t1629-001-prevent-application-removal

name	T1629.001_prevent-application-removal
description	Adversaries may abuse the Android device administration API to prevent the user from uninstalling a target application.
category	configuration
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","mobile","t1629.001","defense-evasion","android","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1629.001
tactic	defense-evasion
all_tactics	["defense-evasion"]
platforms	["Android"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1629/001
tech_stack	["android"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-693"]
chains_with	["T1629","T1629.002","T1629.003"]
prerequisites	["T1629"]
severity_boost	{"T1629":"Chain with T1629 for deeper attack path","T1629.002":"Chain with T1629.002 for deeper attack path","T1629.003":"Chain with T1629.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1629.001 Prevent Application Removal

Sub-technique of: T1629

High-Level Description

Adversaries may abuse the Android device administration API to prevent the user from uninstalling a target application. In earlier versions of Android, device administrator applications needed their administration capabilities explicitly deactivated by the user before the application could be uninstalled. This was later updated so the user could deactivate and uninstall the administrator application in one step.

Adversaries may also abuse the device accessibility APIs to prevent removal. This set of APIs allows the application to perform certain actions on behalf of the user and programmatically determine what is being shown on the screen. The malicious application could monitor the device screen for certain modals (e.g., the confirmation modal to uninstall an application) and inject screen input or a back button tap to close the modal. For example, Android's performGlobalAction(int) API could be utilized to prevent the user from removing the malicious application from the device after installation. If the user wants to uninstall the malicious application, two cases may occur, both preventing the user from removing the application.

• Case 1: If the integer argument passed to the API call is 2 or GLOBAL_ACTION_HOME, the malicious application may direct the user to the home screen from settings screen

• Case 2: If the integer argument passed to the API call is 1 or GLOBAL_ACTION_BACK, the malicious application may emulate the back press event

Kill Chain Phase

• Defense Evasion (TA0030)

Platforms: Android

What to Check

• Identify if Prevent Application Removal technique is applicable to target mobile environment
• Check Android devices for indicators of Prevent Application Removal
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (3 known mitigations)
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Identify Attack Surface

Determine if the target mobile environment is susceptible to Prevent Application Removal by examining the target platforms (Android).

Assess Existing Defenses

Review whether mitigations for T1629.001 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.