Palo Alto - potential beaconing detected

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Id	2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d
Rulename	Palo Alto - potential beaconing detected
Description	Identifies beaconing patterns from PAN traffic logs based on recurrent timedelta patterns. Reference Blog:https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sentinel-blog/detect-network-beaconing-via-intra-request-time-delta-patterns/ba-p/779586
Severity	Low
Tactics	CommandAndControl
Techniques	T1071 T1571
Required data connectors	CloudNgfwByPAN
Kind	Scheduled
Query frequency	1d
Query period	2d
Trigger threshold	0
Trigger operator	gt
Source Uri	https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Azure Cloud NGFW by Palo Alto Networks/Hunting Queries/CloudNGFW-PotentialBeaconing.yaml
Version	1.0.2
Arm template	2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d.json

KQL

let starttime = 2d;
let endtime = 1d;
let TimeDeltaThreshold = 25;
let TotalEventsThreshold = 30;
let MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold = 25;
let PercentBeaconThreshold = 80;
fluentbit_CL
| where isnotempty(FirewallName_s) and ident_s == "TRAFFIC"
| where TimeGenerated between (startofday(ago(starttime))..startofday(ago(endtime)))
| extend DestinationIP = extractjson("$.dst_ip", Message)
| where ipv4_is_private(DestinationIP) == false
| project TimeGenerated, FirewallName_s, SourceIP=extractjson("$.src_ip", Message), SourcePort=extractjson("$.sport", Message), DestinationIP, DestinationPort=extractjson("$.dport", Message), ReceivedBytes=tolong(extractjson("$.bytes_recv", Message)), SentBytes=tolong(extractjson("$.bytes_sent", Message))
| sort by SourceIP asc, TimeGenerated asc, DestinationIP asc, DestinationPort asc
| serialize
| extend nextTimeGenerated = next(TimeGenerated, 1), nextSourceIP = next(SourceIP, 1)
| extend TimeDeltainSeconds = datetime_diff('second', nextTimeGenerated, TimeGenerated)
| where SourceIP == nextSourceIP
// Whitelisting criteria/ threshold criteria
| where TimeDeltainSeconds > TimeDeltaThreshold
| summarize count(), sum(ReceivedBytes), sum(SentBytes)
by TimeDeltainSeconds, bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort
| summarize (MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount, MostFrequentTimeDeltainSeconds) = arg_max(count_, TimeDeltainSeconds), TotalEvents=sum(count_), TotalSentBytes = sum(sum_SentBytes), TotalReceivedBytes = sum(sum_ReceivedBytes)
by bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort
| where TotalEvents > TotalEventsThreshold and MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount > MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold
| extend BeaconPercent = MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount/toreal(TotalEvents) * 100
| where BeaconPercent > PercentBeaconThreshold
| extend timestamp = TimeGenerated, IPCustomEntity = DestinationIP, HostCustomEntity = FirewallName_s

YAML

relevantTechniques:
- T1071
- T1571
name: Palo Alto - potential beaconing detected
requiredDataConnectors:
- dataTypes:
  - fluentbit_CL
  connectorId: CloudNgfwByPAN
entityMappings:
- fieldMappings:
  - identifier: FullName
    columnName: HostCustomEntity
  entityType: Host
- fieldMappings:
  - identifier: Address
    columnName: IPCustomEntity
  entityType: IP
triggerThreshold: 0
id: 2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d
tactics:
- CommandAndControl
version: 1.0.2
OriginalUri: https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Azure Cloud NGFW by Palo Alto Networks/Hunting Queries/CloudNGFW-PotentialBeaconing.yaml
queryPeriod: 2d
kind: Scheduled
queryFrequency: 1d
severity: Low
status: Available
description: |
  'Identifies beaconing patterns from PAN traffic logs based on recurrent timedelta patterns.
   Reference Blog:https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sentinel-blog/detect-network-beaconing-via-intra-request-time-delta-patterns/ba-p/779586'  
query: |
  let starttime = 2d;
  let endtime = 1d;
  let TimeDeltaThreshold = 25;
  let TotalEventsThreshold = 30;
  let MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold = 25;
  let PercentBeaconThreshold = 80;
  fluentbit_CL
  | where isnotempty(FirewallName_s) and ident_s == "TRAFFIC"
  | where TimeGenerated between (startofday(ago(starttime))..startofday(ago(endtime)))
  | extend DestinationIP = extractjson("$.dst_ip", Message)
  | where ipv4_is_private(DestinationIP) == false
  | project TimeGenerated, FirewallName_s, SourceIP=extractjson("$.src_ip", Message), SourcePort=extractjson("$.sport", Message), DestinationIP, DestinationPort=extractjson("$.dport", Message), ReceivedBytes=tolong(extractjson("$.bytes_recv", Message)), SentBytes=tolong(extractjson("$.bytes_sent", Message))
  | sort by SourceIP asc, TimeGenerated asc, DestinationIP asc, DestinationPort asc
  | serialize
  | extend nextTimeGenerated = next(TimeGenerated, 1), nextSourceIP = next(SourceIP, 1)
  | extend TimeDeltainSeconds = datetime_diff('second', nextTimeGenerated, TimeGenerated)
  | where SourceIP == nextSourceIP
  // Whitelisting criteria/ threshold criteria
  | where TimeDeltainSeconds > TimeDeltaThreshold
  | summarize count(), sum(ReceivedBytes), sum(SentBytes)
  by TimeDeltainSeconds, bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort
  | summarize (MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount, MostFrequentTimeDeltainSeconds) = arg_max(count_, TimeDeltainSeconds), TotalEvents=sum(count_), TotalSentBytes = sum(sum_SentBytes), TotalReceivedBytes = sum(sum_ReceivedBytes)
  by bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort
  | where TotalEvents > TotalEventsThreshold and MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount > MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold
  | extend BeaconPercent = MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount/toreal(TotalEvents) * 100
  | where BeaconPercent > PercentBeaconThreshold
  | extend timestamp = TimeGenerated, IPCustomEntity = DestinationIP, HostCustomEntity = FirewallName_s  
triggerOperator: gt

