Cisco Secure Firewall - Privileged Command Execution via HTTP: networkNetworkNoneversion:5
This analytic detects HTTP requests to privileged execution paths on Cisco routers, specifically targeting the `/level/15/exec/-/*` endpoint using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
This detection leverages Snort signature 65370 to identify requests to these sensitive endpoints, which when combined with other indicators may signal active exploitation or post-compromise activity.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Wget or Curl Download: networkNetworkNoneversion:9
The following analytic detects outbound connections initiated by command-line tools such as curl or wget. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and identifies allowed connections (action=Allow) where either the EVE_Process or ClientApplication fields indicate use of these utilities. While curl and wget are legitimate tools commonly used for software updates and scripting, adversaries often abuse them to download payloads, retrieve additional tools, or establish staging infrastructure from compromised systems. If confirmed malicious, this behavior may indicate the download phase of an attack chain or a command-and-control utility retrieval.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Blocked Connection: networkNetworkNoneversion:9
The following analytic detects a blocked connection event by identifying a "Block" value in the action field. It leverages logs from Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense devices. This activity is significant as it can identify attempts from users or applications initiating network connection to explicitly or implicitly blocked range or zones. If confirmed malicious, attackers could be attempting to perform a forbidden action on the network such as data exfiltration, lateral movement, or network disruption.
Detect Outbound SMB Traffic: networkEndpointNoneversion:17
The following analytic detects outbound SMB (Server Message Block) connections from internal hosts to external servers. It identifies this activity by monitoring network traffic for SMB requests directed towards the Internet, which are unusual for standard operations. This detection is significant for a SOC as it can indicate an attacker's attempt to retrieve credential hashes through compromised servers, a key step in lateral movement and privilege escalation. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and potential full system compromise.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Oracle E-Business Suite Exploitation: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects vulnerability exploitation and post-compromise activity associated with Oracle E-Business Suite web-application vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-61882 and CVE-2025-61884.
SIDs 65413-65415 detect detect Java.Backdoor.Cl0p variant payload downloads and Java.Backdoor.Cl0p outbound
command-and-control connection attempts.
SIDs 65456, 65377 and 65378 detect attempts to exploit these vulnerabilities.
Security teams should investigate any instances of these signatures, especially if they are found in conjunction with other suspicious network activity or on systems that should not be exposed to such threats.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Repeated Blocked Connections: networkNetworkNoneversion:9
The following analytic detects repeated blocked connection attempts from the same initiator to the same responder within a short time window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and identifies connections where the action is set to Block, and the number of occurrences reaches or exceeds a threshold of ten within a one-minute span. This pattern may indicate a misconfigured application, unauthorized access attempts, or early stages of a brute-force or scanning operation. If confirmed malicious, this behavior may represent an attacker probing the network, attempting lateral movement, or testing firewall rules for weaknesses.
Internal Horizontal Port Scan: networkEndpointNoneversion:14
This analytic identifies instances where an internal host has attempted to communicate with 250 or more destination IP addresses using the same port and protocol. Horizontal port scans from internal hosts can indicate reconnaissance or scanning activities, potentially signaling malicious intent or misconfiguration. By monitoring network traffic logs, this detection helps detect and respond to such behavior promptly, enhancing network security and preventing potential threats.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Possibly Compromised Host: networkNetworkNoneversion:8
The following analytic highlights high-impact intrusion events assigned by Cisco Secure Firewall.
This detection leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and specifically the IntrusionEvent event type and `Impact` field assigned by Cisco Secure Firewall looking for an impact score of 1 or 2. If confirmed malicious this may indicate a potential compromised host.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Binary File Type Download: endpointEndpointNoneversion:8
The following analytic detects file downloads involving executable, archive, or scripting-related file types that are commonly used in malware delivery.
These file types include formats like PE executables, shell scripts, autorun files, installers, and known testing samples such as EICAR.
This detection leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and enriches the results using a filetype lookup to provide context.
If confirmed malicious, these downloads could indicate the initial infection vector, malware staging, or scripting abuse.
Cisco Privileged Account Creation with HTTP Command Execution: networkNetworkNoneversion:4
This analytic correlates risk events between privileged account creation on Cisco IOS devices and HTTP requests to privileged execution paths such as `/level/15/exec/-/*`.
