t1409-stored-application-data

name	T1409_stored-application-data
description	Adversaries may try to access and collect application data resident on the device.
category	information-gathering
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","mobile","t1409","collection","android","ios"]
technique_id	T1409
tactic	collection
all_tactics	["collection"]
platforms	["Android","iOS"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1409
tech_stack	["android","ios"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-200"]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

T1409 Stored Application Data

High-Level Description

Adversaries may try to access and collect application data resident on the device. Adversaries often target popular applications, such as Facebook, WeChat, and Gmail.

Due to mobile OS sandboxing, this technique is only possible in three scenarios:

• An application stores files in unprotected external storage
• An application stores files in its internal storage directory with insecure permissions (e.g. 777)
• The adversary gains root permissions on the device

Kill Chain Phase

• Collection (TA0035)

Platforms: Android, iOS

What to Check

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

How to Test

Identify Attack Surface

Determine if the target mobile environment is susceptible to Stored Application Data by examining the target platforms (Android, iOS).

Assess Existing Defenses

Review whether mitigations for T1409 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.

Remediation Guide

M1006 Use Recent OS Version

Android 9 introduced a new security policy that prevents applications from reading or writing data to other applications’ internal storage directories, regardless of permissions.

Detection

Detection of Stored Application Data

Risk Assessment

Finding	Severity	Impact
Stored Application Data technique applicable	Low	Collection

CWE Categories

CWE ID	Title
CWE-200	Exposure of Sensitive Information

References