMS messages in order to complete carrier billing fraud.[8]
S0655 BusyGasper

BusyGasper can collect SMS messages.[9]
C0033 C0033

During C0033, PROMETHIUM used StrongPity to collect SMS messages.[10]

S0529 CarbonSteal

CarbonSteal can access the device’s SMS and MMS messages.[11]
S0480 Cerberus

Cerberus can collect SMS messages from a device.[12]
S1083 Chameleon

Chameleon can gather SMS messages.[13]
S0425 Corona Updates

Corona Updates can collect SMS messages.[14]
S0301 Dendroid

Dendroid can intercept SMS messages.[15]
S0505 Desert Scorpion

Desert Scorpion can retrieve SMS messages.[16]
S0550 DoubleAgent

DoubleAgent has captured SMS and MMS messages.[11]
S1054 Drinik

Drinik can collect user SMS messages.[17]
S0320 DroidJack

DroidJack captures SMS data.[18]
S1092 Escobar

Escobar can read SMS messages on the device.[19]
S0478 EventBot

EventBot can intercept SMS messages.[20]
S0522 Exobot

Exobot can intercept SMS messages.[21]
S0405 Exodus

Exodus Two can capture SMS messages.[22]
S1080 Fakecalls

Fakecalls can access text message history.[23]
S0509 FakeSpy

FakeSpy can collect SMS messages.[24]
S0182 FinFisher

FinFisher captures and exfiltrates SMS messages.[25]
S0408 FlexiSpy

FlexiSpy can intercept SMS and MMS messages as well as monitor messages for keywords.[26][27]
S1067 FluBot

FluBot can intercept SMS messages and USSD messages from Telcom operators.[28]
S0577 FrozenCell

FrozenCell has read SMS messages for exfiltration.[29]
S0423 Ginp

Ginp can collect SMS messages.[30]
S0535 Golden Cup

Golden Cup can collect sent and received SMS messages.[31]
S0551 GoldenEagle

GoldenEagle has collected SMS messages.[11]
S0421 GolfSpy

GolfSpy can collect SMS messages.[32]
S0536 GPlayed

GPlayed can read SMS messages.[33]
S0406 Gustuff

Gustuff can intercept two-factor authentication codes transmitted via SMS.[34]

S0544 HenBox

HenBox can intercept SMS messages.[35]
S1128 HilalRAT

HilalRAT can retrieve a device’s SMS messages.[36]
S0463 INSOMNIA

INSOMNIA can retrieve SMS messages and iMessages.[37]
S0485 Mandrake

Mandrake can access SMS messages.[38]
S0303 MazarBOT

MazarBOT can intercept two-factor authentication codes sent by online banking apps.[39]
C0016 Operation Dust Storm

During Operation Dust Storm, the threat actors used Android backdoors to continually forward all SMS messages and call information back to their C2 servers.[40]
S0399 Pallas

Pallas captures and exfiltrates all SMS messages, including future messages as they are received.[25]
S0289 Pegasus for iOS

Pegasus for iOS captures SMS messages that the victim sends or receives.[41]
S1126 Phenakite

Phenakite can read SMS messages.[42]

S0295 RCSAndroid

RCSAndroid can collect SMS, MMS, and Gmail messages.[43]
S0539 Red Alert 2.0

Red Alert 2.0 can collect SMS messages.[44]
S0403 Riltok

Riltok can intercept incoming SMS messages.[45]
S0411 Rotexy

Rotexy processes incoming SMS messages by filtering based on phone numbers, keywords, and regular expressions, focusing primarily on banks, payment systems, and mobile network operators. Rotexy can also send a list of all SMS messages on the device to the command and control server.[46]
S0313 RuMMS

RuMMS uploads incoming SMS messages to a remote command and control server.[47]
S1062 S.O.V.A.

S.O.V.A. can intercept and read SMS messages.[48]
S1055 SharkBot

SharkBot can intercept SMS messages.[49]
S0549 SilkBean

SilkBean can access SMS messages.[11]
S0324 SpyDealer

SpyDealer harvests SMS and MMS messages from victims.[50]
S0305 SpyNote RAT

SpyNote RAT can read SMS messages.[51]
S0328 Stealth Mango

Stealth Mango uploads SMS messages.[52]
S0329 Tangelo

Tangelo contains functionality to gather SMS messages.[52]
S1069 TangleBot

TangleBot can read incoming text messages.[53]
S0558 Tiktok Pro

Tiktok Pro can collect SMS messages from the device.[54]
S0424 Triada

Triada variants capture transaction data from SMS-based in-app purchases.[55]

S0427 TrickMo

TrickMo can intercept SMS messages.[56]
S0418 ViceLeaker

ViceLeaker can collect SMS messages.[57]
S0506 ViperRAT

ViperRAT can collect SMS messages.[58]
G0112 Windshift

Windshift has included SMS message exfiltration in the malicious apps deployed as part of Operation BULL and Operation ROCK.[59]
S0489 WolfRAT

WolfRAT can collect SMS messages.[60]
S0298 Xbot

Xbot steals all SMS message and contact information as well as intercepts and parses certain SMS messages.[61]
S0318 XLoader for Android

XLoader for Android collects SMS messages.[62]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1011 User Guidance

Access to SMS messages is an uncommonly needed permission, so users should be instructed to use extra scrutiny when granting access to their SMS messages.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component Detects
DS0041 Application Vetting Permissions Requests

Application vetting services could look for android.permission.READ_SMS in an Android application’s manifest. Most applications do not need access to SMS messages, 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 SMS messages through the device settings screen, revoking the permission if necessary.

References

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