windows_system_discovery_using_ldap_nslookup.yml

name: Windows System Discovery Using ldap Nslookup
id: 2418780f-7c3e-4c45-b8b4-996ea850cd49
version: 1
date: '2022-10-21'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic identifies the execution of nslookup.exe tool
  to get domain information. Nslookup.exe is a command-line tool that can display
  information to diagnose domain name systems. This Nslookup feature is being abused
  by Qakbot malware to gather domain information such as SRV service location records,
  server name and many more.
data_source:
- Sysmon EventID 1
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time)
  as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where (Processes.process_name = "nslookup.exe"
  OR Processes.original_file_name = "nslookup.exe") AND Processes.process = "*_ldap._tcp.dc._msdcs*"
  by Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name
  Processes.process_id Processes.process_guid Processes.process Processes.user Processes.dest
  Processes.parent_process_id Processes.original_file_name | `drop_dm_object_name("Processes")`
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` |`security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_system_discovery_using_ldap_nslookup_filter`'
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: dministrator may execute this commandline tool for auditing
  purposes. Filter as needed.
references:
- https://securelist.com/qakbot-technical-analysis/103931/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/networking/verify-srv-dns-records-have-been-created
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Qakbot
  asset_type: Endpoint
  confidence: 10
  impact: 10
  message: System nslookup domain discovery on $dest$
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1033
  observable:
  - name: dest
    type: Endpoint
    role:
    - Victim
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _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
  risk_score: 1
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1033/qakbot_discovery_cmdline/sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: xmlwineventlog
    update_timestamp: true