DNS Exfiltration I.R.O.C.K.

Summary:

The document is a discussion thread within the i.R.O.C.K framework, focused on creating use cases and indicators for detecting DNS exfiltration in a SOC environment. User Sean Sweeney seeks pre-built use cases or ideas for monitoring DNS exfiltration, while Brian Wolff provides signs of bad actors using DNS exfiltration through unusual UDP 53 traffic, encrypted payloads, hashed subdomains, excessive requests to restricted domains, fast flux domain querying, and plain text requests. David Hoi suggests using BlueCat DNS logs for detection efforts, and Colin Henderson inquires about potential tools from BlueCat to assist with monitoring activities related to malware beaconing through DNS exfiltration. The thread aims to develop practical methods for detecting and monitoring DNS exfiltration through indicators and tools within a cybersecurity framework.

Details:

The text provided is a discussion thread about DNS exfiltration within the i.R.O.C.K framework, which likely stands for "Incident Response and Operations Center Knowledge." The conversation revolves around creating use cases or indicators to detect DNS exfiltration activities in a security operations center (SOC) environment. User Sean Sweeney asks if there are any pre-built use cases or ideas available for monitoring DNS exfiltration, as he is new to SOC services and has seen presentations on the topic at Splunk Live DC. This indicates a need for guidance or templates in identifying potential threats related to data theft through DNS queries. Brian Wolff contributes with notes about signs that indicate bad actors might be using DNS exfiltration: unusual UDP 53 traffic, encrypted payloads, hashed subdomains used frequently, excessive requests to restricted domains, fast flux domain querying, plain text requests for subdomains, and more. He also mentions the use of RepSM (Reputation Service Manager) as a starting point for blocking lists in this context. David Hoi inquires if BlueCat DNS logs can be utilized to address these use cases, suggesting that they might provide relevant data for detection efforts. Colin Henderson speculates about potential features or tools provided by BlueCat that could assist with monitoring such activities. Overall, the discussion aims to develop practical ways to detect and monitor DNS exfiltration through various indicators and tools within a cybersecurity framework. The message you received is a conversation thread about DNS exfiltration in the context of network monitoring and security operations. A user named Colin Henderson asked if there are any pre-built use cases or ideas for monitoring DNS exfiltration activities, particularly regarding indicators that can be detected in logs to identify potential malware beaconing. David Hoi responded by mentioning that according to SE from BlueCat, the log contains bytes in and out. David is considering whether this could relate to a malware beaconing use case, where malicious software communicates with external servers to report back data or carry out further actions without direct user interaction. He suggests looking at the byte count for DNS queries as a potential indicator of such activity. If you are new to SOC services and interested in monitoring for DNS exfiltration, it might be helpful to explore pre-built analytic rules (ARBs) that other security analysts have developed or consider implementing SIEM tools like ElasticSearch/Logstash/Kibana or ArcSight alongside Splunk to enhance your detection capabilities.

Disclaimer:

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