Detection: Linux System Network Discovery

Updated Date: 2024-11-13 ID: 535cb214-8b47-11ec-a2c7-acde48001122 Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic identifies potential enumeration of local network configuration on Linux systems. It detects this activity by monitoring processes such as "arp," "ifconfig," "ip," "netstat," "firewall-cmd," "ufw," "iptables," "ss," and "route" within a 30-minute window. This behavior is significant as it often indicates reconnaissance efforts by adversaries to gather network information for subsequent attacks. If confirmed malicious, this activity could enable attackers to map the network, identify vulnerabilities, and plan further exploitation or lateral movement within the environment.

1
2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count values(Processes.process_name) as process_name_list values(Processes.process) as process_list values(Processes.process_id) as process_id_list values(Processes.parent_process_id) as parent_process_id_list values(Processes.process_guid) as process_guid_list dc(Processes.process_name) as process_name_count from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name IN ("arp", "ifconfig", "ip", "netstat", "firewall-cmd", "ufw", "iptables", "ss", "route") by _time span=30m Processes.dest Processes.user 
3| where process_name_count >=4 
4| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
5| `linux_system_network_discovery_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source
Sysmon for Linux EventID 1 Linux icon Linux 'sysmon:linux' 'Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational'

Macros Used

Name Value
security_content_summariesonly summariesonly=summariesonly_config allow_old_summaries=oldsummaries_config fillnull_value=fillnull_config``
linux_system_network_discovery_filter search *
linux_system_network_discovery_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK
+ Kill Chain Phases
+ NIST
+ CIS
- Threat Actors
ID Technique Tactic
T1016 System Network Configuration Discovery Discovery
Exploitation
DE.AE
CIS 10

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Setting Value
Disabled true
Cron Schedule 0 * * * *
Earliest Time -70m@m
Latest Time -10m@m
Schedule Window auto
Creates Risk Event True
This configuration file applies to all detections of type anomaly. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting.

Implementation

The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes node of the Endpoint data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.

Known False Positives

Administrator or network operator can execute this command. Please update the filter macros to remove false positives.

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

Network discovery process $process_name_list$ executed on $dest$

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
dest system 9 No Threat Objects

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational sysmon:linux
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset Syslog:Linux-Sysmon/Operational sysmon:linux

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 4