{"source_checked_on":"2026-10-19","schema_version":1,"key":"mobile/T1664","id":"T1664","name":"Exploitation for Initial Access","domain":"mobile","reviewed_on":"2026-09-28","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1664","source_file":{"file":"mobile.json","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mitre-attack/attack-stix-data/20664a889568dce884a1dac0ec7b12ae3a199f51/mobile-attack/mobile-attack-20.0.json","sha256":"824f7d8a37e7893b29e4c6ca6d87b5fbbf3b228ec6384f1a69ee20d523ff59e5","bytes":6095145},"source_object_sha256":"26acfc77dca8e05fb1074d98d188c703d00b8575b4b3e5fd0b3671828d22c273","description":"Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities to gain initial access to a mobile device. \n\nThis can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Vulnerabilities may be present in the applications, the services, the underlying operating system, or the kernel itself. Several well-known mobile device exploits exist, including FORCEDENTRY, StageFright, and BlueBorne. Furthermore, some exploits may be possible to exploit without any user interaction (i.e. zero-click exploits, see [Exploitation for Client Execution](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1658)), making them particularly dangerous. Mobile operating system vendors are typically very quick to patch such critical bugs, ensuring only a small window where they can be exploited. ","references":[{"source_name":"mitre-attack","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1664","external_id":"T1664"}],"platforms":["Android","iOS"],"environments":["mobile"],"visibility":"source_mapped","visibility_note":null,"parent":null,"children":[],"telemetry":[{"id":"DC0018","name":"Host Status","page":"telemetry/DC0018/","kind":"attack_component","category":"Host state and inventory","description":"Host health and availability observations such as heartbeat, shutdown or degraded state.","collection_focus":"Collect agent heartbeat and OS health independently; record missed polls, last-seen time and monitor health.","providers":[{"name":"osquery","scope":"Scheduled host-state queries; supported tables and privileges vary by OS. Select a table that actually exposes the required object.","source_id":"osquery"},{"name":"Linux Audit plus inventory snapshots","scope":"Events explain changes; snapshots describe state at collection time.","source_id":"linux"}],"configuration":["Define the inventory query, allowed host set, interval and least-privileged reader. Store a stable asset ID, observation time and collector version.","Keep successive snapshots and calculate additions, removals and changed attributes. Pair state changes with audit events when available.","Export collector health and missed-poll counts so a missing snapshot is not misclassified as a missing asset."],"configuration_example":null,"required_fields":["asset_id","status","heartbeat_age_seconds","collector_healthy"],"example":{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0018","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"asset_id":"lab-host-1","status":"degraded","heartbeat_age_seconds":90,"collector_healthy":true}},"example_note":"Project-normalized synthetic JSON, not a native provider log, captured event, attack verdict or validated detection. A parser/adapter is required for a real SIEM. Example names, IPs and values are fictional.","limitations":"Snapshots miss short-lived objects and do not identify who caused a change. A generic inventory agent is not guaranteed to expose firmware or kernel-level details.","sources":[{"id":"osquery","title":"osquery scheduled configuration","url":"https://github.com/osquery/osquery/blob/master/docs/wiki/deployment/configuration.md"},{"id":"linux","title":"Linux Audit rule configuration","url":"https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/auditctl.8.html"}],"association":"attack_component","anomaly_design":"Compare authorized state snapshots: first-seen drivers/services/modules, unexpected configuration drift and integrity changes. Record collection cadence; absence in a sample is not evidence of deletion."},{"id":"DC0082","name":"Network Connection Creation","page":"telemetry/DC0082/","kind":"attack_component","category":"Endpoint activity","description":"Creation of an endpoint network connection linked to a process.","collection_focus":"Enable scoped Sysmon NetworkConnect (3), disabled by default, or a platform-equivalent process-aware network sensor.","providers":[{"name":"Microsoft Sysmon","scope":"Windows event-based collection; enable the event types needed below.","source_id":"sysmon"},{"name":"Linux Audit","scope":"Linux alternative for supported system-call and file events; different semantics and fields.","source_id":"linux"},{"name":"Apple Endpoint Security clients","scope":"macOS alternative where the subscribed event exists; requires an entitled, approved client, not an iOS collector.","source_id":"apple"}],"configuration":["On a disposable Windows host, review the installed Sysmon schema and current configuration; merge scoped event filters into the existing policy rather than replacing it.","Forward Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational to the lab collector. Preserve event ID, timestamp, computer, process identifiers and the original event.","For Linux or macOS, select the equivalent sensor separately and test its emitted fields; a Windows event ID does