Name:Suspicious Process DNS Query Known Abuse Web Services id:3cf0dc36-484d-11ec-a6bc-acde48001122 version:7 date:2024-11-28 author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk status:production type:TTP Description:The following analytic detects a suspicious process making DNS queries to known, abused text-paste web services, VoIP, instant messaging, and digital distribution platforms. It leverages Sysmon EventID 22 logs to identify queries from processes like cmd.exe, powershell.exe, and others. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to download malicious files, a common initial access technique. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or further compromise of the target host. Data_source:
-Sysmon EventID 22
search:`sysmon` EventCode=22 QueryName IN ("*pastebin*", "*discord*", "*api.telegram*","*t.me*") process_name IN ("cmd.exe", "*powershell*", "pwsh.exe", "wscript.exe","cscript.exe") OR Image IN ("*\\users\\public\\*", "*\\programdata\\*", "*\\temp\\*", "*\\Windows\\Tasks\\*", "*\\appdata\\*", "*\\perflogs\\*") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by Image QueryName QueryStatus process_name QueryResults Computer | rename Computer as dest | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `suspicious_process_dns_query_known_abuse_web_services_filter`
how_to_implement:This detection relies on sysmon logs with the Event ID 22, DNS Query. We suggest you run this detection at least once a day over the last 14 days. known_false_positives:Noise and false positive can be seen if the following instant messaging is allowed to use within corporate network. In this case, a filter is needed. References: -https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/url/1798923/ -https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/01/15/destructive-malware-targeting-ukrainian-organizations/ drilldown_searches: name:'View the detection results for - "$dest$"' search:'%original_detection_search% | search dest = "$dest$"' earliest_offset:'$info_min_time$' latest_offset:'$info_max_time$' name:'View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"' search:'| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") 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: - 'Data Destruction' - 'WhisperGate' - 'Remcos' - 'Phemedrone Stealer' - 'Snake Keylogger' - 'PXA Stealer' - 'Meduza Stealer' asset_type:Endpoint confidence:80 impact:80 message:suspicious process $process_name$ has a dns query in $QueryName$ on $dest$ mitre_attack_id: - 'T1059.005' - 'T1059' observable: name:'dest' type:'Hostname' - role: - 'Victim' name:'process_name' type:'Process' - role: - 'Attacker' product: - 'Splunk Enterprise' - 'Splunk Enterprise Security' - 'Splunk Cloud' required_fields: - '_time' - 'Image' - 'QueryName' - 'QueryStatus' - 'process_name' - 'QueryResults' - 'dest' risk_score:64 security_domain:endpoint
