Connection to Commonly Abused Web Services

Adversaries may implement command and control communications that use common web services in order to hide their activity. This attack technique is typically targeted to an organization and uses web services common to the victim network which allows the adversary to blend into legitimate traffic. activity. These popular services are typically targeted since they have most likely been used before a compromise and allow adversaries to blend in the network.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*
logs-windows.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Command and Control

Version: 5 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.16.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

network where network.protocol == "dns" and process.name != null
and user.id not in ("S-1-5-18", "S-1-5-19", "S-1-5-20") and /* Add
new WebSvc domains here */ dns.question.name : (
"raw.githubusercontent.*", "*.pastebin.*",
"*drive.google.*", "*docs.live.*",
"*api.dropboxapi.*", "*dropboxusercontent.*",
"*onedrive.*", "*4shared.*", "*.file.io",
"*filebin.net", "*slack-files.com", "*ghostbin.*",
"*ngrok.*", "*portmap.*", "*serveo.net",
"*localtunnel.me", "*pagekite.me", "*localxpose.io",
"*notabug.org", "rawcdn.githack.*",
"paste.nrecom.net", "zerobin.net", "controlc.com",
"requestbin.net" ) and /* Insert noisy false positives here */
not process.executable : ( "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
"?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\WWAHost.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\smartscreen.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\System32\\MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe",
"?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\Platform\\*\\MsMpEng.exe", "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Loc
al\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe",
"?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Fiddler\\Fiddler.exe",
"?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Microsoft VS Code\\Code.exe",
"?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\OneDrive\\OneDrive.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\system32\\mobsync.exe",
"?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\mobsync.exe" )

Threat mapping

edit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Command and Control
- ID: TA0011
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/
Technique:
- Name: Web Service
- ID: T1102
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1102/
Tactic:
- Name: Exfiltration
- ID: TA0010
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0010/
Technique:
- Name: Exfiltration Over Web Service
- ID: T1567
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1567/

Rule version history

edit

Version 5 (7.16.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 4 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

network where network.protocol == "dns" and /* Add new WebSvc
domains here */ dns.question.name : (
"*.githubusercontent.*", "*.pastebin.*",
"*drive.google.*", "*docs.live.*",
"*api.dropboxapi.*", "*dropboxusercontent.*",
"*onedrive.*", "*4shared.*", "*.file.io",
"*filebin.net", "*slack-files.com", "*ghostbin.*",
"*ngrok.*", "*portmap.*", "*serveo.net",
"*localtunnel.me", "*pagekite.me", "*localxpose.io",
"*notabug.org" ) and /* Insert noisy false positives here */
not process.name : ( "MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe",
"MicrosoftEdge.exe", "iexplore.exe", "chrome.exe",
"msedge.exe", "opera.exe", "firefox.exe",
"Dropbox.exe", "slack.exe", "svchost.exe",
"thunderbird.exe", "outlook.exe", "OneDrive.exe" )

Version 3 (7.12.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

network where network.protocol == "dns" and /* Add new
WebSvc domains here */ wildcard(dns.question.name,
"*.githubusercontent.*",
"*.pastebin.*",
"*drive.google.*",
"*docs.live.*",
"*api.dropboxapi.*",
"*dropboxusercontent.*",
"*onedrive.*", "*4shared.*",
"*.file.io", "*filebin.net",
"*slack-files.com",
"*ghostbin.*", "*ngrok.*",
"*portmap.*", "*serveo.net",
"*localtunnel.me",
"*pagekite.me",
"*localxpose.io",
"*notabug.org" ) and
/* Insert noisy false positives here */ not process.name
in ("MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe",
"MicrosoftEdge.exe",
"iexplore.exe", "chrome.exe",
"msedge.exe", "opera.exe",
"firefox.exe", "Dropbox.exe",
"slack.exe", "svchost.exe",
"thunderbird.exe", "outlook.exe",
"OneDrive.exe")

Version 2 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

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