Tag Archives: Digital Forensics

Script(s) to extract HTTP Host data from file

A while ago, created a new repository on GitHub for the scripts I wrote for DFIR. Since then, it only had the Computer Ping script in it. Today I added the first of the Extractor scripts.

The first extractor script, xHttpExtractor.py came about from a web based tool I used. It would run on a file uploaded to it, and then list a bunch of indicators, system artifacts, url calls outs, network communication, etc. However the tool didn’t have a good export mechanism at the time. So I would copy and paste everything to a text file, and then extract the url host details from the text files. Mainly so I could add the URL indicators to the web proxy.

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Script(s) to ping a computer

I re-wrote a script I use at work. It was a messy bit of Python 3 previously. While it’s still not the cleanest of python scripts, it scratches my itch. It was originally just a straight line of commands with lots of repeated code. I made some functions and made it a little more modular. I know I need to learn PEP8, and start following it. This was just to improve something that I wrote previously with things I learned from Automate the Boring Stuff with Python.

I’ve shared it via my GitHub repository for DFIR scripts. They’re clean (not tied to any company). There is only Computer Ping for right now. There are 3 scripts all based on the same idea.

Ping a computer, if it is down, keep trying every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Pop an “alert” if the target is up, or the script finished before it came up.

  • 1 version for Windows running python (wComputerPing.py)
  • 1 version for Windows running Cygwin (cwComputerPing.py)
  • 1 version for boxes running Linux. (lComputerPing.py).

I’ll write others and upload to the repository as I have time / re-write stuff I use. They might not all be Python, but my goal is to be more Python than not.

Reading Malware Traffic Analysis

I’ve made it through the June and July 2013 posts on Malware Traffic Analysis. I’m starting to understand his process more, and partially how he came to follow that process.

Mainly from what I could tell, and was confirmed in the blog posts, and via twitter, The site explodes malware on systems and gets pcaps for those systems. Then looks to see what call outs are there. The exercises and blog posts, so far, have only shown 1 ip address. Which makes it easier than a full corporate network to find the traffic.

Something I noticed. While Malware Traffic Analysis says to configure Wireshark one way, the blog posts of late show it’s now configured a little differently.

CSEC630 Lab 2

Ok. The lab was pretty much what I expected.

Click this Panic button to reset everything. Go look at this pcap in Wireshark. Run this command in cmd.exe (and even walks the student through opening a term window by go to the start button, type cmd in the run box).

Run Snort with the test option on a pre-defined rule set using the pcap you looked at. Modify the same rule multiple times, enabling and disabling an alert each time. Run to see the difference.

Answer these 10 questions.

The last question was how to improve the class… I forgot to say use a Linux VM instead of a Windows VM. Since one of my answers did require Grep. Which means copy and paste from the VM lab to my box connected to the lab.

SANS Forensics 578

Work recently sent me to SANS Forensics 578, Cyber Threat Intelligence. This was my first SANS class ever, and it was pretty good. The instance of the class I was sent to was presented by Jake Williams and Rebekah Brown. I think having both of them teach the class was great, because it gave more from the trenches view than having just one of them as an instructor.

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One way to try and up the game

Yesterday, I gave my opinion on the how I think we are missing an opportunity. Before it even went live Monday (I wrote it Sunday, and I’m writing this Monday night), a conversation happened. The main point is that Attackers are working together so why are the defenders all playing the Lone Ranger / Zorro by going it alone?

I also had quick twitter conversations with Ch3ryl B1sw4s and Timeless Prototype. One was related to yesterday’s post, one wasn’t. But here are some thoughts to try and up the game on the defense side. I’m not an expert, I’m just some guy working on a Master’s on Cybersecurity to go with my BS in Information Assurance.

The goals:

  1. Have a way for people who work in SOCs, on CIRT teams, Security, regardless of team size, even the guy who has to do it all at the small companies to have a group of peers who can be contacted and discuss things with.
  2. Keep the adversarial attackers out, but allow pen-testers and others access too if they want to join.
  3. Provide enough information to be helpful to each other without putting our companies at risk.

