EXCELLENT STUFF - i.R.O.C.K. SE Tips and Tricks
- Pavan Raja
- Apr 8, 2025
- 8 min read
Summary:
It appears that the text you've provided is a detailed guide on handling historical log files using an ArcSight connector on a Linux box, with instructions for setting up and configuring the Syslog File Reader connector to read from a concatenated log file. However, it does not explicitly mention "SyslogFileTest" or provide information about Logger.
If you are referring to a specific tool or platform that processes syslog data, such as a logging service or software like ArcSight, GrayLog, or any other SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tool, the steps outlined could be for configuring a connector in that system to read from a log file. The term "Logger" might refer to the user interface of the SIEM tool where logs are visualized and analyzed.
If you can provide more context about what "SyslogFileTest" and "Logger" refer to, or if there's any other information related to these terms that would help clarify the steps for configuring a connector in your system, please share it so I can assist you better.
Details:
The provided document is titled "SE Tips and Tricks" and appears to be part of a knowledge management system, likely used within a corporate or organizational environment. It contains information about a tool called the "Connector Syslog Simulator," which allows users to test connector performance by simulating syslog data from a file. This can be particularly useful when deploying connectors on platforms that do not natively support syslog files (e.g., Windows).
The document includes specific instructions and parameters for using this simulator, such as running a Java command with parameters like -H (hostname), -P (port number), and -f (file path) to point to the syslog file being used. The tool is designed not only for testing purposes but also has practical applications in scenarios where real-time data import might be impractical or inefficient due to platform limitations.
Additionally, there's information about another tool called "Replay Generator," which is a method for creating demo events quickly and efficiently. This involves creating a desktop shortcut with a specific command that launches the ArcSight batch script for generating replay files, followed by installing the necessary connector and playing the original events into the Enterprise Security Manager (ESM).
Overall, this document serves as a practical guide to enhance user efficiency and effectiveness in managing connectors within an organization's IT infrastructure.
The text describes a step-by-step process for generating a replay file using ESM (Event Stream Manager) and Replay File Generator wizard. Here's a summarized version of the instructions provided:
1. **Extract Resource Gen zip** into a folder for working.
2. **Place "asset file".csv** in the same extracted folder, making it easier to work with while using command line tools.
3. Start ESM and save it.
4. From the desktop shortcut, invoke the Replay File Generator wizard and connect to your instance of ESM using usual credentials.
5. Once connected, choose:
**Target File:** Select location and file name (default is My Documents).
**Start Date:** When you started playing events into ESM.
**End Date:** When the last event was played into ESM.
**Filter:** Select specific event filter for the desired events.
**Sanitize IPs/Hostnames:** Choose "Yes" if extracted data from a customer is involved.
6. Click "Next" twice to start and finish generating the replay file.
7. Move the generated replay file to `C:\arcsight\agent\current` and restart your demo connector. Now, you should see the new replay file in ESM.
8. The process might require tweaking filters to avoid ArcSight correlation events or ASM events mixed with the stream.
Lastly, the text mentions that this method is based on a successful import of zones/assets for customers and encourages sharing this knowledge with fellow engineers who may face similar challenges.
This is an email exchange between Gary Freeman and someone else regarding using ArcSight for generating dark IP lists from RADB.NET. The steps involve setting up a shortcut with specific commands in it, which then uses tools like "arcsight.bat" and Cygwin to fetch data about reserved IP addresses and save them as a text file named "darkaddress.txt".
Gary Freeman shares a method for generating the latest dark IP address list from RADB.NET using "arcsight.bat", suggesting creating a shortcut with the following command string:
`C:\arcsight40\console\current\bin\arcsight.bat whois -s whois.radb.net fltr-unallocated | grep "0.0.0/8^+" | gawk "/./ {print $1}" | sort -un | cut -d. -f1,2,3| grep -v "filter:" | gawk '{print $1 ".0/8"}' > ..\..\..\darkaddress.txt`
This command uses the ArcSight tool "whois" to query IANA's database about reserved IP addresses and save them in a text file named "darkaddress.txt". The user is advised to adjust the path according to their specific installation directory of ArcSight, which might be under `C:\arcsight\`.
The task involves command line operations using tools like whois for querying data from RADB.NET and then processing that information through Cygwin or msu tools (which should already be in the user's path) to generate a list of dark IP addresses, which is saved as "darkaddress.txt" in the root directory of the ArcSight installation folder.
The text provides a guide on how to use the ArcSight Console's Image Editor to create custom graphical representations similar to those in the PCI Demo. It involves exporting a Visio drawing as a JPG at 150dpi and modifying the console settings to enable the image editor. After enabling the editor, users can add new images by selecting "New Image Entry," then resizing and editing them according to specific requirements or desired filters. The guide includes instructions on how to use the tools available within the image editor for adding charts and visual elements that reference saved system filters.
This text provides instructions for viewing images in a channel, suggests a method to unlock an asset tree by editing a server properties file and restarting the manager, introduces a zipfile of helpful tips from Paul Bowen, and explains how to migrate ESM zones to Logger destinations. Additionally, it mentions a document about ArcSight Logger RBAC for MSSPs, which discusses using a Syslog connector on a Connector Appliance for multi-customer mapping and segregation. The text also describes a test involving VMWare with Windows sending logs through NAT destinations via Snare with virtual interfaces for network address translation (NAT).
