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First published December 2020
In one of our previous Threat Hunting Use Case blogs, Firewall Targeting DNS, we focused on using firewall data to observe outbound DNS (Domain Name System) traffic in an environment to identify threats and potential security hygiene issues. One specific objective involved identifying potential endpoints bypassing internal DNS forwarders, in order to address any gaps in security controls or configurations, with the goal of increasing overall visibility into domains queried by endpoints in the environment. With this improved visibility, we can more efficiently hunt for malicious DNS activity using internal DNS server logging. As part of our Threat Hunting Use Case series, we’re sharing the use case below, developed and refined by our Research and Development teams, to help you get started threat hunting.
DNS is an essential part of network communication and is often referred to as the phonebook of the Internet. Most network software, including malware, rely on it to resolve domains to IP addresses before it can establish connections over protocols such as HTTP(S), SMTP, and many others. This means that DNS logging will contain a more complete DNS records, not limited to HTTP(S) traffic, of domains accessed by endpoints in the environment, making it a valuable log source for defenders.
Additionally, network reliance on DNS means that it is available in virtually all enterprise environments. Even in some of the most restricted network segments where HTTP(S) traffic is denied, endpoints may still be able to resolve domains, providing a direct or indirect line to the internet. This availability makes DNS an attractive protocol for attackers to tunnel communications for command and control (C2), data infiltration, and data exfiltration—a technique known as DNS Tunneling. DNS logging is critical to identifying this type of malicious activity, once again proving its worth as an essential log source for all defenders and threat hunters.
Objective: The goal of this hunt is to review DNS logs to baseline common domains queried by endpoints in the environment as well as identify potentially infected endpoints by looking for evidence of DNS tunneling, domain generation algorithm (DGA) domains, and traffic to risky top level domains (TLDs).
Log Source & Requirements: DNS query logging
Duration: 30 Days
Related MITRE Techniques: T1071.004, T1048.003, and T1568.002
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