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.
- Log source category
- cisco_secure_firewall_threat_defense_connection_event
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.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/741/api/FQE/secure_firewall_estreamer_fqe_guide_740.pdf | 18 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- f7e5e792-d907-46c1-a58e-4ff974dc462a
- Tagged by the source as
- Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense AnalyticsScattered Lapsus$ HuntersNetworknetworkSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securitynetwork
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1