APT actors have been observed creating privileged accounts and then running commands on routers via HTTP GET or POST requests that target privileged execution paths.
These requests allow attackers to execute commands with the highest privilege level (15) on Cisco devices without requiring interactive SSH access.
This correlation identifies when both "Cisco IOS Suspicious Privileged Account Creation" and "Privileged Command Execution via HTTP" Snort detections fire for the same network device.
This behavior indicates an attacker leveraging the newly created account to execute commands remotely via HTTP.
Internal Horizontal Port Scan NMAP Top 20: networkEndpointNoneversion:13
This analytic identifies instances where an internal host has attempted to communicate with 250 or more destination IP addresses using on of the NMAP top 20 ports. Horizontal port scans from internal hosts can indicate reconnaissance or scanning activities, potentially signaling malicious intent or misconfiguration. By monitoring network traffic logs, this detection helps detect and respond to such behavior promptly, enhancing network security and preventing potential threats.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Malware File Downloaded: endpointEndpointNoneversion:8
The following analytic detects file downloads that were classified as malware by Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense. It relies on the `SHA_Disposition` field with a value of "Malware" and includes metadata such as file name, file_hash hash, and threat classification. This analytic is critical for surfacing file-based threats that are identified via Cisco's AMP or Threat Grid integrations. If confirmed malicious, this could indicate delivery of malware.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Potential Data Exfiltration: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
The following analytic detects potentially suspicious large volumes of data sent by the connection initiator on flows from internal to external networks. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense ConnectionEvent logs and thresholds on InitiatorBytes (bytes transmitted by the initiator), which for typical inside-initiated client sessions approximates upload or outbound payload from the internal host and avoids flagging large downloads where most bytes appear in ResponderBytes. Connections where the initiator sent at least 100 MB are flagged, as these may indicate unauthorized data exfiltration, especially if associated with unusual users, hosts, or processes. This analytic is scoped to inside-to-outside flows using a macro (cisco_secure_firewall_inside_to_outside) to abstract environment-specific zone definitions. If confirmed malicious, this behavior may reflect data staging and exfiltration over an encrypted or stealthy transport.
Internal Vertical Port Scan: networkEndpointNoneversion:13
This analytic detects instances where an internal host attempts to communicate with over 500 ports on a single destination IP address. It includes filtering criteria to exclude applications performing scans over ephemeral port ranges, focusing on potential reconnaissance or scanning activities. Monitoring network traffic logs allows for timely detection and response to such behavior, enhancing network security by identifying and mitigating potential threats promptly.
Protocol or Port Mismatch: networkEndpointNoneversion:12
The following analytic identifies network traffic where the higher layer protocol does not match the expected port, such as non-HTTP traffic on TCP port 80. It leverages data from network traffic inspection technologies like Bro or Palo Alto Networks firewalls. This activity is significant because it may indicate attempts to bypass firewall restrictions or conceal malicious communications. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to evade detection, maintain persistence, or exfiltrate data through commonly allowed ports, posing a significant threat to network security.
Detect Outbound LDAP Traffic: networkEndpointNoneversion:13
The following analytic identifies outbound LDAP traffic to external IP addresses. It leverages the Network_Traffic data model to detect connections on ports 389 or 636 that are not directed to private IP ranges (RFC1918). This activity is significant because outbound LDAP traffic can indicate potential data exfiltration or unauthorized access attempts. If confirmed malicious, attackers could exploit this to access sensitive directory information, leading to data breaches or further network compromise.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Lumma Stealer Outbound Connection Attempt: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects Lumma Stealer outbound connection attempts using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where Snort signatures with IDs 64797, 64798, 64799, 64800, 64801, 64167, 64168, 64169, 62709 have been triggered. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an active infection of Lumma Stealer.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Lumma Stealer Download Attempt: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects Lumma Stealer download attempts using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where Snort signatures with IDs 64797, 64798, 64799, 64800, 64801, 64167, 64168, 64169 have been triggered. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an active infection of Lumma Stealer.
