WARNING THIS IS A EXPERIMENTAL object

We have not been able to test, simulate, or build datasets for this object. Use at your own risk. This analytic is NOT supported.

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Description

This search looks for network traffic on common ports where a higher layer protocol does not match the port that is being used. For example, this search should identify cases where protocols other than HTTP are running on TCP port 80. This can be used by attackers to circumvent firewall restrictions, or as an attempt to hide malicious communications over ports and protocols that are typically allowed and not well inspected.

  • Type: Anomaly
  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
  • Datamodel: Network_Traffic
  • Last Updated: 2020-07-21
  • Author: Rico Valdez, Splunk
  • ID: 54dc1265-2f74-4b6d-b30d-49eb506a31b3

Annotations

ATT&CK
ID Technique Tactic
T1048.003 Exfiltration Over Unencrypted/Obfuscated Non-C2 Protocol Exfiltration
T1048 Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol Exfiltration
Kill Chain Phase
  • Command & Control
NIST
  • DE.AE
  • PR.AC
CIS20
  • CIS 9
  • CIS 12
CVE 
1
2
3
4
5
6

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Network_Traffic where (All_Traffic.app=dns NOT All_Traffic.dest_port=53) OR ((All_Traffic.app=web-browsing OR All_Traffic.app=http) NOT (All_Traffic.dest_port=80 OR All_Traffic.dest_port=8080 OR All_Traffic.dest_port=8000)) OR (All_Traffic.app=ssl NOT (All_Traffic.dest_port=443 OR All_Traffic.dest_port=8443)) OR (All_Traffic.app=smtp NOT All_Traffic.dest_port=25) by All_Traffic.src_ip, All_Traffic.dest_ip, All_Traffic.app, All_Traffic.dest_port 
|`security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `drop_dm_object_name("All_Traffic")` 
| `protocol_or_port_mismatch_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

Note that protocol_or_port_mismatch_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Required field

  • _time
  • All_Traffic.app
  • All_Traffic.dest_port
  • All_Traffic.src_ip
  • All_Traffic.dest_ip

How To Implement

Running this search properly requires a technology that can inspect network traffic and identify common protocols. Technologies such as Bro and Palo Alto Networks firewalls are two examples that will identify protocols via inspection, and not just assume a specific protocol based on the transport protocol and ports.

Known False Positives

None identified

Associated Analytic story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
25.0 50 50 tbd

Reference

Test Dataset

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 | version: 2