Suspicious Process DNS Query Known Abuse Web Services

SPLUNK detection rule by Teoderick Contreras, Splunk · Apache-2.0

The following analytic detects a suspicious process making DNS queries to known, abused text-paste web services, VoIP, instant messaging, and digital distribution platforms. It leverages Sysmon EventID 22 logs to identify queries from processes like cmd.exe, powershell.exe, and others. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to download malicious files, a common initial access technique. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or further compromise of the target host.

name: Suspicious Process DNS Query Known Abuse Web Services
id: 3cf0dc36-484d-11ec-a6bc-acde48001122
version: 17
creation_date: '2021-11-18'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects a suspicious process making DNS queries to known, abused text-paste web services, VoIP, instant messaging, and digital distribution platforms. It leverages Sysmon EventID 22 logs to identify queries from processes like cmd.exe, powershell.exe, and others. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to download malicious files, a common initial access technique. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or further compromise of the target host.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 22
search: '`sysmon` EventCode=22 QueryName IN ("*pastebin*", "*discord*", "*api.telegram*","*t.me*") process_name IN ("cmd.exe", "*powershell*", "pwsh.exe", "wscript.exe","cscript.exe") OR Image IN ("*\\users\\public\\*", "*\\programdata\\*", "*\\temp\\*", "*\\Windows\\Tasks\\*", "*\\appdata\\*", "*\\perflogs\\*") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by answer answer_count dvc process_exec process_guid process_name query query_count reply_code_id signature signature_id src user_id vendor_product QueryName QueryResults QueryStatus | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `suspicious_process_dns_query_known_abuse_web_services_filter`'
how_to_implement: This detection relies on sysmon logs with the Event ID 22, DNS Query. We suggest you run this detection at least once a day over the last 14 days.
known_false_positives: Noise and false positive can be seen if the following instant messaging is allowed to use within corporate network. In this case, a filter is needed.
references:
    - https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/url/1798923/
    - https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/01/15/destructive-malware-targeting-ukrainian-organizations/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: Suspicious process $process_name$ made a DNS query for $QueryName$ on $dvc$
    entity:
        field: dvc
        type: system
        score: 50
threat_objects:
    - field: process_name
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - Snake Keylogger
    - Meduza Stealer
    - Malicious Inno Setup Loader
    - Phemedrone Stealer
    - Remcos
    - Data Destruction
    - PXA Stealer
    - WhisperGate
    - Cactus Ransomware
    - Braodo Stealer
    - RedLine Stealer
    - BlankGrabber Stealer
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1059.005
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: network
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/remcos/remcos_pastebin_download/sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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63018043-271b-4bed-92c0-2195d122c91a

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