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Working with IDS/IPS

This module offers an in-depth exploration of Suricata, Snort, and Zeek, covering both rule development and intrusion detection. We'll guide you through signature-based and analytics-based rule development, and you'll learn to tackle encrypted traffic. The module features numerous hands-on examples, focusing on the detection of prevalent malware such as PowerShell Empire, Covenant, Sliver, Cerber, Dridex, Ursnif, and Patchwork. We also dive into detecting attacking techniques like DNS exfiltration, TLS/HTTP Exfiltration, PsExec lateral movement, and beaconing through IDS/IPS.

4.43

Created by dbougioukas

Medium Defensive

Summary

This module offers an in-depth exploration of Suricata, Snort, and Zeek.

Signature-based and analytics-based rule development will be covered, to counter known and emergent threats. The module also tackles the significant challenge of encrypted traffic, showcasing techniques to develop rules against this form of veil.

This highly hands-on module covers rule development for real-world malware like PowerShell Empire, Covenant, Sliver, Cerber, Dridex, Ursnif, and Patchwork. The detection of attacking techniques such as DNS exfiltration, TLS/HTTP Exfiltration, PsExec lateral movement, and beaconing, through IDS/IPS is also covered.

This module is broken into sections with accompanying hands-on exercises to practice the techniques we cover. The module ends with a practical hands-on skills assessment to gauge your understanding of the various topic areas.

As you work through the module, you will see detection examples for the topics introduced. It is worth reproducing as many of these examples as possible to reinforce further the concepts presented in each section. You can do this in the target host provided in the interactive sections or your virtual machine.

You can start and stop the module anytime and pick up where you left off. There is no time limit or "grading," but you must complete all of the exercises and the skills assessment to receive the maximum number of cubes and have this module marked as complete in any paths you have chosen.

The module is classified as "medium" and assumes basic knowledge of how Windows operate and common attack principles.

A firm grasp of the following modules can be considered prerequisites for successful completion of this module:

  • Penetration Testing Process
  • Incident Handling Process
  • Security Monitoring & SIEM Fundamentals
  • Intro to Network Traffic Analysis
  • Intermediate Network Traffic Analysis

Introduction To IDS/IPS

In network security monitoring (NSM) operations, the use of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) is paramount. The purpose of these systems is not only to identify potential threats but also to mitigate their impact.

An IDS is a device or application that monitors network or system activities for malicious activities or policy violations and produces reports primarily to a management station. Such a system gives us a clear sense of what's happening within our network, ensuring we have visibility on any potentially harmful actions. It should be noted that an IDS doesn't prevent an intrusion but alerts us when one occurs.

  • The IDS operates in two main modes: signature-based detection and anomaly-based detection. In signature-based detection, the IDS recognizes bad patterns, such as malware signatures and previously identified attack patterns. However, this method is limited to only known threats. For this reason, we also implement anomaly-based detection, which establishes a baseline of normal behavior and sends an alert when it detects behavior deviating from this baseline. It's a more proactive approach but is susceptible to false positives, hence why we use both methods to balance each other out.

On the other hand, an IPS sits directly behind the firewall and provides an additional layer of protection. It does not just passively monitor the network traffic, but actively prevents any detected potential threats. Such a system doesn't just alert us of intruders, but also actively stops them from entering.

  • An IPS also operates in a similar mode to IDS, offering both signature-based and anomaly-based detection. Once a potential threat is detected, it takes actions such as dropping malicious packets, blocking network traffic, and resetting the connection. The goal is to interrupt or halt activities that are deemed dangerous to our network or against our policy.

When deploying IDS and IPS, they are typically integrated into the network at different points, each having its optimal place depending on its function and the overall network design. Both IDS and IPS devices are generally positioned behind the firewall, closer to the resources they protect. As they both work by examining network traffic, it makes sense to place them where they can see as much of the relevant traffic as possible, which is typically on the internal network side of the firewall.

  • Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) passively monitor network traffic, detecting potential threats and generating alerts. By placing them behind the firewall, we can ensure they're analyzing traffic that has already passed the first line of defense, allowing us to focus on potentially more subtle or complex threats that have bypassed the firewall.
  • Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), on the other hand, actively intervene to stop detected threats. This means they need to be placed at a point in the network where they can not only see potentially malicious traffic but also have the authority to stop it. This is usually achieved by placing them inline on the network, often directly behind the firewall.

The deployment may vary based on the network's specific requirements and the kind of traffic we need to monitor. IDS/IPS can also be implemented on the host level, known as Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS) and Host-based Intrusion Prevention Systems (HIPS), which monitor the individual host's inbound and outbound traffic for any suspicious activity.