Protocols passing authentication in cleartext: networkEndpointNoneversion:13
The following analytic identifies the use of cleartext protocols that risk leaking sensitive information. It detects network traffic on legacy protocols such as Telnet (port 23), POP3 (port 110), IMAP (port 143), and non-anonymous FTP (port 21). The detection leverages the Network_Traffic data model to identify TCP traffic on these ports. Monitoring this activity is crucial as it can expose credentials and other sensitive data to interception. If confirmed malicious, attackers could capture authentication details, leading to unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Veeam CVE-2023-27532 Exploitation Activity: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects exploitation activity of CVE-2023-27532 using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where Snort signature 61514 (Veeam Backup and Replication credential dump attempt)
is followed within a 5-minute window by 64795 (Veeam Backup and Replication xp_cmdshell invocation attempt), which detects the use of `xp_cmdshell`, a common post-exploitation technique.
If confirmed malicious, this behavior is highly indicative of a successful exploitation of CVE-2023-27532, followed by remote command execution or credential dumping.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Static Tundra Smart Install Abuse: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects activity associated with "Static Tundra" threat actor abuse of the Cisco Smart Install (SMI) protocol
using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to
identify occurrences of Smart Install exploitation and protocol abuse, including denial-of-service and buffer overflow
attempts. The detection triggers when multiple Cisco Smart Install-related Snort signatures are observed in a short period from the
same source, which is indicative of active exploitation or reconnaissance against Cisco devices that expose SMI.
Cisco Privileged Account Creation with Suspicious SSH Activity: networkNetworkNoneversion:5
This analytic detects a correlation between privileged account creation on Cisco IOS devices and subsequent inbound SSH connections to non-standard ports or sshd_operns by correlating risk events
This correlation identifies when both "Cisco IOS Suspicious Privileged Account Creation" and SSH-related Snort detections ("SSH Connection to sshd_operns" or "SSH Connection to Non-Standard Port") fire for the same network device.
This behavior is highly indicative of persistence establishment following initial compromise.
Cisco Secure Firewall - SSH Connection to sshd_operns: networkNetworkNoneversion:5
This analytic detects inbound SSH connections to the sshd_operns service on network devices using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
APT actors have been observed enabling sshd_operns and opening it on non-standard ports to maintain encrypted remote access to compromised network infrastructure.
This detection leverages Snort signature 65368 to identify connections to this service, which when combined with other indicators may signal persistent access mechanisms established by threat actors.
Cisco Secure Firewall - High EVE Threat Confidence: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
The following analytic detects connections with a high Encrypted Visibility Engine (EVE) threat confidence score, indicating potentially malicious behavior within encrypted traffic. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and evaluates the EVE_ThreatConfidencePct field, which reflects the system's confidence in classifying encrypted sessions as threats based on machine learning models and behavioral analysis. A score equal to or greater than 80 suggests the connection is highly likely to be associated with malware command and control (C2), remote access tools, or suspicious tunneling behavior. If confirmed malicious, this may indicate covert communication over TLS from compromised hosts.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Citrix NetScaler Memory Overread Attempt: endpointEndpointNoneversion:7
This analytic detects exploitation activity of CVE-2025-5777 using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where Snort signature 65118 (Citrix NetScaler memory overread attempt) is triggered
If confirmed malicious, this behavior is highly indicative of a potential exploitation of CVE-2025-5777.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Lumma Stealer Activity: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic detects Lumma Stealer activity using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where four of the following Snort signature IDs 64793, 64794, 64797, 64798, 64799, 64800, 64801, 62709, 64167, 64168, 64169, 64796, 62710, 62711, 62712, 62713, 62714, 62715, 62716, 62717, 64812, 64810, 64811 occurs in the span of 15 minutes from the same host.
If confirmed malicious, this behavior is highly indicative of a successful infection of Lumma Stealer.
Cisco Secure Firewall - SSH Connection to Non-Standard Port: networkNetworkNoneversion:5
This analytic detects inbound SSH connections to non-standard ports on network devices using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events. APT actors have been observed enabling SSH servers on high, non-default TCP ports to maintain encrypted remote access to compromised network infrastructure.
This detection leverages Snort signature 65369 to identify SSH protocol traffic on unusual ports, which may indicate persistence mechanisms or backdoor access established by threat actors.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Oracle E-Business Suite Correlation: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This correlation rule identifies potential exploitation attempts of Oracle E-Business Suite vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-61882 and CVE-2025-61884) by correlating multiple intrusion signatures from Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs.
