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T1636.003 Contact List

Adversaries may utilize standard operating system APIs to gather contact list data. On Android, this can be accomplished using the Contacts Content Provider. On iOS, this can be accomplished using the Contacts framework.

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

Item Value
ID T1636.003
Sub-techniques T1636.001, T1636.002, T1636.003, T1636.004, T1636.005
Tactics TA0035
Platforms Android, iOS
Version 1.1
Created 01 April 2022
Last Modified 24 October 2025

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S1061 AbstractEmu AbstractEmu can grant itself contact list access.55
S0309 Adups Adups transmitted contact lists.45
S1095 AhRat AhRat can collect the device’s contact list.22
S0304 Android/Chuli.A Android/Chuli.A stole contact list data stored both on the the phone and the SIM card.49
S0292 AndroRAT AndroRAT collects contact list information.4746
S0422 Anubis Anubis can steal the device’s contact list.41
S0540 Asacub Asacub can collect the device’s contact list.39
S1079 BOULDSPY BOULDSPY can exfiltrate a device’s contacts.12
C0033 C0033 During C0033, PROMETHIUM used StrongPity to collect the device’s contact list.60
S0480 Cerberus Cerberus can obtain the device’s contact list.21
S0323 Charger Charger steals contacts from the victim user’s device.52
S0425 Corona Updates Corona Updates can collect device contacts.37
S1243 DCHSpy DCHSpy has accessed the device’s contact list.13
S0505 Desert Scorpion Desert Scorpion can collect the device’s contact list.40
S0550 DoubleAgent DoubleAgent has accessed the contact list.2
S0507 eSurv eSurv can exfiltrate the device’s contact list.25
S0522 Exobot Exobot can access the device’s contact list.50
S0405 Exodus Exodus Two can download the address book.26
S1080 Fakecalls Fakecalls can copy and exfiltrate a device’s contact list.28
S0509 FakeSpy FakeSpy can collect the device’s contact list.56
S0408 FlexiSpy FlexiSpy can collect device contacts.1
S1067 FluBot FluBot has used the contact list to infect more devices.1516
S0423 Ginp Ginp can download the device’s contact list.58
S1231 GodFather GodFather has accessed the device’s contact list.29
S0535 Golden Cup Golden Cup can collect the device’s contact list.42
S0551 GoldenEagle GoldenEagle has collected a list of contacts.2
S0421 GolfSpy GolfSpy can obtain the device’s contact list.20
S0536 GPlayed GPlayed can access the device’s contact list.18
S0406 Gustuff Gustuff can collect the contact list.34
S0544 HenBox HenBox can access the device’s contact list.54
S1128 HilalRAT HilalRAT can retrieve a device’s contact list.23
S1077 Hornbill Hornbill can collect device contacts.5
S0463 INSOMNIA INSOMNIA can collect the device’s contact list.38
S1185 LightSpy LightSpy has accessed the device’s contact list.8101197
S0485 Mandrake Mandrake can access the device’s contact list.4
S0407 Monokle Monokle can retrieve the device’s contact list.43
S0399 Pallas Pallas accesses the device contact list.36
S0316 Pegasus for Android Pegasus for Android accesses contact list information.53
S0289 Pegasus for iOS Pegasus for iOS gathers contacts from the system by dumping the victim’s address book.35
S1126 Phenakite Phenakite can exfiltrate the victim device’s contact list.51
S1241 RatMilad RatMilad has accessed the device’s contact list.3
S0539 Red Alert 2.0 Red Alert 2.0 can collect the device’s contact list.24
S0403 Riltok Riltok can access and upload the device’s contact list to the command and control server.19
S0411 Rotexy Rotexy can access and upload the contacts list to the command and control server.14
S0549 SilkBean SilkBean can access device contacts.2
S1195 SpyC23 SpyC23 can exfiltrate the victim device’s contact list.333132
S0324 SpyDealer SpyDealer harvests contact lists from victims.48
S0305 SpyNote RAT SpyNote RAT can view contacts.27
S0328 Stealth Mango Stealth Mango uploads contact lists for various third-party applications such as Yahoo, AIM, GoogleTalk, Skype, QQ, and others.44
S1082 Sunbird Sunbird can exfiltrate a device’s contacts.5
S1069 TangleBot TangleBot can request permission to view device contacts.17
S0558 Tiktok Pro Tiktok Pro can access the device’s contact list.57
S0506 ViperRAT ViperRAT can collect the device’s contact list.6
G0112 Windshift Windshift has included contact list exfiltration in the malicious apps deployed as part of Operation BULL.59
S0489 WolfRAT WolfRAT can collect the device’s contact list.30

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1011 User Guidance Contact list access is an uncommonly needed permission, so users should be instructed to use extra scrutiny when granting access to their contact list.

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