Detection: Windows System Network Config Discovery Display DNS

Updated Date: 2024-05-17 ID: e24f0a0e-41a9-419f-9999-eacab15efc36 Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic identifies the execution of the "ipconfig /displaydns" command, which retrieves DNS reply information using the built-in Windows tool IPConfig. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process command-line executions. Monitoring this activity is significant as threat actors and post-exploitation tools like WINPEAS often abuse this command to gather network information. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to map the network, identify DNS servers, and potentially facilitate further network-based attacks or lateral movement.

1
2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name="ipconfig.exe" OR Processes.original_file_name = "ipconfig.exe" AND Processes.process = "*/displaydns*" by Processes.process_name Processes.original_file_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.process_guid Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.dest Processes.user 
3| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
5| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
6| `windows_system_network_config_discovery_display_dns_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source Supported App
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2 N/A 'crowdstrike:events:sensor' 'crowdstrike' N/A

Macros Used

Name Value
security_content_ctime convert timeformat="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" ctime($field$)
windows_system_network_config_discovery_display_dns_filter search *
windows_system_network_config_discovery_display_dns_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
KillChainPhase.EXPLOITAITON
NistCategory.DE_AE
Cis18Value.CIS_10
APT1
APT19
APT3
APT32
APT41
Chimera
Darkhotel
Dragonfly
Earth Lusca
FIN13
GALLIUM
HAFNIUM
HEXANE
Higaisa
Ke3chang
Kimsuky
Lazarus Group
Magic Hound
Moses Staff
MuddyWater
Mustang Panda
Naikon
OilRig
SideCopy
Sidewinder
Stealth Falcon
TeamTNT
Threat Group-3390
Tropic Trooper
Turla
Volt Typhoon
Wizard Spider
ZIRCONIUM
admin@338
menuPass

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

unknown

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message Risk Score Impact Confidence
process $process_name$ with commandline $process$ is executed in $dest$ 9 30 30
The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational xmlwineventlog
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational xmlwineventlog

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: 2