Please note that the placement of these systems is an integral part of a defense-in-depth strategy, where multiple layers of security measures are used to protect the network. The exact architecture will depend on various factors, including the nature of the network, the sensitivity of the data, and the threat landscape.

IDS/IPS Updates

Moreover, to ensure these systems perform at their best, we consistently update them with the latest threat signatures and fine-tune their anomaly detection algorithms. This requires a diligent, ongoing effort from our security team, but it's absolutely essential given the continually evolving threat landscape.

It's also important to mention the role of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems in our network security monitoring operations. By collecting and aggregating logs from IDS and IPS along with other devices in our network, we can correlate events (analyzing the relationships) from different sources and use advanced analytics to detect complex, coordinated attacks. This way, we have a complete, unified view of our network's security, enabling us to respond quickly to threats.

Coming Up

In this module, we will explore the fundamentals of Suricata, Snort, and Zeek, along with providing insights into signature development and intrusion detection for each of these systems.

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Sections

Relevant Paths

This module progresses you towards the following Paths

SOC Analyst

SOC Analyst

The SOC Analyst Job Role Path is for newcomers to information security who aspire to become professional SOC analysts. This path covers core security monitoring and security analysis concepts and provides a deep understanding of the specialized tools, attack tactics, and methodology used by adversaries. Armed with the necessary theoretical background and multiple practical exercises, students will go through all security analysis stages, from traffic analysis and SIEM monitoring to DFIR activities and reporting. Upon completing this job role path, you will have obtained the practical skills and mindset necessary to monitor enterprise-level infrastructure and detect intrusions at an intermediate level. The SOC Analyst Prerequisites skill path can be considered prerequisite knowledge to be successful while working through this job role path.

