T1642: Endpoint Denial of Service
Adversaries may perform Endpoint Denial of Service (DoS) attacks to degrade or block the availability of services to users.
On Android versions prior to 7, apps can abuse Device Administrator access to reset the device lock passcode, preventing the user from unlocking the device. After Android 7, only device or profile owners (e.g. MDMs) can reset the device’s passcode.[1]
On iOS devices, this technique does not work because mobile device management servers can only remove the screen lock passcode; they cannot set a new passcode. However, on jailbroken devices, malware has been discovered that can lock the user out of the device.[2]
Security context for executives and security teams
T1642: Endpoint Denial of Service describes Adversaries may perform Endpoint Denial of Service (DoS) attacks to degrade or block the availability of services to users. On Android versions prior to 7, apps can abuse Device Administrator access to reset the device lock passcode, preventing the user from unlocking the device. After Android 7, only device or profile owners (e.g. MDMs) can reset the device’s passcode.(Citation: Android resetPassword) On iOS devices, this technique does not work because mobile device management servers can only remove the screen l...
Executive priority
T1642: Endpoint Denial of Service is an official MITRE ATT&CK technique. Glexia treats it as defensive behavior context for prioritizing monitoring, control validation, and response planning without using the object by itself as an attribution claim.
Technical view
Security teams should validate T1642: Endpoint Denial of Service by reviewing the official ATT&CK relationships, mapped tactics (impact), supported platforms (Android, iOS), and available local telemetry before making detection or mitigation decisions.
Likely telemetry
- Official ATT&CK relationships and object metadata
Detection direction
- Validate whether T1642: Endpoint Denial of Service appears in your detection coverage and tabletop scenarios.
- Use the object to align executive risk language with SOC, incident response, and detection engineering work.
- Do not treat ATT&CK relationship context as attribution without corroborating evidence.
Mitigation priorities
- Map the object to existing controls and identify missing telemetry or response ownership.
- Prioritize mitigations that reduce exposure on the listed platforms and tactics.
- Review adjacent ATT&CK relationships before changing policy, detections, or reporting language.
Additional notes and limits
Baseline Glexia take generated from the official MITRE ATT&CK STIX object, source hash, tactics, platforms, and detection fields. It is safe to replace with a richer model-generated take for the same source hash later.
This baseline take is source-grounded and schema-validated, but it does not include environment-specific telemetry, incident evidence, or threat-intelligence corroboration.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Endpoint Denial of Service
Adversaries may perform Endpoint Denial of Service (DoS) attacks to degrade or block the availability of services to users.
On Android versions prior to 7, apps can abuse Device Administrator access to reset the device lock passcode, preventing the user from unlocking the device. After Android 7, only device or profile owners (e.g. MDMs) can reset the device’s passcode.[1]
On iOS devices, this technique does not work because mobile device management servers can only remove the screen lock passcode; they cannot set a new passcode. However, on jailbroken devices, malware has been discovered that can lock the user out of the device.[2]
How security teams should use this page
Treat this object as behavior context, not an attribution claim. Validate the related groups, software, data sources, and mitigations against official ATT&CK relationships and your own telemetry before making control-coverage decisions.
Groups, software, and campaigns
S1185: LightSpy
First observed in 2018, LightSpy is a modular malware family that initially targeted iOS devices in Southern Asia before expanding to Android and macOS platforms. It consists of a downloader, a main executable that manages network communications, and functionality-specific modules, typically implemented as `.dylib` files (iOS, macOS) or `.apk` files (Android). LightSpy can collect VoIP call recordings, SMS messages, and credential stores, which are then exfiltrated to a command and control (C2) server.[1]
S0536: GPlayed
S0522: Exobot
S0323: Charger
S0298: Xbot
All related ATT&CK context
Mitigation direction
Object version and sync metadata
The fields below describe the current mirrored snapshot. When Glexia retains multiple ATT&CK source imports, you can open the table to compare the same object across releases (hashes and MITRE timestamps). For MITRE’s own release notes and roadmap, see ATT&CK resources — Updates.
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(2)
| Release | Bundle imported | Object version | Modified | Status | Raw hash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.2 | 1.1 | Current bundle | 02297e5cde1b… | ||
| 19.1 | 1.1 | Older bundle | 02297e5cde1b… |
Mirrored ATT&CK source object
The raw object is retained through the mirrored ATT&CK source bundle and object hash. The raw endpoint returns the exact object from the mirrored bundle when available.
External references and citations
MITRE external references are preserved separately from Glexia analysis so citations remain traceable to their original source records.
- [1]Android resetPassword
Google. (n.d.). DevicePolicyManager. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
Open source URL - [2]Xiao-KeyRaider
Claud Xiao. (2015, August 30). KeyRaider: iOS Malware Steals Over 225,000 Apple Accounts to Create Free App Utopia. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
- [3]mitre-attackT1642Open source URL
Source: MITRE ATT&CK®. © 2026 The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation. MITRE ATT&CK and ATT&CK are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation. Glexia is not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE.