not transfer across platforms."],"configuration_example":null,"required_fields":["process_guid","destination_ip","destination_port","protocol","initiated"],"example":{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0082","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"process_guid":"lab-process-001","destination_ip":"198.51.100.20","destination_port":443,"protocol":"tcp","initiated":true}},"example_note":"Project-normalized synthetic JSON, not a native provider log, captured event, attack verdict or validated detection. A parser/adapter is required for a real SIEM. Example names, IPs and values are fictional.","limitations":"Event filtering and sensor versions change coverage. High-volume image-load and process-access collection needs tuning; endpoint events alone do not establish intent.","sources":[{"id":"sysmon","title":"Microsoft Sysmon events and configuration","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon"},{"id":"sysmon_config","title":"Microsoft Sysmon configuration files","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/sysmon/sysmon-configuration-files"},{"id":"linux","title":"Linux Audit rule configuration","url":"https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/auditctl.8.html"},{"id":"apple","title":"Apple Endpoint Security framework for macOS","url":"https://developer.apple.com/documentation/endpointsecurity"},{"id":"process_audit","title":"Microsoft process creation event 4688","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-10/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4688"}],"association":"attack_component","anomaly_design":"Per host role and user: rare process/object combinations, bursts of object access or modification, and ordered parent/action sequences. Compare maintenance windows and signed software rollout activity."},{"id":"DC0032","name":"Process Creation","page":"telemetry/DC0032/","kind":"attack_component","category":"Endpoint activity","description":"Creation of a process with executable, command line, parent and security context.","collection_focus":"Collect Sysmon ProcessCreate (1); preserve ProcessGuid and parent identifiers. Security 4688 is an alternative with separate audit/command-line settings.","providers":[{"name":"Microsoft Sysmon","scope":"Windows event-based collection; enable the event types needed below.","source_id":"sysmon"},{"name":"Linux Audit","scope":"Linux alternative for supported system-call and file events; different semantics and fields.","source_id":"linux"},{"name":"Apple Endpoint Security clients","scope":"macOS alternative where the subscribed event exists; requires an entitled, approved client, not an iOS collector.","source_id":"apple"}],"configuration":["On a disposable Windows host, review the installed Sysmon schema and current configuration; merge scoped event filters into the existing policy rather than replacing it.","Forward Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational to the lab collector. Preserve event ID, timestamp, computer, process identifiers and the original event.","For Linux or macOS, select the equivalent sensor separately and test its emitted fields; a Windows event ID does not transfer across platforms."],"configuration_example":{"label":"Sysmon filter fragment · merge into the reviewed lab configuration","language":"xml","source_id":"sysmon_config","content":"<EventFiltering>\n  <ProcessCreate onmatch=\"include\">\n    <Image condition=\"is\">C:\\Windows\\System32\\whoami.exe</Image>\n  </ProcessCreate>\n</EventFiltering>","note":"This fragment only selects the named process. It is not a complete production policy. Inspect the installed schema with sysmon64 -s; preserve existing rules, then apply the reviewed complete configuration with sysmon64 -c <configuration-file>."},"required_fields":["process_guid","image","parent_image","command_line","user"],"example":{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0032","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"process_guid":"lab-process-001","image":"C:\\Windows\\System32\\whoami.exe","parent_image":"C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe","command_line":"whoami","user":"LAB\\analyst"}},"example_note":"Project-normalized synthetic JSON, not a native provider log, captured event, attack verdict or validated detection. A parser/adapter is required for a real SIEM. Example names, IPs and values are fictional.","limitations":"Event filtering and sensor versions change coverage. High-volume image-load and process-access collection needs tuning; endpoint events alone do not establish intent.","sources":[{"id":"sysmon","title":"Microsoft Sysmon events and configuration","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon"},{"id":"sysmon_config","title":"Microsoft Sysmon configuration files","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/sysmon/sysmon-configuration-files"},{"id":"linux","title":"Linux Audit rule configuration","url":"https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/auditctl.8.html"},{"id":"apple","title":"Apple Endpoint Security framework for macOS","url":"https://developer.apple.com/documentation/endpointsecurity"},{"id":"process_audit","title":"Microsoft process creation event 4688","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-10/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4688"}],"association":"attack_component","anomaly_design":"Per host role and user: rare process/object combinations, bursts of object access or modification, and ordered parent/action sequences. Compare maintenance windows and signed software rollout activity."