Name:Cisco NVM - Installation of Typosquatted Python Package id:5e3f6b44-42cb-4f8a-99f0-59e78a52ea1d version:1 date:2025-07-03 author:Nasreddine Bencherchali, Splunk status:production type:TTP Description:This analytic detects suspicious python package installations where the package name resembles popular Python libraries but may be typosquatted or slightly altered.
Typosquatting is a common technique used by attackers to trick users into installing malicious packages that mimic legitimate ones.
This detection leverages Cisco NVM flow telemetry and checks for pip or poetry package managers with the "install" or "add" flags, making outbound connections to package repository such as `pypi.org` with known or suspected typo package names.
Data_source:
-Cisco Network Visibility Module Flow Data
search:`cisco_network_visibility_module_flowdata` dest_hostname IN ("*.pythonhosted.org", "*pypi.org", "*python-poetry.org") ( (process_arguments = "*pip*" process_arguments = "*install*") OR (process_arguments = "*poetry*" process_arguments = "*add*") ) | rex field=process_arguments "(?i)(?:pip|poetry)[^|]*?\s+(?:install|add)\s+(?P<package_name>[^\s\"']+)$" | lookup typo_squatted_python_packages typosquatted_package_name as package_name OUTPUTNEW comment package_official_url | where isnotnull(comment) | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(parent_process_arguments) as parent_process_arguments values(process_arguments) as process_arguments values(parent_process_hash) as parent_process_hash values(process_hash) as process_hash values(module_name_list) as module_name_list values(module_hash_list) as module_hash_list values(dest_port) as dest_port values(aliul) as additional_logged_in_users_list values(dest_hostname) as dest_hostname by src dest parent_process_path parent_process_integrity_level process_path process_name process_integrity_level process_id transport package_name comment package_official_url | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | table firstTime lastTime src dest_hostname dest dest_port transport package_name comment package_official_url parent_process_integrity_level parent_process_path parent_process_arguments parent_process_hash process_integrity_level process_path process_name process_arguments process_hash process_id additional_logged_in_users_list module_name_list module_hash_list | `cisco_nvm___installation_of_typosquatted_python_package_filter`
how_to_implement:This search requires Network Visibility Module logs, which includes the flow data sourcetype.
This search uses an input macro named `cisco_network_visibility_module_flowdata`.
We strongly recommend that you specify your environment-specific configurations
(index, source, sourcetype, etc.) for Cisco Network Visibility Module logs.
Replace the macro definition with configurations for your Splunk environment.
The search also uses a post-filter macro designed to filter out known false positives.
The logs are to be ingested using the Splunk Add-on for Cisco Endpoint Security Analytics (CESA) (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/4221).
In addition to this, the search make use of the lookup "typo_squatted_python_packages". Which needs to be configured and tuned.
known_false_positives:False positives should be very minimal to non existent, as the names of the packages in the lookup are all extracted from previously malicious packages.
References: -https://securelist.com/two-more-malicious-python-packages-in-the-pypi/107218/ -https://blog.checkpoint.com/securing-the-cloud/pypi-inundated-by-malicious-typosquatting-campaign/ -https://rhisac.org/threat-intelligence/typosquatting-campaign-targets-python-developers-with-hundreds-of-malicious-libraries/ drilldown_searches: name:'View the detection results for - "$src$"' search:'%original_detection_search% | search src = "$src$"' earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$' latest_offset:'$info_max_time$' name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$src$"' search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$src$") starthoursago=168 | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`' earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$' latest_offset:'$info_max_time$' tags: analytic_story: - 'Cisco Network Visibility Module Analytics' asset_type:Endpoint mitre_attack_id: - 'T1059' product: - 'Splunk Enterprise' - 'Splunk Enterprise Security' security_domain:endpoint