Step 1. Create a Security Operations based Web of Trust

We need a way to validate people. So lets say I’m on a CIRT, I can vouch for all my CIRT members. But if I have been interviewed by another CIRT I can vouch for the members that interviewed me there. That means, I can get those two groups talking and at some point, like a con they can meet.

Step 2. Secure communication channels.

Different options for communication. Out of band forums, chat (IRC), OTR IM, or whatever people think would be the best way.

This is multi-fold.

One it gives us a neutral ground to talk, and putting a layer between our conversations and our employers. For protection, obfuscation is not security but having a group invites attackers. Keep the company names out, and makes it harder to attack them because of our associations. It’s not to hide things from the company.

Two, this way if we have to contact another team with “Hey I’m seeing a lot Viagra ads coming from your domain”, I don’t have to worry about intercept because the mail server or mail dns is compromised.

Step 3. Share sanitized knowledge.

Note I said sanitized. This should make the stake holders at our employers a little more relaxed. They know we are sharing Indicators of Compromise, or hey I noticed this strange thing anyone else seeing it?

It would also be nice if someone finds malware aimed at another company to share that, instead of saying yep, not my company, without having to say all they did to find it. Just say “Hey I found this going after X, anyone else see it on their network. How about X, do you know your a target?

I’m sure this could be fleshed out more. I’m sure there are things I’m missing. I know it’s partly re-inventing the wheel, but really twitter is faster than Infragard on attacks, but with twitter both sides see them a the same time, while things get lost in the noise. I know HTCIA is a thing, but is it’s mission the same?

 

My thoughts on Ashley Madison Dumps: another missed chance to up the IR game

I don’t care what people want to do in there spare time. I don’t care about the teaser dump, I don’t care about the 9 gig dump, I don’t care about the 20 gig dump, and I don’t care about the 300 gigs that Impact Team claims to have.

However as someone who’s job it is to defend the company, a member of the Blue Team, there are responsibilities I have to the company. Instead of DMCA take down notices, Avid Life or at least the Incident Response team, should be working with any non-webmail based domain. So if a company’s domain shows up in the list, they should contact that company’s CIRT team. This allows the CIRT to defend against any possible attacks.

Now granted that the attacks the CIRTs are most likely to see are Spear Phishing and account brute force attacks. It still make sense to share the relevant information. I believe the same about the Anthem and OPM breaches. In all these cases, these have been missed opportunities.

Based on what I’ve done so far, what I’ve sat through in presentations, and what I’ve learned in school not enough of us are working together. Company CIRTs stop at the perimeter when they should probably be sharing information. I’ve seen too many in the industry saying “that’s their problem, let them find it”. Meanwhile how many times have we as an industry seen news stories saying Company X didn’t know they were breached until they were pinged by the U.S. Gov?

I know that Scott Roberts at his Bsides Columbus talk said there were Out of Band forums, and it sounded like the members were from multiple CIRTs, that some people use. But what is the usage like compared to all the CIRTs / Security Teams / Sole Admin supporting the whole company, that could use that kind of forum for help?

Should the CIRT team’s responsibility stop at the perimeter, or should all the teams out there have ways to work together through a web of trust to make attacking harder?

One more post on Open Source Tools and DF in court.

Email from the professor this morning (Emphasis added by professor):

We also had some discussion regarding tool acceptance in court.  I wanted to provide some additional detail on this.  Remember its the testimony of the witness that is being accepted.  *Disclaimer I am not an attorney* Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) say the following:

Rule 702. A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:

(a) the expert’s scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;

(b) the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;

(c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and

(d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.

END RULE 702

While several FRE rules discuss acceptance of evidence (Rules 401-404) and testimony( Article VI  and Article VII) 702 explains much. …  Michigan’s Rules of Evidence follows the FRE closely.