Back to results

Cisco Secure Firewall - Connection to File Sharing Domain

The following analytic detects outbound connections to commonly abused file sharing and pastebin-style hosting domains. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and focuses on allowed connections…

Description

The following analytic detects outbound connections to commonly abused file sharing and pastebin-style hosting domains. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and focuses on allowed connections (action=Allow) where the url field matches a list of known data hosting or temporary storage services. While many of these platforms serve legitimate purposes, they are frequently leveraged by adversaries for malware delivery, data exfiltration, command and control (C2) beacons, or staging of encoded payloads. This analytic is valuable for identifying potential abuse of legitimate infrastructure as part of an attacker's kill chain. If confirmed malicious, this activity may indicate tool staging, credential dumping, or outbound data leaks over HTTP(S).

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
ESXiLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesPREWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 5 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.

Known benign triggers

  • Legitimate users and applications may use these domains for benign purposes such as file transfers, collaborative development, or storing public content. Developer tools, browser extensions, or open-source software may connect to githubusercontent.com or cdn.discordapp.com as part of normal operation. It is recommended to review the associated process (`EVE_Process`), user behavior, and frequency of access before classifying the activity as suspicious.

Detections can measure how the public catalogue is used — which detections people look for, and which pages bring them here. It sets a cookie that recognises this browser for 180 days. It is never linked to an account and never follows you to other sites. Privacy notice