Detection: Linux Iptables Firewall Modification

Updated Date: 2025-03-27 ID: 309d59dc-1e1b-49b2-9800-7cf18d12f7b7 Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects suspicious command-line activity that modifies the iptables firewall settings on a Linux machine. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on specific command patterns that alter firewall rules to accept traffic on certain TCP ports. This activity is significant as it can indicate malware, such as CyclopsBlink, modifying firewall settings to allow communication with a Command and Control (C2) server. If confirmed malicious, this could enable attackers to maintain persistent access and exfiltrate data, posing a severe security risk.

 1
 2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process = "*iptables *" AND Processes.process = "* --dport *" AND Processes.process = "* ACCEPT*" AND Processes.process = "*&>/dev/null*" AND Processes.process = "* tcp *" AND NOT(Processes.parent_process_path IN("/bin/*", "/lib/*", "/usr/bin/*", "/sbin/*")) by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product 
 3| rex field=Processes.process "--dport (?<port>3269
 4|636
 5|989
 6|994
 7|995
 8|8443)" 
 9| stats values(Processes.process) as processes_exec values(port) as ports values(Processes.process_guid) as guids values(Processes.process_id) as pids dc(port) as port_count count by Processes.process_name Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_id Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_path Processes.process_path 
10| where port_count >=3 
11| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
12| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
13| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
14| `linux_iptables_firewall_modification_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_ctime convert timeformat="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" ctime($field$)
linux_iptables_firewall_modification_filter search *
linux_iptables_firewall_modification_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
T1562.004 Disable or Modify System Firewall Defense Evasion
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 may do this commandline for auditing and testing purposes. In this scenario filter is needed.

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

A process name - $process_name$ that may modify iptables firewall on $dest$

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
dest system 25 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: 10