The document outlines a procedure for forwarding SYSLOG events from Cisco MARS to ArcSight Logger, focusing on the setup process for both software-based connectors and those on the Connector Appliance. It involves setting up syslog connectors with specific NAT IP addresses (142.134.151.202 for Customer A and 142.134.151.204 for Customer B). Mappings files are created to parse these IP addresses, mapping them to customer names in the URI field. Two search group filters (CustomerA-Restrict and CustomerB-Restrict) are generated based on these URIs, each tailored for a user group with Logger rights and search permissions. Two user groups, GroupA and GroupB, are established accordingly, followed by the creation of two users, UserA and UserB, assigned to their respective groups. The procedure concludes with logging in as each user to verify that they can only access their designated customer data through the assigned search group filters.
The article, dated February 13, 2009 at 10:26 AM (PDT), highlights an issue with Logger 3.0 Patch 1 concerning event time parsing for CEF UDP, CEF TCP, or SmartMessage receivers. This change affects forensic investigators who rely on historical Syslog data and have to now use the endTime displayed as EPOCH in a Logger query. The article suggests an alternative procedure to restore historical Syslog data without converting EPOCH time, which involves restoring Logger back to pre-patch 1 or facing indexing issues with misconfigured device times sending events in the future.
The article provides prerequisites and steps for restoring historical UNIX syslog files using Linux:
1. Install the latest SmartConnector executable for Linux on a Red Hat-based distribution (such as Mint, CentOS, RHEL, or SUSE). The system should have at least dual-core with 4 GB of RAM and enough disk space for the restored log files.
2. Configure a CEF UDP receiver named "SyslogFileTest" on Logger.
3. Log into the Linux box with root permissions (sudo can also be used) and create a 0-byte file called "concat.log". This step is crucial as the Syslog connector reads only one file, requiring multiple files to be concatenated into one .GZ compressed file.
4. Install the Syslog File Reader connector in a directory with appropriate read/write permissions, configure it to read the "concat.log" file, and send it to the "SyslogFileTest" receiver on Logger.
5. Start an instance of the connector.
This procedure provides guidance for forensic investigators to restore historical Syslog data without converting EPOCH time, avoiding potential issues with misconfigured device times sending events in the future or reverting to pre-patch 1 which may cause indexing problems.
To summarize the provided text, here's a step-by-step guide for handling historical log files using an ArcSight connector on a Linux box:
1. **Accessing the Connector**: Open a shell window and navigate to the connector’s `/bin` directory. Type `./arcsight agents` to access it. Ensure the connector is running.
2. **Attaching and Mounting Storage Device**: Attach and mount the external storage device containing the historical log files, or optionally copy them to your Linux box.
3. **Navigating to Log File Directory**: Open a new shell window and change the directory to where the `.gz` log files are stored.
4. **Concatenating Log Files**: Concatenate the original compressed log files into a single file named `concat.log`. Use the command:
```bash
gunzip -c logfile1.gz logfile2.gz logfile3.gz >> //concat.log
```
Alternatively, you can use `gzcat` for concatenation.
5. **Ensuring Connectivity and Data Collection**: Make sure the connector is running and that the concatenated file `concat.log` is growing in size. Verify that the "SyslogFileTest" receiver on Logger is collecting events. If not, check permissions on Linux, ensure proper configuration of the connector, and verify there are no errors in `agent.log`.
6. **Managing Growing File Size**: Since `concat.log` will continue to grow as more `.gz` files are concatenated, delete it once parsed into Logger and recreate it as a 0-byte file in the same location so that new logs can be appended.
7. **Searching for Historical Logs**: To search historical logs based on specific times:
Open "Search Composer" in Logger.
Select "endTime" from the filter options under "Name".
Set the operator to "=" and choose a condition using the calendar icon, which will allow you to select year, month, and day for your search.
This summary captures the essential commands and procedures required to handle historical log files with an ArcSight connector on Linux, ensuring proper data collection and retrieval in the Logger system.
The text discusses a system for indexing and displaying time data in a Logger tool. It explains that while the Logger cannot index historical data based on receipt time, it does so based on end time, which is the original device time. On the Search Results page, this time appears as UNIX or EPOCH time, but through the Search Composer interface, users can easily customize email templates for notifications within the system without needing to convert EPOCH times.
The text also mentions that while the default email templates provided with the Extended Security Module (ESM) are basic, they can be customized heavily based on customer requirements and specific event fields using velocity macros. It provides an example of how to customize these templates for different types of correlation alerts and encourages caution when sharing this information with customers due to potential security implications.
The document ends by mentioning various attachments that provide additional documentation and examples related to the Logger tool, such as RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), MSSP (Multi-Tenant Service Provider) procedures, migrating zones to logger destinations, and more.
This document is about different versions of Arcsight training materials and related topics such as Logger configuration for MSSP customer data, Unix logging setup, and more. It includes comments on the usefulness of specific documents like "Logger HowTo: Mapping and Restricting MSSP Customer Data" and mentions Gary Freeman's contributions to SIEM value with heterogeneous device logging. The document also highlights how different versions of software like Arcsight 5.2, 4.x, and Jive SBS are used for various purposes in security information and event management (SIEM).
Comments