The detection looks for specific signatures that indicate attempts to exploit the TemplatePreview functionality and vulnerable SyncServlet endpoints as well as post compromise activity involving Cl0p.
By correlating these signatures, the analytic aims to identify coordinated exploitation attempts that may indicate an attacker is targeting Oracle E-Business Suite installations.
Security teams should investigate any instances of these correlated signatures, especially if they are found in conjunction with other suspicious network activity or on systems that should not be exposed to such threats.
Cisco Secure Firewall - High Volume of Intrusion Events Per Host: networkNetworkNoneversion:8
The following analytic detects internal systems that generate an unusually high volume of intrusion detections within a 30-minute window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs, specifically focusing on the IntrusionEvent event type, to identify hosts that trigger more than 15 Snort-based signatures during that time. A sudden spike in intrusion alerts originating from a single host may indicate suspicious or malicious activity such as malware execution, command-and-control communication, vulnerability scanning, or lateral movement. In some cases, this behavior may also be caused by misconfigured or outdated software repeatedly tripping detection rules. Systems exhibiting this pattern should be triaged promptly, as repeated Snort rule matches from a single source are often early indicators of compromise, persistence, or active exploitation attempts.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Snort Rule Triggered Across Multiple Hosts: networkNetworkNoneversion:8
This analytic identifies Snort intrusion signatures that have been triggered by ten or more distinct internal IP addresses within a one-hour window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and focuses on the IntrusionEvent event type to detect activity that may indicate broad targeting or mass exploitation attempts. This behavior is often associated with opportunistic scanning, worm propagation, or automated exploitation of known vulnerabilities across multiple systems. If confirmed malicious, this could represent the early phase of a coordinated attack aiming to gain a foothold on several hosts or move laterally across the environment.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Remote Access Software Usage Traffic: networkNetworkNoneversion:9
The following analytic detects network traffic associated with known remote access software applications
that are covered by Cisco Secure Firewall Application Detectors, such as AnyDesk, GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, and TeamViewer.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Connection Event.
This activity is significant because adversaries often use remote access tools to maintain unauthorized access to compromised environments.
If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to control systems remotely, exfiltrate
data, or deploy additional malware, posing a severe threat to the organization's security.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Repeated Malware Downloads: networkNetworkNoneversion:10
The following analytic detects repeated malware file downloads initiated by the same internal host (src) within a short time window. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and identifies `FileEvent` events with a `SHA_Disposition` of "Malware" and `FileDirection` set to "Download". If ten or more such events occur from the same host within five minutes, this analytic will trigger. This activity may indicate the host is compromised and repeatedly retrieving malicious content either due to command-and-control, malware staging, or automation. If confirmed malicious, this behavior may represent an infection in progress, persistence mechanism, or a malicious downloader.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Bits Network Activity: networkNetworkNoneversion:9
The following analytic detects the use of the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) client application in allowed outbound connections. It leverages logs from Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense devices and identifies instances where BITS is used to initiate downloads from non-standard or unexpected domains. While BITS is a legitimate Windows service used for downloading updates, it is also commonly abused by adversaries to stealthily retrieve payloads or tools. This analytic filters out known Microsoft Edge update URLs and focuses on connections that may indicate suspicious or unauthorized file transfers. If confirmed malicious, this could represent a command and control (C2) channel or a download of malware or tooling as part of an attack chain.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Intrusion Events by Threat Activity: networkNetworkNoneversion:10
This analytic detects intrusion events from known threat activity using Cisco Secure Firewall Intrusion Events.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense IntrusionEvent logs to identify cases where one or multiple Snort signatures
associated with a known threat or threat actor activity have been triggered within a one-hour time window. The detection uses a
lookup table (cisco_snort_ids_to_threat_mapping) to map Snort signature IDs to known threat actors and their techniques.
When multiple signatures associated with the same threat actor are triggered within the time window, and the count of
unique signatures matches or exceeds the expected number of signatures for that threat technique, an alert is generated.
This helps identify potential coordinated threat activity in your network environment by correlating related intrusion
events that occur in close temporal proximity.