Medium Path Sections 165 Sections
Required: 1220
Reward: +260
Path Modules
Incident Handling Process
Fundamental
Path Sections 9 Sections
Reward: +10
Security Incident handling has become a vital part of each organization's defensive strategy, as attacks constantly evolve and successful compromises are becoming a daily occurrence. In this module, we will review the process of handling an incident from the very early stage of detecting a suspicious event, to confirming a compromise and responding to it.
Security Monitoring & SIEM Fundamentals
Easy
Path Sections 11 Sections
Reward: +20
This module provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and the Elastic Stack. It demystifies the essential workings of a Security Operation Center (SOC), explores the application of the MITRE ATT&CK framework within SOCs, and introduces SIEM (KQL) query development. With a focus on practical skills, students will learn how to develop SIEM use cases and visualizations using the Elastic Stack.
Windows Event Logs & Finding Evil
mini module tag Mini-Module
Medium
Path Sections 6 Sections
Reward: +20
This module covers the exploration of Windows Event Logs and their significance in uncovering suspicious activities. Throughout the course, we delve into the anatomy of Windows Event Logs and highlight the logs that hold the most valuable information for investigations. The module also focuses on utilizing Sysmon and Event Logs for detecting and analyzing malicious behavior. Additionally, we delve into Event Tracing for Windows (ETW), explaining its architecture and components, and provide ETW-based detection examples. To streamline the analysis process, we introduce the powerful Get-WinEvent cmdlet.
Introduction to Threat Hunting & Hunting With Elastic
mini module tag Mini-Module
Medium
Path Sections 6 Sections
Reward: +20
This module initially lays the groundwork for understanding Threat Hunting, ranging from its basic definition, to the structure of a threat hunting team. The module also dives into the threat hunting process, highlighting the interrelationships between threat hunting, risk assessment, and incident handling. Furthermore, the module elucidates the fundamentals of Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI). It expands on the different types of threat intelligence and offers guidance on effectively interpreting a threat intelligence report. Finally, the module puts theory into practice, showcasing how to conduct threat hunting using the Elastic stack. This practical segment uses real-world logs to provide learners with hands-on experience.
Understanding Log Sources & Investigating with Splunk
mini module tag Mini-Module
Medium
Path Sections 6 Sections
Reward: +20
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to Splunk, focusing on its architecture and the creation of effective detection-related SPL (Search Processing Language) searches. We will learn to investigate with Splunk as a SIEM tool and develop TTP-driven and analytics-driven SPL searches for enhanced threat detection and response. Through hands-on exercises, we will learn to identify and understand the ingested data and available fields within Splunk. We will also gain practical experience in leveraging Splunk's powerful features for security monitoring and incident investigation.
Windows Attacks & Defense
Medium
Path Sections 16 Sections
Reward: +20
Microsoft Active Directory (AD) has been, for the past 20+ years, the leading enterprise domain management suite, providing identity and access management, centralized domain administration, authentication, and much more. Throughout those years, the more integrated our applications and data have become with AD, the more exposed to a large-scale compromise we have become. In this module, we will walk through the most commonly abused and fruitful attacks against Active Directory environments that allow threat actors to perform horizontal and vertical privilege escalations in addition to lateral movement. One of the module's core goals is to showcase prevention and detection methods against the covered Active Directory attacks.
Intro to Network Traffic Analysis
Medium
Path Sections 15 Sections
Reward: +10
Network traffic analysis is used by security teams to monitor network activity and look for anomalies that could indicate security and operational issues. Offensive security practitioners can use network traffic analysis to search for sensitive data such as credentials, hidden applications, reachable network segments, or other potentially sensitive information "on the wire." Network traffic analysis has many uses for attackers and defenders alike.
Intermediate Network Traffic Analysis
Easy
Path Sections 18 Sections
Reward: +20
Through network traffic analysis, this module sharpens skills in detecting link layer attacks such as ARP anomalies and rogue access points, identifying network abnormalities like IP spoofing and TCP handshake irregularities, and uncovering application layer threats from web-based vulnerabilities to peculiar DNS activities.
Working with IDS/IPS
Medium
Path Sections 11 Sections
Reward: +20
This module offers an in-depth exploration of Suricata, Snort, and Zeek, covering both rule development and intrusion detection. We'll guide you through signature-based and analytics-based rule development, and you'll learn to tackle encrypted traffic. The module features numerous hands-on examples, focusing on the detection of prevalent malware such as PowerShell Empire, Covenant, Sliver, Cerber, Dridex, Ursnif, and Patchwork. We also dive into detecting attacking techniques like DNS exfiltration, TLS/HTTP Exfiltration, PsExec lateral movement, and beaconing through IDS/IPS.
Introduction to Malware Analysis
Hard
Path Sections 9 Sections
Reward: +20
This module offers an exploration of malware analysis, specifically targeting Windows-based threats. The module covers Static Analysis utilizing Linux and Windows tools, Malware Unpacking, Dynamic Analysis (including malware traffic analysis), Reverse Engineering for Code Analysis, and Debugging using x64dbg. Real-world malware examples such as WannaCry, DoomJuice, Brbbot, Dharma, and Meterpreter are analyzed to provide practical experience.
JavaScript Deobfuscation
Easy
Path Sections 11 Sections
Reward: +10
This module will take you step-by-step through the fundamentals of JavaScript Deobfuscation until you can deobfuscate basic JavaScript code and understand its purpose.
YARA & Sigma for SOC Analysts
Easy
Path Sections 11 Sections
Reward: +20
This Hack The Box Academy module covers how to create YARA rules both manually and automatically and apply them to hunt threats on disk, live processes, memory, and online databases. Then, the module switches gears to Sigma rules covering how to build Sigma rules, translate them into SIEM queries using "sigmac", and hunt threats in both event logs and SIEM solutions. It's all hands-on, using real-world malware and techniques.
Introduction to Digital Forensics
Medium
Path Sections 8 Sections
Reward: +20
Dive into Windows digital forensics with Hack The Box Academy's "Introduction to Digital Forensics" module. Gain mastery over core forensic concepts and tools such as FTK Imager, KAPE, Velociraptor, and Volatility. Dive deep into memory forensics, disk image analysis, and rapid triaging procedures. Learn to construct timelines from MFT, USN Journals, and Windows event logs while getting hands-on with key artifacts like MFT, USN Journal, Registry Hives, Prefetch Files, ShimCache, Amcache, BAM, and SRUM data.
Detecting Windows Attacks with Splunk
Medium
Path Sections 23 Sections
Reward: +20
This Hack The Box Academy module is focused on pinpointing attacks on Windows and Active Directory. Utilizing Splunk as the cornerstone for investigation, this training will arm participants with the expertise to adeptly identify Windows-based threats leveraging Windows Event Logs and Zeek network logs. Furthermore, participants will benefit from actual PCAP files associated with the discussed Windows and Active Directory attacks, enhancing their understanding of the respective attack patterns and techniques.
Security Incident Reporting
mini module tag Mini-Module
Easy
Path Sections 5 Sections
Reward: +10
Tailored to provide a holistic understanding, this Hack The Box Academy module ensures participants are adept at identifying, categorizing, and documenting security incidents with utmost accuracy and professionalism. The module meticulously breaks down the elements of a robust incident report and then presents participants with a real-world incident report, offering practical insights into the application of the concepts discussed.