}],"detection":{"key":"mobile/T1664","id":"T1664","name":"Exploitation for Initial Access","domain":"mobile","platforms":["Android","iOS"],"environments":["mobile"],"source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1664","technique_page":"techniques/mobile/T1664/","page":"detections/mobile/T1664/","status":"guidance_only","counts":{"sigma":0,"atlas_basic":0,"atlas_anomaly":0,"strategies":1,"analytics":2,"live_validated":0},"sigma_rules":[],"atlas_basic":[],"atlas_anomaly":[],"anomaly_types":[],"strategies":[{"id":"DET0666","name":"Detection of Exploitation for Initial Access","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666","stix_id":"x-mitre-detection-strategy--1cabf349-a457-422b-a179-475795013f8a","relationship_id":"relationship--930c3a54-e728-41e8-8f5b-6dd3408de343","description":"","analytics":[{"id":"AN1760","name":"Analytic 1760","guidance":"For Android, detect Exploitation for Initial Access by correlating analyst-visible device/network evidence and management state; use streaming or batched telemetry only where the documented collector is deployed. Correlate Host Status via Android Enterprise DPC [DevicePolicyManager policy/compliance/security-state queries and SecurityLog events where supported]; Network Connection Creation via Android Enterprise Network Logging / Enterprise VPN [DevicePolicyManager.retrieveNetworkLogs(): DnsEvent / ConnectEvent; VPN flow metadata]; Process Creation via Application Vetting / Managed Device Telemetry [execve()]. Alert on a sequence or state change inconsistent with the device/app baseline, approved management policy, or expected user workflow; do not infer unobserved API calls, file/process activity, or payload content from management state alone.","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1760","platforms":["Android"],"tuning":[{"field":"SystemServiceList","description":"mediaserver, bluetooth, nfc, android.process.media, com.android.phone."},{"field":"KnownServiceChildren","description":"Known legitimate child processes per system service. Derive from clean-device baseline."},{"field":"PostExploitWindow","description":"Default 30s."},{"field":"AppBaselineDomains","description":"Per-app CDN baseline."},{"field":"CriticalPatchLagDays","description":"Default 30 days. Align with org patch SLA."}],"log_sources":[{"component_id":"DC0018","component":"Host Status","name":"android:DevicePolicyManager","channel":"DevicePolicyManager policy/compliance/security-state queries and SecurityLog events where supported","platforms":["Android"],"analytic_id":"AN1760","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1760","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0018/"},{"component_id":"DC0082","component":"Network Connection Creation","name":"android:EnterpriseNetworkLog","channel":"DevicePolicyManager.retrieveNetworkLogs(): DnsEvent / ConnectEvent; VPN flow metadata","platforms":["Android"],"analytic_id":"AN1760","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1760","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0082/"},{"component_id":"DC0032","component":"Process Creation","name":"mobile:DynamicAnalysis","channel":"execve()","platforms":["Android"],"analytic_id":"AN1760","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1760","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0032/"}]},{"id":"AN1761","name":"Analytic 1761","guidance":"For iOS, detect Exploitation for Initial Access by correlating analyst-visible device/network evidence and management state; use streaming or batched telemetry only where the documented collector is deployed. Correlate Host Status via Apple MDM [DeviceInformation / SecurityInfo / ProfileList / restrictions and compliance queries]; Network Connection Creation via Apple Network Extension / Enterprise VPN [NEFilterFlow / per-app VPN / secure-web-gateway flow metadata]; Process Creation via Application Vetting / Managed Device Telemetry [kernel fault or unexpected child spawn in subsystem IN (com.apple.WebKit, com.apple.imtransferagent, com.apple.imagent) at level=fault in Unified Log]. Alert on a sequence or state change inconsistent with the device/app baseline, approved management policy, or expected user workflow; do not infer unobserved API calls, file/process activity, or payload content from management state alone.","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1761","platforms":["iOS"],"tuning":[{"field":"AppleSystemBaseline","description":"Apple CDN, update server, push server IP ranges."},{"field":"PostExploitProcessList","description":"imagent, IMTransferAgent, WebContent, com.apple.WebKit.Networking."},{"field":"PostExploitWindow","description":"Default 60s between fault and C2 connection."},{"field":"MinSecureVersion","description":"Latest Apple security patch release. Update from Apple advisories."