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Description

The following analytic identifies curl being utilized with a proxy based on command-line arguments - -x, socks, –preproxy and –proxy. This behavior is built into the MetaSploit Framework as a auxiliary module. What does socks buy an adversary? SOCKS4a extends the SOCKS4 protocol to allow a client to specify a destination domain name rather than an IP address. The SOCKS5 protocol is defined in RFC 1928. It is an incompatible extension of the SOCKS4 protocol; it offers more choices for authentication and adds support for IPv6 and UDP, the latter of which can be used for DNS lookups. The protocols, and a proxy itself, allow an adversary to evade controls in place monitoring traffic, making it harder for the defender to identify and track activity.

  • Type: TTP
  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
  • Datamodel: Endpoint
  • Last Updated: 2022-07-29
  • Author: Michael Haag, Splunk
  • ID: bd596c22-ad1e-44fc-b242-817253ce8b08

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1090 Proxy Command And Control
T1095 Non-Application Layer Protocol Command And Control
Kill Chain Phase
  • Command and Control
NIST
  • DE.CM
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE
1
2
3
4
5
6
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name=curl Processes.process IN ("*-x *", "*socks4a://*", "*socks5h://*", "*socks4://*","*socks5://*", "*--preproxy *", "--proxy*") by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `linux_proxy_socks_curl_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: linux_proxy_socks_curl_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Required fields

List of fields required to use this analytic.

  • _time
  • Processes.dest
  • Processes.user
  • Processes.parent_process_name
  • Processes.parent_process
  • Processes.original_file_name
  • Processes.process_name
  • Processes.process
  • Processes.process_id
  • Processes.parent_process_path
  • Processes.process_path
  • Processes.parent_process_id

How To Implement

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

False positives may be present based on proxy usage internally. Filter as needed.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
56.0 70 80 An instance of $process_name$ was identified on endpoint $dest$ by user $user$ utilizing a proxy. Review activity for further details.

:information_source: The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.

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: 1