Connection to Commonly Abused Web Services

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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

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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

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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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