Currently, this detection will alert on the following threat actors or malware families as defined in the cisco_snort_ids_to_threat_mapping lookup:
* AgentTesla
* Amadey
* ArcaneDoor
* AsyncRAT
* CastleRAT
* Chafer
* DCRAT
* LokiBot
* Lumma Stealer
* Nobelium
* Quasar
* Remcos
* Snake
* Static Tundra
* Xworm
To add or update threat actors, update the cisco_snort_ids_to_threat_mapping.csv lookup file with new or modified threat names and associated Snort signature IDs.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Blacklisted SSL Certificate Fingerprint: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
The following analytic detects the use of known suspicious SSL certificates in any observed event where the SSL_CertFingerprint field is present. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall logs and compares the SSL certificate SHA1 fingerprint against a blacklist of certificates associated with malware distribution, command and control (C2) infrastructure, or phishing campaigns. This activity is significant as adversaries often reuse or self-sign certificates across malicious infrastructure, allowing defenders to track and detect encrypted sessions even when domains or IPs change. If confirmed malicious, this may indicate beaconing, malware download, or data exfiltration over TLS/SSL.
Prohibited Network Traffic Allowed: networkEndpointNoneversion:15
The following analytic detects instances where network traffic, identified by port and transport layer protocol as prohibited in the "lookup_interesting_ports" table, is allowed.
It uses the Network_Traffic data model to cross-reference traffic data against predefined security policies.
This activity is significant for a SOC as it highlights potential misconfigurations or policy violations that could lead to unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to bypass network defenses, leading to potential data breaches and compromising the organization's security posture.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Communication Over Suspicious Ports: networkNetworkNoneversion:8
The following analytic detects potential reverse shell activity by identifying connections involving ports commonly associated with remote access tools, shell listeners, or tunneling utilities. It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and monitors destination ports against a list of non-standard, high-risk port values often used in post-exploitation scenarios. Adversaries frequently configure tools like netcat, Meterpreter, or other backdoors to listen or connect over uncommon ports such as 4444, 2222, or 51820 to bypass standard monitoring and firewall rules. If confirmed malicious, this activity may represent command and control (C2) tunneling, lateral movement, or unauthorized remote access.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Rare Snort Rule Triggered: networkNetworkNoneversion:6
This analytic identifies Snort signatures that have triggered only once in the past 7 days across all Cisco Secure Firewall IntrusionEvent logs. While these rules typically do not trigger in day-to-day network activity, their sudden appearance may indicate early-stage compromise, previously unseen malware, or reconnaissance activity against less commonly exposed services. Investigating these outliers can provide valuable insight into new or low-noise adversary behaviors.
TOR Traffic: networkEndpointNoneversion:17
The following analytic identifies allowed network traffic to The Onion Router (TOR), an anonymity network often exploited for malicious activities.
It leverages data from Next Generation Firewalls, using the Network_Traffic data model to detect traffic where the application is TOR and the action is allowed.
This activity is significant as TOR can be used to bypass conventional monitoring, facilitating hacking, data breaches, and illicit content dissemination.
If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and severe compliance violations, compromising the integrity and security of the network.
Cisco Secure Firewall - High Priority Intrusion Classification: networkNetworkNoneversion:7
This analytic identifies high-severity intrusion events based on the classification assigned to Snort rules within Cisco Secure Firewall logs.
It leverages Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense logs and focuses on events classified as:
- A Network Trojan was Detected
- Successful Administrator Privilege Gain
- Successful User Privilege Gain
- Attempt to Login By a Default Username and Password
- Known malware command and control traffic
- Known malicious file or file based exploit
- Known client side exploit attempt
- Large Scale Information Leak"
These classifications typically represent significant threats such as remote code execution, credential theft, lateral movement, or malware communication. Detection of these classifications should be prioritized for immediate investigation.
Cisco Secure Firewall - File Download Over Uncommon Port: endpointEndpointNoneversion:8
The following analytic detects file transfers flagged as malware that occurred over non-standard ports (other than 80 and 443). Adversaries may attempt to bypass protocol-based detection or use alternate ports to blend in with other traffic. This analytic identifies these non-conventional flows and surfaces potential evasion techniques. If confirmed malicious this indicate potential malware delivery or other nefarious activity.
Cisco Secure Firewall - Connection to File Sharing Domain: networkNetworkNoneversion:10
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).
