Name:Cisco NVM - Suspicious Network Connection Initiated via MsXsl id:1cbcf75f-0e45-4f29-8c1b-7fcd7e55cc55 version:1 date:2025-07-03 author:Nasreddine Bencherchali, Splunk status:production type:Anomaly Description:This analytic identifies the use of `msxsl.exe` initiating a network connection to a non-private IP address.
Although `msxsl.exe` is a legitimate Microsoft utility used to apply XSLT transformations, adversaries can abuse it
to execute arbitrary code or load external resources in an evasive manner.
This detection leverages Cisco NVM telemetry to identify potentially malicious use of `msxsl.exe` making network connections
that may indicate command and control (C2) or data exfiltration activity.
Data_source:
-Cisco Network Visibility Module Flow Data
search:`cisco_network_visibility_module_flowdata` process_name = "msxsl.exe" NOT dest IN ( "10.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12", "192.168.0.0/16", "100.64.0.0/10", "127.0.0.0/8", "169.254.0.0/16", "192.0.0.0/24", "192.0.0.0/29", "192.0.0.8/32", "192.0.0.9/32", "192.0.0.10/32", "192.0.0.170/32", "192.0.0.171/32", "192.0.2.0/24", "192.31.196.0/24", "192.52.193.0/24", "192.88.99.0/24", "224.0.0.0/4", "192.175.48.0/24", "198.18.0.0/15", "198.51.100.0/24", "203.0.113.0/24", "240.0.0.0/4", "::1" ) | 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 | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | table 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 src dest_hostname dest dest_port transport firstTime lastTime | `cisco_nvm___suspicious_network_connection_initiated_via_msxsl_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).
known_false_positives:False positives may occur in development or administrative environments where msxsl.exe is used
for legitimate XML transformations. However, its use is uncommon in standard user activity
and should be reviewed in most environments.
References: -https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Msxsl/ 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: - 'T1220' product: - 'Splunk Enterprise' - 'Splunk Enterprise Security' security_domain:endpoint