ARM

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "parameters": {
    "workspace": {
      "type": "String"
    }
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "apiVersion": "2024-01-01-preview",
      "id": "[concat(resourceId('Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers', parameters('workspace'), 'Microsoft.SecurityInsights'),'/alertRules/2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d')]",
      "kind": "Scheduled",
      "name": "[concat(parameters('workspace'),'/Microsoft.SecurityInsights/2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d')]",
      "properties": {
        "alertRuleTemplateName": "2f8522fc-7807-4f0a-b53d-458296edab8d",
        "customDetails": null,
        "description": "'Identifies beaconing patterns from PAN traffic logs based on recurrent timedelta patterns.\n Reference Blog:https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sentinel-blog/detect-network-beaconing-via-intra-request-time-delta-patterns/ba-p/779586'\n",
        "displayName": "Palo Alto - potential beaconing detected",
        "enabled": true,
        "entityMappings": [
          {
            "entityType": "Host",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "HostCustomEntity",
                "identifier": "FullName"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "entityType": "IP",
            "fieldMappings": [
              {
                "columnName": "IPCustomEntity",
                "identifier": "Address"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "OriginalUri": "https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Azure Cloud NGFW by Palo Alto Networks/Hunting Queries/CloudNGFW-PotentialBeaconing.yaml",
        "query": "let starttime = 2d;\nlet endtime = 1d;\nlet TimeDeltaThreshold = 25;\nlet TotalEventsThreshold = 30;\nlet MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold = 25;\nlet PercentBeaconThreshold = 80;\nfluentbit_CL\n| where isnotempty(FirewallName_s) and ident_s == \"TRAFFIC\"\n| where TimeGenerated between (startofday(ago(starttime))..startofday(ago(endtime)))\n| extend DestinationIP = extractjson(\"$.dst_ip\", Message)\n| where ipv4_is_private(DestinationIP) == false\n| project TimeGenerated, FirewallName_s, SourceIP=extractjson(\"$.src_ip\", Message), SourcePort=extractjson(\"$.sport\", Message), DestinationIP, DestinationPort=extractjson(\"$.dport\", Message), ReceivedBytes=tolong(extractjson(\"$.bytes_recv\", Message)), SentBytes=tolong(extractjson(\"$.bytes_sent\", Message))\n| sort by SourceIP asc, TimeGenerated asc, DestinationIP asc, DestinationPort asc\n| serialize\n| extend nextTimeGenerated = next(TimeGenerated, 1), nextSourceIP = next(SourceIP, 1)\n| extend TimeDeltainSeconds = datetime_diff('second', nextTimeGenerated, TimeGenerated)\n| where SourceIP == nextSourceIP\n// Whitelisting criteria/ threshold criteria\n| where TimeDeltainSeconds > TimeDeltaThreshold\n| summarize count(), sum(ReceivedBytes), sum(SentBytes)\nby TimeDeltainSeconds, bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort\n| summarize (MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount, MostFrequentTimeDeltainSeconds) = arg_max(count_, TimeDeltainSeconds), TotalEvents=sum(count_), TotalSentBytes = sum(sum_SentBytes), TotalReceivedBytes = sum(sum_ReceivedBytes)\nby bin(TimeGenerated, 1h), FirewallName_s, SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort\n| where TotalEvents > TotalEventsThreshold and MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount > MostFrequentTimeDeltaThreshold\n| extend BeaconPercent = MostFrequentTimeDeltaCount/toreal(TotalEvents) * 100\n| where BeaconPercent > PercentBeaconThreshold\n| extend timestamp = TimeGenerated, IPCustomEntity = DestinationIP, HostCustomEntity = FirewallName_s\n",
        "queryFrequency": "P1D",
        "queryPeriod": "P2D",
        "severity": "Low",
        "status": "Available",
        "subTechniques": [],
        "suppressionDuration": "PT1H",
        "suppressionEnabled": false,
        "tactics": [
          "CommandAndControl"
        ],
        "techniques": [
          "T1071",
          "T1571"
        ],
        "templateVersion": "1.0.2",
        "triggerOperator": "GreaterThan",
        "triggerThreshold": 0
      },
      "type": "Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/providers/alertRules"
    }
  ]
}