}],"log_sources":[{"component_id":"DC0018","component":"Host Status","name":"iOS:MDM","channel":"DeviceInformation / SecurityInfo / ProfileList / restrictions and compliance queries","platforms":["iOS"],"analytic_id":"AN1761","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1761","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0018/"},{"component_id":"DC0082","component":"Network Connection Creation","name":"iOS:NetworkExtension","channel":"NEFilterFlow / per-app VPN / secure-web-gateway flow metadata","platforms":["iOS"],"analytic_id":"AN1761","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1761","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0082/"},{"component_id":"DC0032","component":"Process Creation","name":"mobile:DynamicAnalysis","channel":"kernel fault or unexpected child spawn in subsystem IN (com.apple.WebKit, com.apple.imtransferagent, com.apple.imagent) at level=fault in Unified Log","platforms":["iOS"],"analytic_id":"AN1761","source_url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0666#AN1761","validation":"upstream_definition_not_locally_validated","component_page":"telemetry/DC0032/"}]}]}],"telemetry_references":[{"id":"DC0018","name":"Host Status","tag":"Host Status","page":"telemetry/DC0018/","kind":"attack_component"},{"id":"DC0082","name":"Network Connection Creation","tag":"Network Connection Creation","page":"telemetry/DC0082/","kind":"attack_component"},{"id":"DC0032","name":"Process Creation","tag":"Process Creation","page":"telemetry/DC0032/","kind":"attack_component"}],"visibility":"source_mapped","visibility_note":null,"tool_references":[],"related_parent":null,"article_url":"https://1200km.com/articles/read/2026/2026-04-20-malicious-activity-as-a-statistical-signal-a-detection-engineering-analysis-of-anomaly-bas-90df8b6dea12/","validation":{"source_join":"exact_ids","sigma_yaml":"parsed","backend_compilation":"not_run","live_telemetry":"not_run","detection_execution":"not_run"}},"tools":[],"software":[{"id":"S0289","name":"Pegasus for iOS","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0289","kind":"malware","description":"[Pegasus for iOS](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0289) has used zero-day iMessage exploits for initial access.(Citation: CitizenLab Great iPwn)","relationship_id":"relationship--95725b00-f40e-4a3a-af2a-92156595cd37","references":[{"source_name":"CitizenLab Great iPwn","description":"Marczak, B., et al. (2020, December 20). The Great iPwn. Retrieved April 3, 2024.","url":"https://citizenlab.ca/2020/12/the-great-ipwn-journalists-hacked-with-suspected-nso-group-imessage-zero-click-exploit/"}]},{"id":"S1094","name":"BRATA","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/software/S1094","kind":"malware","description":"[BRATA](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S1094) has abused WhatsApp vulnerability CVE-2019-3568 to achieve initial access.(Citation: securelist_brata_0819)","relationship_id":"relationship--b162dc6b-6b4e-4bba-928a-00a423b112b3","references":[{"source_name":"securelist_brata_0819","description":"Securelist. (2019, August 29). Fully equipped Spying Android RAT from Brazil: BRATA. Retrieved December 18, 2023.","url":"https://securelist.com/spying-android-rat-from-brazil-brata/92775/"}]}],"actors":[],"mitigations":[{"id":"M1001","name":"Security Updates","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/mitigations/M1001","kind":"course-of-action","description":"Security updates frequently contain patches for known software vulnerabilities.","relationship_id":"relationship--30990c1a-ed7d-4552-a1aa-c5934ffa5761","references":[]},{"id":"M1058","name":"Antivirus/Antimalware","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/mitigations/M1058","kind":"course-of-action","description":"Mobile security products can potentially detect if a device is vulnerable to a known exploit and can alert the user to update their device. ","relationship_id":"relationship--dff2d0a7-7579-4091-9bf8-df682bc6506b","references":[]}],"candidates":[],"simulation":{"atomic_status":"no_atomic_candidate","lab_execution":"not_run","browser_attack_runner":false,"prerequisites":"Use owned test devices or emulators, disposable app accounts and test data. Verify platform/version instrumentation; desktop test procedures do not establish mobile coverage.","scenario":null},"validation":{"source_identity":"checked_against_pinned_source","relationship_join":"exact_ids_no_inheritance","page_contract":"automated_checks_required","sensor_capture":"not_run","detection_backend":"not_run","adversary_simulation":"not_run","independent_incident_fact_check":"not_performed"},"technique_links":{"T1658":"/ttp-simulation/techniques/mobile/T1658/","T1664":"/ttp-simulation/techniques/mobile/T1664/"},"synthetic":{"schema":"1200km.ttp.collection-fixture.v1","synthetic":true,"technique_key":"mobile/T1664","purpose":"Collection/parser contract exercise, NOT a positive example or detection of this TTP.","events":[{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0018","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"asset_id":"lab-host-1","status":"degraded","heartbeat_age_seconds":90,"collector_healthy":true}},{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0082","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"process_guid":"lab-process-001","destination_ip":"198.51.100.20","destination_port":443,"protocol":"tcp","initiated":true}},{"schema":"1200km.telemetry.example.v1","synthetic":true,"timestamp":"2026-09-27T12:00:00Z","telemetry_id":"DC0032","collector":"illustrative-lab-collector","observation":{"process_guid":"lab-process-001","image":"C:\\Windows\\System32\\whoami.exe","parent_image":"C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe","command_line":"whoami","user":"LAB\\analyst"}}]}}