type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--4c58b7c6-a839-4789-bda9-9de33e4d4512
created: 2022-04-05T19:48:31.195Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1417/002
external_id: T1417.002
source_name: Felt-PhishingOnMobileDevices
description: A.P. Felt and D. Wagner. (2011, May 26). Phishing on Mobile Devices. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
url: http://w2spconf.com/2011/papers/felt-mobilephishing.pdf
source_name: Android Background
description: Android Developers. (n.d.). Restrictions on starting activities from the background. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
url: https://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities/background-starts
source_name: Cloak and Dagger
description: Fratantonio, Y., et al.. (2017). Cloak & Dagger. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
url: https://cloak-and-dagger.org/
source_name: Group IB Gustuff Mar 2019
description: Group-IB. (2019, March 28). Group-IB uncovers Android Trojan named «Gustuff» capable of targeting more than 100 global banking apps, cryptocurrency and marketplace applications. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
url: https://www.group-ib.com/blog/gustuff
source_name: eset-finance
description: Lukáš Štefanko. (2016, July 7). Fake finance apps on Google Play target users from around the world. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
url: https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/09/19/fake-finance-apps-google-play-target-around-world/
source_name: Hassell-ExploitingAndroid
description: R. Hassell. (2011, October 12-13). Exploiting Androids for Fun and Profit. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
url: https://conference.hitb.org/hitbsecconf2011kul/materials/D1T1%20-%20Riley%20Hassell%20-%20Exploiting%20Androids%20for%20Fun%20and%20Profit.pdf
source_name: XDA Bubbles
description: Rahman, M.. (2019, May 8). Bubbles in Android Q will fully replace the overlay API in a future Android version. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
url: https://www.xda-developers.com/android-q-system-alert-window-deprecate-bubbles/
source_name: NowSecure Android Overlay
description: Ramirez, T.. (2017, May 25). ‘SAW’-ing through the UI: Android overlay malware and the System Alert Window permission explained. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
url: https://www.nowsecure.com/blog/2017/05/25/android-overlay-malware-system-alert-window-permission/
source_name: ThreatFabric Cerberus
description: ThreatFabric. (2019, August). Cerberus - A new banking Trojan from the underworld. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
url: https://www.threatfabric.com/blogs/cerberus-a-new-banking-trojan-from-the-underworld.html
source_name: Skycure-Accessibility
description: Yair Amit. (2016, March 3). “Accessibility Clickjacking” – The Next Evolution in Android Malware that Impacts More Than 500 Million Devices. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20170211204349/https://www.skycure.com/blog/accessibility-clickjacking/
source_name: NIST Mobile Threat Catalogue
url: https://pages.nist.gov/mobile-threat-catalogue/application-threats/APP-31.html
external_id: APP-31
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:48:45.045Z
name: GUI Input Capture
description: Adversaries may mimic common operating system GUI components to prompt users for sensitive information with a seemingly legitimate prompt. The operating system and installed applications often have legitimate needs to prompt the user for sensitive information such as account credentials, bank account information, or Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Compared to traditional PCs, the constrained display size of mobile devices may impair the ability to provide users with contextual information, making users more susceptible to this technique’s use.(Citation: Felt-PhishingOnMobileDevices)

There are several approaches adversaries may use to mimic this functionality. Adversaries may impersonate the identity of a legitimate application (e.g. use the same application name and/or icon) and, when installed on the device, may prompt the user for sensitive information.(Citation: eset-finance) Adversaries may also send fake device notifications to the user that may trigger the display of an input prompt when clicked.(Citation: Group IB Gustuff Mar 2019) 

Additionally, adversaries may display a prompt on top of a running, legitimate application to trick users into entering sensitive information into a malicious application rather than the legitimate application. Typically, adversaries need to know when the targeted application and the individual activity within the targeted application is running in the foreground to display the prompt at the proper time. Adversaries can abuse Android’s accessibility features to determine which application is currently in the foreground.(Citation: ThreatFabric Cerberus) Two known approaches to displaying a prompt include:

* Adversaries start a new activity on top of a running legitimate application.(Citation: Felt-PhishingOnMobileDevices)(Citation: Hassell-ExploitingAndroid) Android 10 places new restrictions on the ability for an application to start a new activity on top of another application, which may make it more difficult for adversaries to utilize this technique.(Citation: Android Background)
* Adversaries create an application overlay window on top of a running legitimate application. Applications must hold the `SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW` permission to create overlay windows. This permission is handled differently than typical Android permissions and, at least under certain conditions, is automatically granted to applications installed from the Google Play Store.(Citation: Cloak and Dagger)(Citation: NowSecure Android Overlay)(Citation: Skycure-Accessibility) The `SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW` permission and its associated ability to create application overlay windows are expected to be deprecated in a future release of Android in favor of a new API.(Citation: XDA Bubbles)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-mobile-attack
phase_name: credential-access
kill_chain_name: mitre-mobile-attack
phase_name: collection
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: mobile-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: yes
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: Android
iOS
x_mitre_version: 1.1
x_mitre_tactic_type: Post-Adversary Device Access