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T1541: Foreground Persistence

View on MITRE ATT&CK The MITRE Corporation · Published 17/12/2025 22:47 · Modified 27/03/2026 01:41

Essential information

MITRE technique ID
T1541
Confidence
100/100
Revoked
No
Published
17/12/2025 22:47
Modified
27/03/2026 01:41
Author / Source
The MITRE Corporation

Aliases

T1541

Platforms

android

Description

Adversaries may abuse Android's `startForeground()` API method to maintain continuous sensor access. Beginning in Android 9, idle applications running in the background no longer have access to device sensors, such as the camera, microphone, and gyroscope.(Citation: Android-SensorsOverview) Applications can retain sensor access by running in the foreground, using Android’s `startForeground()` API method. This informs the system that the user is actively interacting with the application, and it should not be killed. The only requirement to start a foreground service is showing a persistent notification to the user.(Citation: Android-ForegroundServices) Malicious applications may abuse the `startForeground()` API method to continue running in the foreground, while presenting a notification to the user pretending to be a genuine application. This would allow unhindered access to the device’s sensors, assuming permission has been previously granted.(Citation: BlackHat Sutter Android Foreground 2019) Malicious applications may also abuse the `startForeground()` API to inform the Android system that the user is actively interacting with the application, thus preventing it from being killed by the low memory killer.(Citation: TrendMicro-Yellow Camera)

Kill chain phases

Kill chainPhase
mitre-mobile-attack defense-evasion
mitre-mobile-attack persistence

Marking (TLP)

TLP:CLEAR Copyright 2015-2025, The MITRE Corporation. MITRE ATT&CK and ATT&CK are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation.

External references